Regina: Chapter four of Rome Reversal: complete. Sorry if you were hoping for an update to another story, like Teenage Mutant Ninja. . . Toad? or something, and I swear I am trying to write more, but I wrote this instead.
I think I owe you a few explanations. First of all, my use of Latin. I know a little bit of Latin, and have been using it throughout the story. Basic translations are as follows: mater = mother; pater = father; soror = sister; frater = brother.
So I hope you enjoy this next chapter (let me know by reviewing!), and I'll get back to work and write some more stuff. It's just I keep thinking of more stories, and sometimes even sequels to stories that have not even neared completion!
Oops. I think I just let too much slip. I'll shut up now.
It's just that I suffer from acute 'Foot in Mouth Disease'.
Rome Reversal
Chapter Four: The Orator and the Wolf
While Horatia had been dealing with Janus and his new slave, Gaius and the X-Men had been getting ready to go out. To the Circus. But the X-Men did not know that the Roman definition of Circus was not what they thought they were going to.
Forge did, but he conveniently forgot - translated: neglected - to tell the X-Men.
"Welcome to the Circus Maximus!" Gaius said, spreading his arms wide.
"This a circus?" asked Evan. "Where are the clowns?"
"Clowns?" Gaius was confused. "I do not understand."
"I think," said Forge, stepping in, "that Evan is the one who does not understand." To Evan he said, "The Circus Maximus is the place where chariot races were held, and until the Colosseum was built, where fights between gladiators were held."
"Like in the movie?"
"Except not in the Colosseum," replied Forge.
"What is this Colosseum you speak of?" asked Gaius, intrigued.
"Er. . . a place where we live," Kitty said hastily. "Nothing important."
"I understand," replied Gaius, although it was clear that he did not. He looked around, and then called out, "Soror!"
Forge and the others turned around to see Horatia approaching them. "Good morning," she said, her voice slightly strained.
"Is something wrong?" asked Forge.
Horatia shook her head. "Nothing in particular. It is just that I believe that Venus has bewitched Janus, using the princess."
"What?" asked Kurt, not understanding what Horatia was talking about.
"Janus has fallen in love with the princess," Forge translated. "Venus was - is - the goddess of love."
"Oh. And who's Vesta?" Kitty asked, remembering that this was the goddess that Horatia was devoted to.
"My divine mistress is the goddess of the hearth," replied Horatia.
"The family fire," translated Forge.
"Yes," Horatia said with a smile. "She holds fire in her hand, and as I am devoted to her, it is my duty to tend her sacred flame."
The mention of fire triggered something in Rogue. "Janus? Does he - is his -"
"Yes?" asked Horatia.
"Does he have red hair?" Rogue asked finally.
Horatia kept her composure. "Why, yes. How did you know?"
Rogue turned to her friends. "Janus is John!"
"Pyro?!"
"What is the name of the princess?" asked Jean. "Do you know?"
"Amara. Is there something that I should know?"
"No, no," said Kurt hastily. To the X-Men, however, he said, "Pyro's here in this world, too? And Amara? First Professor X, Magneto, Pietro and Wanda, now Pyro and Amara? Who's gonna be next?"
"Mr McCoy?"
"What do you mean, Mr McCoy, Kitty? Why do you think he could be here?"
"Because he's standing right there!" Kitty pointed.
"I do not know of whom you are speaking," said Gaius, "but that is Henricus, my orator."
"Huh?"
"Teacher."
The man Kitty had pointed to, and Gaius had called Henricus, saw them and began to walk over.
It was easy to see why Kitty had thought he was Hank McCoy, as he looked exactly like Hank had before he had transformed into the Beast.
"Good morning, Gaius," the man said. "Horatia," he added, inclining his head towards her. "Are you here to see the Wolf?"
"Yes," replied Gaius. "Horatia has asked that I show her companions the sights of our great city."
"Then I shall not keep you," said Henricus. "Are you still able to come to my villa at Ostia in a few days? If you are unable to leave your guests, they are most welcome to join you."
"Thank you for the offer, Henricus," replied Gaius. "I will send you word as soon as a decision has been reached."
"Of course." Henricus bowed to Horatia, to Gaius, and to the X-Men and Forge. Then he left.
"Okay. New one to add to the list," Evan muttered to Kurt. "It's now Professor X, Magneto, Maximoff and his sister, Pyro, Amara and now Mr McCoy."
"Come on," said Gaius. "You do not wish to miss the Wolf, am I correct?" He turned to his sister and said, "We will meet you here after the fight."
"Of course," Horatia replied. With that she walked off.
"Isn't she going to come and see the Wolf?" asked Scott. "I thought she wanted to see him."
"She does. As a priestess of Vesta, she has special seats. She is very fortunate. Come, amici, let us go and see the spectacle that is the Wolf!"
X X X
"So who is this Wolf?" asked Evan, once they were all seated.
"You have not heard of the Wolf?" Gaius sounded disbelieving.
"No, we haven't," replied Scott. "Who is he?"
"They say his true name is a mystery," Gaius explained in a mysterious voice, "and that he wanders the land like a demon, striking down those who are his enemies. No matter how big and strong his opponents are, he is always the one left standing."
The X-Men looked at each other. This was sounding all too familiar.
"And then, you will hear his battle cry, just like the wolf whose name he bears. He is wild and untamed. No one can defeat him, for he is Loganus, the Wolf!"
"Loganus?" the X-Men all said as one.
"Loganus!"
"Guys," whispered a nervous-sounding Kurt, "does this mean that Logan is a whole lot older than we all thought?"
"I hope not," replied Scott. "Maybe he's been reincarnated, like the others."
"Although him being a gladiator does explain a lot," muttered Rogue.
"Look!" cried Kitty. "There he is!"
"Russell Crowe, eat your heart out."
Loganus, the Wolf, had just entered the Circus, looking for all the world like the Logan the X-Men all knew and loved - okay, perhaps not loved, but it was close enough.
Another gladiator entered the Circus as well.
"Are they going to fight?" asked Kitty.
"Yes," replied Forge.
"I don't wanna watch." Kitty covered her eyes.
On the other side of the Circus, a handkerchief dropped, signalling the battle to the death was to begun.
It was short, and brutal. Loganus was easily the better fighter, and within a short while his opponent was lying in the dirt. But unlike his future self, if he had been reincarnated, he did not use claws. Instead, he used a short sword, which he now held at his opponent's throat.
Jean let out a cry, and buried her face in Scott's chest. His expression was unreadable as he looked down at Loganus.
Loganus looked up at the crowd, a question in his eyes.
"Let him live, let him live," muttered Evan over and over. "Let him live, let him live."
The crowd let out a yell. Some wanted the defeated gladiator to die, others to live.
Suddenly the crowd fell silent.
The X-Men looked over at what the crowd was staring at.
Horatia was standing tall, powerful and beautiful in her religious vestaments. Her pretty voice echoed throughout the Circus. "Spare him."
A cheer went up, and Logan threw his sword away. He helped his opponent up, and helped him out of the X-Men's sight.
"Is it over?" asked Kitty, her eyes still covered.
"Yes," replied Gaius. "Thanks to Horatia." He looked around - the Circus was being emptied of people. "Come, we will go and see the Wolf. That is where my sister will be."
I think I owe you a few explanations. First of all, my use of Latin. I know a little bit of Latin, and have been using it throughout the story. Basic translations are as follows: mater = mother; pater = father; soror = sister; frater = brother.
So I hope you enjoy this next chapter (let me know by reviewing!), and I'll get back to work and write some more stuff. It's just I keep thinking of more stories, and sometimes even sequels to stories that have not even neared completion!
Oops. I think I just let too much slip. I'll shut up now.
It's just that I suffer from acute 'Foot in Mouth Disease'.
Rome Reversal
Chapter Four: The Orator and the Wolf
While Horatia had been dealing with Janus and his new slave, Gaius and the X-Men had been getting ready to go out. To the Circus. But the X-Men did not know that the Roman definition of Circus was not what they thought they were going to.
Forge did, but he conveniently forgot - translated: neglected - to tell the X-Men.
"Welcome to the Circus Maximus!" Gaius said, spreading his arms wide.
"This a circus?" asked Evan. "Where are the clowns?"
"Clowns?" Gaius was confused. "I do not understand."
"I think," said Forge, stepping in, "that Evan is the one who does not understand." To Evan he said, "The Circus Maximus is the place where chariot races were held, and until the Colosseum was built, where fights between gladiators were held."
"Like in the movie?"
"Except not in the Colosseum," replied Forge.
"What is this Colosseum you speak of?" asked Gaius, intrigued.
"Er. . . a place where we live," Kitty said hastily. "Nothing important."
"I understand," replied Gaius, although it was clear that he did not. He looked around, and then called out, "Soror!"
Forge and the others turned around to see Horatia approaching them. "Good morning," she said, her voice slightly strained.
"Is something wrong?" asked Forge.
Horatia shook her head. "Nothing in particular. It is just that I believe that Venus has bewitched Janus, using the princess."
"What?" asked Kurt, not understanding what Horatia was talking about.
"Janus has fallen in love with the princess," Forge translated. "Venus was - is - the goddess of love."
"Oh. And who's Vesta?" Kitty asked, remembering that this was the goddess that Horatia was devoted to.
"My divine mistress is the goddess of the hearth," replied Horatia.
"The family fire," translated Forge.
"Yes," Horatia said with a smile. "She holds fire in her hand, and as I am devoted to her, it is my duty to tend her sacred flame."
The mention of fire triggered something in Rogue. "Janus? Does he - is his -"
"Yes?" asked Horatia.
"Does he have red hair?" Rogue asked finally.
Horatia kept her composure. "Why, yes. How did you know?"
Rogue turned to her friends. "Janus is John!"
"Pyro?!"
"What is the name of the princess?" asked Jean. "Do you know?"
"Amara. Is there something that I should know?"
"No, no," said Kurt hastily. To the X-Men, however, he said, "Pyro's here in this world, too? And Amara? First Professor X, Magneto, Pietro and Wanda, now Pyro and Amara? Who's gonna be next?"
"Mr McCoy?"
"What do you mean, Mr McCoy, Kitty? Why do you think he could be here?"
"Because he's standing right there!" Kitty pointed.
"I do not know of whom you are speaking," said Gaius, "but that is Henricus, my orator."
"Huh?"
"Teacher."
The man Kitty had pointed to, and Gaius had called Henricus, saw them and began to walk over.
It was easy to see why Kitty had thought he was Hank McCoy, as he looked exactly like Hank had before he had transformed into the Beast.
"Good morning, Gaius," the man said. "Horatia," he added, inclining his head towards her. "Are you here to see the Wolf?"
"Yes," replied Gaius. "Horatia has asked that I show her companions the sights of our great city."
"Then I shall not keep you," said Henricus. "Are you still able to come to my villa at Ostia in a few days? If you are unable to leave your guests, they are most welcome to join you."
"Thank you for the offer, Henricus," replied Gaius. "I will send you word as soon as a decision has been reached."
"Of course." Henricus bowed to Horatia, to Gaius, and to the X-Men and Forge. Then he left.
"Okay. New one to add to the list," Evan muttered to Kurt. "It's now Professor X, Magneto, Maximoff and his sister, Pyro, Amara and now Mr McCoy."
"Come on," said Gaius. "You do not wish to miss the Wolf, am I correct?" He turned to his sister and said, "We will meet you here after the fight."
"Of course," Horatia replied. With that she walked off.
"Isn't she going to come and see the Wolf?" asked Scott. "I thought she wanted to see him."
"She does. As a priestess of Vesta, she has special seats. She is very fortunate. Come, amici, let us go and see the spectacle that is the Wolf!"
X X X
"So who is this Wolf?" asked Evan, once they were all seated.
"You have not heard of the Wolf?" Gaius sounded disbelieving.
"No, we haven't," replied Scott. "Who is he?"
"They say his true name is a mystery," Gaius explained in a mysterious voice, "and that he wanders the land like a demon, striking down those who are his enemies. No matter how big and strong his opponents are, he is always the one left standing."
The X-Men looked at each other. This was sounding all too familiar.
"And then, you will hear his battle cry, just like the wolf whose name he bears. He is wild and untamed. No one can defeat him, for he is Loganus, the Wolf!"
"Loganus?" the X-Men all said as one.
"Loganus!"
"Guys," whispered a nervous-sounding Kurt, "does this mean that Logan is a whole lot older than we all thought?"
"I hope not," replied Scott. "Maybe he's been reincarnated, like the others."
"Although him being a gladiator does explain a lot," muttered Rogue.
"Look!" cried Kitty. "There he is!"
"Russell Crowe, eat your heart out."
Loganus, the Wolf, had just entered the Circus, looking for all the world like the Logan the X-Men all knew and loved - okay, perhaps not loved, but it was close enough.
Another gladiator entered the Circus as well.
"Are they going to fight?" asked Kitty.
"Yes," replied Forge.
"I don't wanna watch." Kitty covered her eyes.
On the other side of the Circus, a handkerchief dropped, signalling the battle to the death was to begun.
It was short, and brutal. Loganus was easily the better fighter, and within a short while his opponent was lying in the dirt. But unlike his future self, if he had been reincarnated, he did not use claws. Instead, he used a short sword, which he now held at his opponent's throat.
Jean let out a cry, and buried her face in Scott's chest. His expression was unreadable as he looked down at Loganus.
Loganus looked up at the crowd, a question in his eyes.
"Let him live, let him live," muttered Evan over and over. "Let him live, let him live."
The crowd let out a yell. Some wanted the defeated gladiator to die, others to live.
Suddenly the crowd fell silent.
The X-Men looked over at what the crowd was staring at.
Horatia was standing tall, powerful and beautiful in her religious vestaments. Her pretty voice echoed throughout the Circus. "Spare him."
A cheer went up, and Logan threw his sword away. He helped his opponent up, and helped him out of the X-Men's sight.
"Is it over?" asked Kitty, her eyes still covered.
"Yes," replied Gaius. "Thanks to Horatia." He looked around - the Circus was being emptied of people. "Come, we will go and see the Wolf. That is where my sister will be."