Trick or Treat 1/1 Standard disclaimers apply. This is set somewhere in the early days of the New Mutants, and is basically a fast and easy way of killing two birds with one stone... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- "Och! David? David, where are you? Oh, dinna tell me I lost him..!" Rahne bit her lip and put down the books she had been bringing from her guest room, forcing herself to calm down. She had left David Haller alone for a moment to retrieve them, and upon her return she had discovered her charge had wandered off. _Lady Moira will never trust me again!_ Rahne thought, horrified. _She told me t' watch him so she could go into town with Mr. Cassidy for lunch -- an' I lost him!_ Then she shook herself. _Ah, what 'm I thinkin'?! Calm down, silly girl! You can track him easily!_ Composing herself, Rahne shifted to wolfen-form and sniffed the chair David had been sitting on. Her sensitive nose picked up a faint warmth; the chair had not been abandoned long ago. He couldn't have gone too far. Nose to the ground, Rahne followed his scent. The corridors of the Muir Island Research Center were long, gray, and sterile, but Rahne had long since grown accustomed to them. Her foster mother, Moira MacTaggert, had taken great pains to get her "daughter" used to the feel of the place, and for once the effort had succeeded. Rahne was more worried about David. Physically, David Haller was a boy in his late teens. Mentally, however, he was a ten-year-old boy who had spent much of his life in an autistic stupor after a severe mental trauma. He was also schizophrenic, possessed of three separate and radically differently personalities in addition to his own: Jack Wayne, Cyndi, and another -- an anomaly named Jemail Karami, an Arab youth who was no fractured personality at all, but rather a former assassin who had been drawn into David's mind immediately after his own death. Each of these three wielded one of David's psychic powers -- telekinesis, pyrokinetics, and telepathy. Depending upon who was in charge, David's actions could be gentle, terrifying, or downright bizarre. _I s'ppose we should be thankful that David's mostly in control now,_ Rahne thought as she shifted briefly to her transitional form to open a door. It led outside, where David *knew* he shouldn't go... _He's such a sweet lad, an' he deserves the chance t' live. It's a good thing Dani had the Arab put everythin' mostly back where it belongs..._ Rahne followed the trail across the grass, towards the nearby cliff side. Her heart gave a momentary lurch. What if David had..? But no, Jemail would never have let that happen. Nor would Jack of Cyndi, for that matter. Although none of the three were particularly happy to be confined to David's body, they were more concerned with ensuring their own survival. None of the three personalities, no matter how bitter, was willing to walk itself off a cliff to remedy the situation. Rahne's fears were put to rest a dozen yards later, where she found David -- sitting several feet away from the edge, thank goodness -- overlooking the sea. His wild black hair was stiff against the wind, and his long, thin hands toyed with bits of grass pulled from the turf. "David!" Rahne cried, shifting to human form. "Och, what're you trying t' do?! You had me worried sick!" David jerked guiltily. He dropped the grass and looked at his feet sheepishly. "Sorry, Rahne," he mumbled into his turtleneck, stretched like a tent across his long, bony frame. "I just wanted to go outside." Rahne's expression softened, and she kneeled down beside him. "I...I dinna mean t' sound so harsh, David," she apologized, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You just scared me, that's all. You know you're not to come out here alone -- Lady Moira will be angry." David bit his lip. "Oh, please don't tell her, please!" he begged, his pale blue eyes pleading. "I didn't mean to be bad, really! I was just...I was just bored, that's all..." Rahne sighed and relented. After all, how could she condemn him for something she herself had done many a time at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters when she was supposed to have been studying? "All right, I won't tell Lady Moira," Rahne promised, shivering as a particularly frigid gust of the October wind blew against her face. "But you mustn't do this again, all right? You worried me half t' death!" "I'm sorry," David repeated, looking up shyly. He pulled his knees under his chin and stared out across the water, his face oddly introspective. "David?" Rahne asked after a minute, concerned. "Are you all right?" "'M okay." "Aren't you cold?" "Li'l bit." Rahne chewed her lip. David wasn't usually so quiet. Fortunately she didn't have to wait long for an answer. "Rahne...Dr. MacTaggert isn't your real mum, is she?" Rahne blinked, then shook her head. "No, she's nae," she answered, running a hand through her short red hair. "But she's as true and good a woman as I've ever known, an' she's looked after me ever since I was little. An' she's a fair sight nicer'n my guardian Reverend Craig e'er was t' me. As far as I'm concerned, she's m' mummy. Why d'you ask?" "Oh...I was just wondering," David answered, twisting the hem of his shirt in his hands. He sighed. "I wish my mum was here." Rahne softened. _He's lonely! Och, poor boy -- I know how he feels. Saints know I always felt that way when I was growin' up..._ Rahne rested a comforting hand on David's shoulder. "It'll be okay, David," Rahne assured him as he turned towards her, his mournful blue eyes meeting hers. "She loves you, truly -- and I know if she could she'd be wi' you now. But she's got a job, like Lady Moira, an' she can't always be there when she wants t' be." "Yeah..." David said, and rested his chin once more on his knees. "I know. An' I know Dad wants to be here, too, but he's always busy..." He let out a gusty sigh. "I miss them." "I know how you feel," Rahne replied, somewhat guiltily. "Sometimes it feels like they love everyone else more'n you..." "Yeah." They sat in silence for a moment. Then David said, "It must be nice having friends." "Hn? Oh, yes, very nice..." Rahne answered, thinking of Dani and Doug and the Professor and all her other wonderful new friends. What a change from her life before joining the New Mutants, when she had had none at all... David sagged. "I wish I had some," he said, staring into the distance, seemingly past the ocean itself. "I had some when I was in Paris, but we kept moving all the time." _Oh, the poor lad..._ Rahne thought. _That's right -- his mum's an ambassador. He probably didn't get th' chance t' make many friends..._ Rahne bit her lip again, frowning. She had an idea -- it seemed wrong, somehow, or at least vaguely disturbing...but surely...surely it would be all right, just this once? "David..." she said slowly, still fighting the urge to balk at the words, "d'you know what Halloween is?" David looked curious. "Isn't that what they do in America?" he asked, looking thoughtful. "I think...I think I might've gone once. When I was real little, with uncle Daniel. We walked around and got candy." Rahne nodded, still somewhat uneasy. "Aye...tha's it. Would you...if Lady Moira says it's all right, would you like t' go?" David brightened immediately, his long features stretching into a grin. "Oh! That'd be fun! With who? You?" Rahne nodded. "Wi' me...an' maybe Dani an' some of the others, I hope," she affirmed. She knew that the school had been invited to a Halloween party, but half the team wasn't planning on attending. As far as she knew, only Illyana and Roberto were dead-set on going, and Professor Xavier had not been particularly thrilled at the concept. "C'mon," Rahne said, rising to her feet and tugging at her sweater as another blast of autumn wind struck them. "I'll make th' call -- but come inside wi' me, all right? Sharon is likely lookin' for us by now." David nodded and got to his feet, the excitement on his face ill-concealed. And why not? David hadn't had much of a childhood to speak of...why wouldn't he be excited at the proposal that he go tick-or-treating? Rahne only hoped she hadn't bitten off more than she could chew. As David went obediently to the kitchen, Rahne located a phone and drew out the scrap of paper with the number Moira had given her if Rahne needed to contact her. She hesitated only a moment, then picked up the receiver and dialed. Rahne crossed her fingers as she stammered out her request to the restaurant's maitre'd, abruptly nervous. What if Moira wasn't there? Worse yet, what if she thought it was a bad idea? Oh, she shouldn't have told David first... "Hullo? Rahne, luv, is that you?" "Mummy?" Rahne said, relieved and nervous all at once. "Oh, Mummy, I...I was talkin' t' David, an'...he was so lonely, I thought..." "Slow down, child," Moira said, her familiar Scottish-edged voice soothing Rahne's stammering. "You were talkin' t' Davey? What is yuir idea?" To her chagrin, Rahne felt herself flushing. "I...I just thought tha' maybe...he might want t' go trick-or-treating back at Westchester? It...it is the 31st, an' I'm sure Dani an' some o' the others wouldna mind takin' him if...if you think 'tis proper and Dr. Haller wouldna mind..." Rahne could almost feel her guardian's smile over the phone. "Rahne, 'tis a wonderful idea. Gabrielle was just tellin' me how she wished David could have a bit more interaction wi' others -- I think the New Mutants is as good a place t' start as any. An' I'm sure the lad is excited, aye?" "Oh, aye!" Rahne cried, relieved. "The poor boy, I dinna think he can properly remember the last time he had any real fun! Oh please, Lady Moira, can I ask Illyana to teleport us there? 'Tis nearly dark in New York now..." "Aye, go ahead! I think Charles is at a conference right now, but I'm sure if ye tell Tom there'll be nae trouble. Be sure t' have one o' the elders chaperoning you, though. I dinna want any trouble, an' Legion is still fragile." "Aye, mummy, I will!" Rahne replied eagerly. She bid her godmother farewell and set down the receiver, then picked it up again and dialed up Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Someone picked up on the fourth ring. "Hey, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Danielle Moonstar speaking. May I help you?" The words came out in a rush. "Dani, I've had a wonderful idea..." _*_ "Ding dong, kids, ride's here!" Illyana Rasputin said as the blonde sorceress appeared in a flash of light, right in the middle of the living room. Rahne jumped, startled, at her sudden arrival. David merely looked on, fascinated. "Hey Rahne," Illyana said, brushing off her pink shirt and black slacks. She looked pointedly at David, tilting her head. "This Legion?" "This is David, aye," Rahne nodded. She turned to David. "David, this is Illyana. She'll be 'porting us t' New York." "Hi," David said shyly, ducking his head a bit. The fact that he was around six-feet tall or thereabouts made the action somewhat comical. "Hey," Illyana said, grinning. She winked at Rahne. "Anyway," the sorceress said brightly, "let's be off. Rahne, you might want to hang on to David. Don't want him running off in Limbo." With a nod of agreement Rahne took David's hand as Illyana thrust her hands upward and summoned a stepping disc. David watched, entranced, as their surroundings shimmered from the Research Center to the demonic realm of Limbo. Rahne shuddered -- each jaunt to Limbo filled her with dread, her strict religious upbringing haunting the recesses of her mind and whispering to her that this was evil, this was *wrong*... David, of course, loved it. "Wow!" he said, his adolescent face alight with very child-like wonder, "is that a *real* demon?" "Yep," Illyana replied, looking somewhat proud despite herself. "And try not to touch them. They stink." "Heyhey! Nofair, Boss!" the demon snorted. David giggled. "ANYway," Illyana said, "I'll show it to you later, if you want. Off we go!" She gestured again, and Rahne sighed with relief as they departed Limbo and arrived at the much more welcome environs of the School. David was having the time of his life. "That was fun!" he beamed. "Can we do it again?" "Sure!" Illyana grinned. "I'll have to when we take ya back to Muir. Liked that, huh?" "It was cool!" Illyana giggled. "Well, that's the first time anyone's called it *that*..." "Hey, Rahney!" came a welcome voice. Rahne turned around to discover Danielle Moonstar and Doug Ramsey standing in the doorway. Dani smiled. "Hey, furtop. Your friend ready for a makeover?" David blinked. "Huh?" Doug grinned. "Hey, you think we're gonna let you out there without a costume?" David looked beseechingly at Rahne, obviously worried. She gave him a little nod. "Go ahead, David," she urged. "'Twill be all right. They'll nae hurt you." _I hope._ "O...okay," David said quietly. Dani smiled reassuringly and held out a tube of green face-paint. "Trust us, kiddo," she said with a grin. "We've got the *perfect* costume for you." _*_ "I wish you kids would let me come with you," Tom Corsi said as he pulled the van around the block and parked it. "If anything happens to you Charles -- not to mention Sharon, Stevie, and Moira -- will have my hide." "Don't worry, Tom," Dani said as she hustled the others out of the van and onto the sidewalk. "We can take care of ourselves, and we've got quarters if we need to call home. Relax. We'll be fine." "Self does not understand, selfsoulfriendDoug," Warlock was saying as he straightened the "sheet" he wore. The alien had, at Doug's behest, assumed the form of an eight-year-old in a ghost costume, impressing David. Dani hoped her idea would work. _Can't go around trick-or-treating with a kid Legion's apparent age without raising a few eyebrows,_ she thought as the boy -- who they had dressed as Frankenstein's monster, complete with bolts and a ragged black suit they had scrounged from the attic -- climbed out of the car. _But if people think he's 'Lock's chaperone we may pull this off yet._ "Dani..." Rahne said from the backseat of the van. "I dinna feel quite comfortable wi' this..." The young Scots was in her half-wolfen form, the small golden crucifix she wore shining in the pale light of the street lamps. She looked scared. "It's okay, Rahney," Dani reassured her friend as Doug gave a pillowcase to David and Warlock each. "There's nothing bad or wrong about Halloween, despite what you've heard. And if you really feel that bad about it, don't say anything -- just stand there and act the chaperone, like Doug 'n' me." Dani gestured to her own 'costume' -- a worn leather outfit she had often worn in the mountains of Colorado. Doug had managed to weasel out of the deal only on the grounds that the group needed at least *one* 'normal' person to convince onlookers that they weren't some kind of cult. The others had all gone to the party -- their group would only number in five. "I know, but..." Rahne hesitated. "It just...doesna seem proper, tha's all." Dani reached back and tousled Rahne's russet headfur comfortingly. "Trust me, kiddo, you'll do fine. And it was your idea, remember? You promised." She nodded her head towards David, who was talking excitedly with Doug. "You don't want to disappoint him do you?" Rahne looked away, and Dani knew she'd won. She knew it had been a dirty trick, but... Rahne got out of the car, and Dani followed. Tom waved them good-bye and drove off, leaving the four mutants (and one alien) on the curb. "Okay," Dani said, stepping in front of David and placing her hands on his shoulders, "Before we start, there's just one little thing we need to take care of. Jemail? I need to talk to you." David blinked for a moment, then his posture changed. He drew up straighter, an aura of dignity and age surrounding the slim, rangy frame. Dani knew she had just proven why David Haller had been dubbed "Legion". "Yes, Danielle?" The cool, Arab-accented voice that emerged from David's throat was nothing like that of the core personality. Dani let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding. She had gotten the right one. "Jemail, this is important," she said, drawing herself up and looking the young telepath in the eyes. "We do *not* want Jack or Cyndi out tonight. Tonight above all nights. I don't even want to know what they might do if they broke loose on Halloween." "That would make two of us." "Yeah, I bet it would. But listen, I'm serious about this. You have *got* to keep them locked up, or David isn't going to get another night out in a long, *long* time." Jemail nodded somberly. "Understood, Danielle. I'll do my best." The boy's posture slumped, and Dani let her arms drop as David resumed control with a confused blink. _Now, let's hope he keeps his word..._ "Is everything okay?" David asked, rubbing his temple. "Can we go trick-or-treating now?" "Sure," Doug grinned, taking David by the shoulder. "C'mon, let's hit that house over there...Warlock! Cut that out!" "Query?" the alien said, looking up from the rosebush he had been assimilating. "Self was merely hungry--" "I told you not to do that in public!" "Self apologizes, selfsoulfriendDoug. Self will not do it again." "Great, just great," Doug groaned as Rahne led the chastised Warlock away from the ravaged flowerbed. "Let's hope whoever's flowers those were will think this was just one big practical jo--" "AHHHHHH!!! What have you hooligans done to my *flowers*?!?!" Doug looked at Dani. "Run?" "Run." _*_ Several blocks later, the group came to a halt. "Warlock *pant* remind me *gasp* never to take you out again." "Self is sorry, selfriendDaniMirage." "Self is going to be a pocket calculator if self does that again. Understood?" "Affirmative." "Good. Now turn your head around the right way. You look like Linda Blair." Warlock did as he was told, and David looked at Dani imploringly. "Can we go trick-or-treating now?" he asked, pushing one of the bolts on his neck back into place. Dani nodded. "Yeah. Go for it, David -- sorry about the little run around, that's not usually how it goes." "That's okay!" David beamed. He started towards the nearest house, pillowcase in hand. "Let Warlock ring the doorbell!" Dani called as the three older mutants ran after him. David shot her a thumbs-up and kept running. "We're going to regret this, aren't we," Doug gasped as David slowed down long enough to let Warlock catch up with him. "What, taking an alien and a ten-year-old in a nineteen-year-old body trick-or-treating?" Dani said, rolling her eyes. "Naaaaaah." Warlock was reaching up and ringing the doorbell as Doug had instructed him by the time the three New Mutants caught up with them. The door opened, and a middle-aged lady in a floral-print dress opened the door. "Trick-or-treat!" David and Warlock chimed in practiced unison. "Oh, what scary costumes!" the woman exclaimed in mock-horror. "What are you young men?" "I'm Frankenstein's monster!" David proclaimed proudly. "Self is a horrific protoplasmic entity!" David nudged him. "Ghost," he hissed. "You're a ghost." "That is what self said." "You gotta work with him on that," Dani muttered to Doug. "My my," the woman continued, putting her hand to her cheek. "How very frightening. Do either of you young men have a trick to show me?" They hesitated. This had not been in the script. Then Warlock brightened. "Self does!" he exclaimed. He straightened up -- and abruptly began to glow. It was faint, and only lasted a few moments, but it was nonetheless impressive. "How'd he do that?" Rahne whispered to Doug, eyes wide. Doug shrugged. "Same way he makes any kind of light. Just realigned his circuits in the right way, I guess." Meanwhile, the woman was applauding. "Very impressive!" she said, dropping a snickers bar in Warlock's pillowcase. She turned to David. "And you?" David looked as if he might panic for a moment, then straightened up. "I...uh...I can tell you what you've got in your pocket!" he exclaimed triumphantly. Doug, Rahne, and Dani exchanged puzzled (and slightly alarmed) looks. The woman raised her eyebrow. "Oh?" she said, her tone a mix of humor and skepticism. "Do go on." "You've got..." a pause. "Two keys, a spool of thread, an' thirty cents." The New Mutants blinked collectively as the woman checked her pocket and drew out the predicted contents. "Why, you're right!" she exclaimed, surprised. She gazed at David for a moment, then dropped a candy bar in his bag as well. "How ever *did* you do that?" David smiled shyly. "'S just a little trick," he said, clutching his pillowcase to his chest. "Thank you!" He and Warlock made their way back to the stunned group, the former almost running in his excitement while the latter tried to assimilate his chocolate bar. "Uh...David?" Doug said as the boy reached them. "Uh...how did you do that?" David looked sheepish. "Oh...uh, Jemail told me," he said, somewhat embarrassed. "I didn't know what else t' do..." The three New Mutants let out a collective sigh of relief. _For a moment there it looked like Legion's powers were starting to leak over,_ Dani thought, almost weak-kneed with relief. _Now *that* would have been scary._ "David, do us a favor and don't try to levitate anything or light your finger on fire, okay?" Dani asked, softening her request with a smile. David nodded mutely. _This is going to be a very, very interesting night,_ Dani thought as Warlock and David took off again. She adjusted the leather thong that bound her hair and gave chase. _*_ "Arrgh, my aching feet..." Dani groaned, flopping into a nearby chair. "I can't believe we were out there for *four hours*!" "Hey, I used to go that and longer when I was a kid," Doug said smugly. Dani snorted. "Oh yeah, buster? Then why were you begging for mercy around hour three?" Doug grumbled and threw a pillow at her as Warlock scoured his bag of candy. "Self perceives only two items self can safely assimilate," he remarked as he drew out the aforementioned items. Dani and Doug did a double-take. "I can't *believe* someone gave out *carrots*!" Doug lamented. "I used to *hate* that when I was a kid." "The candy apple's not so bad," Dani remarked. "Or at least, it wasn't before Warlock transmuted it..." "Whatcha gonna do with the rest, pal?" Doug asked, leaning over the back of the chair he was occupying. "Self has no need for the rest," Warlock said generously, extending an "arm" and handing it to Doug. The New Mutant snatched it without shame. "Hey! Doug, you're not gonna eat all that by yourself, are you?" "Watch me, Chief!" As Dani and Doug squabbled over the candy, Rahne sat with David in the kitchen. "Did you have fun t'night, David?" Rahne inquired as David sorted through the mountain of sweets he had acquired. "Oh, yes!" David exclaimed, beaming delightedly. "Can I call my mom? Please?? I wanna tell her how much fun I had!" "I dinna see what's wrong wi' that..." Rahne replied. She looked at the clock -- ten PM, and Illyana was nowhere to be found. "I think you'll have t' spend the night. Illyana may not be back until late." "That's okay, I like it here," David grinned. He picked up a Carmel apple. "D'you want it?" he asked, avoiding her gaze. "I thought you might...an' mom doesn't let me have Carmel..." Rahne smiled and accepted the apple. "Thank you," she said graciously. David smiled at her. "I'm -- uh -- gonna call my mom now," he said, rising from the table. He banged his knee on the edge and grinned sheepishly. David left the kitchen and found a phone in the dinning room. He rummaged around in his slacks for a moment, then took out the piece of paper with his mother's current phone number on it. He hoped she was there. After dialing in an absurd number of digits for the long-distance call, he raised the receiver to his ear and waited. She answered at the second ring. "Mom? It's me," he said, playing with a bolt. He had removed his makeup earlier, but not before he had gotten Tom to take a picture of all of them, in costume. He had high hopes that it would develop right, and he'd be able to put it in his scrap-book. "David!" his mother's voice came. She sounded tired, but pleased to see him. "How are you?" "I'm having lotsa fun, mom," David said happily. "Dr. MacTaggert let me go to New York with Rahne, and the New Mutants went trick-or-treating with me! You wouldn't believe all the candy we got!" There was a silence on the other end for a moment. "David...you went trick-or-treating?" "Yeah! Today's Halloween, an'...an'...mom? That...that was okay, right?" There was something suspiciously like a sniff on the other end of the phone before Gabrielle Haller replied. "Yes...yes, honey, that was okay. That was wonderful. I'm glad you got to do it...I always meant to take you, but..." "It's okay, mom," David said, setting down the bolt and taking the receiver in both hands. "I know you had stuff to do." There was another sniff. "Yes...but that doesn't excuse...oh, David, I'm so glad you're happy. I miss you, sweetie." "I miss you too, momma. Want me to save you some candy? I got lots." Gabrielle laughed. "No, you go ahead, honey. I'll see you soon, okay? Love you." "Love you too, mom." _*_ Rahne, Dani, and Doug peeked in the guest bedroom David was currently occupying. He curled up when he slept, making himself appear a third of the size he really was. "Man, it must be weird being a kid in an adult's body," Doug murmured, pulling away. "Poor kid. He missed an awful lot." "Yeah..." Dani said, untying her hair. "But he's coping all right, mostly, and there wasn't one disaster. He really *did* have fun tonight." "Me too," Doug agreed. "Well, except for the time 'Lock tried to eat that dog." "Yeah. He's really gotta work on that." Doug and Dani walked away, still talking about their misbehaving teammate. Rahne stayed a moment longer, stealing a sideways glance at her friends. Then she crept into the room, quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping boy, and pulled the covers over him a little higher. "G'night, David," Rahne said softly. "Sleep tight." She kissed him gently on the cheek, then pulled away, shocked at her forwardness and a bit embarrassed. She was greatly relieved to discover he had not awoken, or even noticed. She stole silently out of his room, and shut the door. In his sleep, for perhaps the first time in years of nightmares, David Haller smiled.