The X-Men's Fourth of July

   Gallia, Saila, and Jack were setting up the fireworks display for the mutants that wouldn't be going home for the Fourth. Gallia was dressed as she usually was, yellow shirt and jeans with her silver violin under her chin as she played. Jack was dressed casually in a gray T-shirt and black pants. Then there was Saila, dressed in her grease-stained white shirt and khaki pants, hair pulled back in a tight ponytail and a tool belt around her waist with an assortment of tools. Every inch the daughter of Hephaestus everyone expected to see.

   "Saila, duck!" Gallia shouted, halting her music so her voice would carry.

   Saila shrieked and dove to the ground in her characteristic flash of silver lightning as one of the boards Gallia had been controlling flew over her head. When the board was no longer a danger, she got up and brushed the grass and leaves from her white shirt. "Gallia! That's the ninth time today!"

   Jack snickered. "She's just getting distracted by my boredom," he said.

   "Shut it Jack, or I'll give you something to do," Saila said with a mock threatening tone. "You really shouldn't be-" her voice changed as Jack made the sound waves vibrate at a different frequency, "making awesome music. JACK! That is not what I said!"

   Jack grinned and leaned against the stand for the fireworks. "I'm sorry, did you say something else? I believe I heard you say I was making awesome music."

   Gallia shot him a reproachful look. "Jack, go get the fireworks."

   "Do I get to drive your car?"

   Saila hurled a keychain at him and he ducked with a yelp. "No. You get to drive the rust bucket owned, operated, and built by yours truly. Off you go."

   Gallia laughed as Jack made a face at Saila and picked up the keys. As he walked away Gallia put the bow to the strings of her violin again. "Where did you want the metal?"

   Saila picked up a small stone and tossed it four feet to her right. "Over there."

   Gallia nodded and played a slow, low-pitched song and the large sheets of metal drifted lazily into the air and over to where Saila wanted them. Saila hummed along to the song as she reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out five nails. She held them between her teeth as she hunted for her hammer.

   The roar of an old and very rusty truck in need of a new muffler carried across the small field of grass that separated Gallia and Saila from X-Mansion. Saila picked up her hammer and snorted with quiet laughter at the sound of her truck. The telltale rumble and rattle that made it sound like it was going to fall to pieces any second reminding her that she had yet to actually fix it.

   Gallia stopped playing her violin and sat down, all the metal having been moved. "Saila, you're the best mechanic I've ever met, but you take horrible care of your truck."

   Saila shrugged in response and took one of the nails out of her mouth. "Itsh not nish enough to bother."

   Gallia laughed. "So you're saying you need a Mustang?"

   Saila's eyes lit up and she grinned. "Heck yeah."

   She readjusted the boards so they overlapped and pounded the nail through both with one expert stroke with her hammer. Gallia watched quietly, smiling from Saila's reaction to the Mustang comment.

   Saila finished the firework stands in record time for a normal person and joined Gallia on the grass. She leaned back on her elbows. 

   Gallia turned her head to look at Saila. "You were two seconds off from last year's record."

   Saila sighed and glanced toward X-Mansion, where the Silver Surfer had just landed out front. "Drato. I was hoping to beat that."

   Gallia followed her gaze and smirked. "Got a distraction have we?"

   Saila quickly turned her head back. "No! Why would he be a distraction?"

   Gallia shook her head. "No reason!" she sang.

   Saila eyed her suspiciously. "Por qué debería creer eso?"

   Gallia laughed. "Because I'm your friend you silly duck!"

   Saila smiled. "Yes you are."

   "Saila! Gallia!" Remy shouted across the field. "Come on mes amies! Dinner 'as been finished!"


   The hum of whispers filled the air around the field. Jack and Gallia were laying on the ground next to each other. They were as close to the launching point of the fireworks as Saila would let them get. The rest of the students, teachers, and X-Men were ten feet back from the line.

   The Silver Surfer was with Saila, who was teaching him how to launch the fireworks and brandishing a flaming, medieval-style torch as emphasis. Silver Surfer kept glancing warily at the torch but he never said anything.

   Saila raised the torch above her head with a flourish, getting everyone's attention in a matter of seconds. Everyone looked at Saila, then at the ranks of fireworks next to her. A hush settled over everyone.

   Saila picked up another torch and used hers to light it, then handed it to Silver Surfer. Saila darted to the opposite end of the row. "Three! Two! One!"

   Silver Surfer and Saila started lighting the fuses to the fireworks. There was a shrill whistle as the first firework shot into the sky, exploding in a shower of red, white, and blue sparks.

   As the show continued there were several "Ooooohhhh"s and "Aaaahhh"s at the display. Jack had gotten as many different kinds of fireworks as he could. Between that and Saila's skill with creating the displays meant that the show was one that you would never see anywhere else. 

   Saila did the grand finale by herself. It was a job she simply couldn't give to anyone else. She shot up at down the rows of fireworks at top speed, her silver lightning adding to the light show caused by the unending explosion of color in the sky as the fireworks exploded at almost the same time.

   The silence that followed the last firework was almost as deafening as the fireworks themselves had been. The silence was broken just as fast by the cheering of dozens of mutants.

   Saila ran to the front of the firework stands. Her face bore a huge grin. "HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE!!!"

___________________________

That was so much fun. You have NO idea. :D :D :D :D :D I'm grinning just as much as Saila right now.

I hope you all enjoyed! If you have any requests let me know!

May the speed force be with you!

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top