Today was boring. Boring Boring. Booooooorrring.

Petunia Gardener was doing her best to act like a grown up, but lets face it. Her attention span wasn't one of a grown up's because grown ups were boring. For instance grown ups weren't supposed to wear nice cloths. At lest not nice in Petunia's definition. She'd broken one of the grown up laws by impulse buying a sling shot and a canister of paint balls with her favorite color combinations. Orange, purple and lime green. All of the secondary colors for those of the readers who pay attention to the color wheel.

The next thing that Petunia shouldn't have been doing, was using the said slingshot and the paint balls. Shooting joggers and dog walkers grew tiresome quickly and soon, Petunia found herself shooting the paint balls into the air, then sending her insects out to catch it before it smashed. to the ground. Or rather, she was sending her bugs out to their deaths. It seemed for a bug to intersect a paint ball, even one shot from just a sling shot, it needed to get in front of it, and have it smash into it. The result was to make it look like the paint balls exploded in mid air. In reality, Pix was forcing her bugs to kamikaze before them. Still there was a challenge there. Maybe with a few more insect deaths, Petunia would figure out how to make them survive as they caught the paint balls. Testingly, she pointed the slingshot straight up into the air above her head. The paint ball that she pulled back in the sling was lime green and matched her eyes for the moment that she let it little paint ball fly. It was slung straight up above her head and would have come right back down in her upturned face if it wasn't for a pair of dragon flies that she maneuvered to try to catch the paint ball.

For a moment, it was like time slowed down. Maybe she would acutally manage to catch the paint ball. The two dragon flies shot straight up, the paint ball fell straight down and splat. Maybe not. The two dragon flies fell with the bits of pain that rained down on Petunia's head as she ducked her face under her arm to shield it from the paint. Because for those would be paint ball players, paint doesn't taste good.

Agnes needed a walk. Today was just one of those days. She had done less than stellar in her performance piece for class, Carol decided that today was the perfect day to just be utterly horrible, and…well…Agnes had stumbled across an old present from Rebecca (a pair of butterfly earrings) that she had forgotten to get rid of after their break-up. They were attached to such a good memory though. One that she was not in a hurry to forgot. As mad as she was at the redheaded Scot for breaking up with her over a dream, Agnes just didn’t have the heart to completely erase her.

So, there they remained, at the bottom of her jewelry box. But that still didn’t help her mood any. She needed a day away from school, she needed to get out of her head for a bit. That was why she decided to head for a walk in the park.

The day was a bit warm as the sun shined down over the blankets of green. Agnes reveled in the fresh scents of the park and instantly it made her long for the Mansion. She loved working for Annabeth in the flower shop, but it didn’t have the same expansive spaces that the Mansion had. But, even if she could get to the school every day…well…Rebecca was there.

Agnes wasn’t ready for that.

Dressed comfortably in blue jeans and a loose, maroon top, the insect queen sighed, hands jammed in her pockets as she strolled. Luckily she had just molted so she sported her pretty, iridescent wings at the moment (rather than her bug carapace or stingers). They fluttered, aching to go for a fly, but Agnes just didn’t have the focus. She pressed them down against her back as she walked, trying to hum any song that wouldn’t remind her of her past relationship.

It was time to move on. Maybe, the end of this walk, she could finally turn over a new leaf. Enchanted by the green of the grass and trees, Agnes breathed in the warm air and sighed. The rest of today finally felt like it was going to be good.

Well that was a set back. Petunia examined the damage from the paint splattering down on her. Her arm would wipe away quickly enough. Her hair on the other hand. Petunia’s lips pressed together in a pout as she tried to pick the gobby paint out only to have it squish between her fingers and slide away to soak back into her hair. A smile spread across her face and she removed a fine toothed comb from her snoopy purse. Oh yeah. Did I mention that most adults don’t carry snoopy purses?

She then started combing the paint into her hair so that it created lime green streaks. Fast work made her hair smooth out even with the washable paint and she realized that there was one thing missing. More colors. The object of her impromptu game was no longer if she could make her insects survive while catching the paint balls but if she could obliterate the paintballs with them. Survivors or no survivors. She was the insect goddess after all and she often demanded sacrifices.

Petunia carefully picked out an orange paint ball and a Purple paint ball. A smirk came across her face and she wondered if she could pulverize two paintballs at once. Petunia pulled the sling shot back. Two paintballs loaded and a small army of wasps gathered around her wrists fanning their wings so that a few renegade strands of Petunia’s hair floated in their light breeze dramatically. But not too much fanning of course. For lord forbid that she disturb too much of the long black hair that fell in a sheet over her shoulders. She would mess up the new look that she was attempting.

She then let paintballs fly straight up into the air again. The paintballs reached as high as they would go, then began to fall back to the ground. Petunia let them fall half way back to her before she through he wasp covered arm forward and they took off ready to kill themselves over her good fashion. The wasps spattered against the paintballs and little bits of paint, and wasp, rained down on the top of Petunia’s head again. Once again she began combing her hair making colored streaks in her long black hair. Now if she could just figure out why she was getting in a better and better mood today. It was almost the type of mood that munchies and some good ol’ holesome terrorizing was called for. Maybe Petunia was getting the hang of this grown up thing after all.

Petunia turned to her left aimlessly wandering and slowly felt the urge to…. To what? Punch something? Someone? Closer but no not quite. As a matter of fact she couldn’t put the feeling that she had to a definition. Right it was and oh that was better. Apparently adults turn right when wondering aimlessly, and that was the issue.

Flying was a faster way to aimlessly travel right, so Petunia took off. Her wings clapped into motion and she lifted off of her feet traveling at the speed of a light jog. Her multi colored hair of new awesomeness floated out around her shoulders.

Nicer mood

Nicer still

Only the type of happiness that lots of dark chocolate and drugs can give.

Petunia barely noticed that she was passing another mutant in the park.

Happy feelings fading…

Huhh….

The green and light was actually beginning to help the young runaway’s mood. She could feel the skip in her step and the small smile that wanted to tug at the corners of her lips as she walked on. Despite all the badness that had gone on so far, she was actually beginning to feel a tad bit better. It was almost like the little path that she walked was sucking the bad vibes out of her from beneath her feet. Though she would have hated to have unloaded anything like this on anyone, it really was thankful for the good cheer that was replacing the sucking blackness in her chest.

Sighing a bit, the Juilliard student glanced around her surroundings and decided to take everything in. The sweetness in the air was alluring and once or twice she caught the glint of something small dash across the air. With warmer air, the insects of the park were probably out to play. Though Agnes knew that she must be careful about bringing any of them home, she had no problem if they wanted to go for a small ride now and then.

Past those, she watched people enjoying their day; jogging, running, sitting against trees, even taking the opportunity to participate in a sport or two. It almost made the young insect queen wish that Gina, Sveta, or Felicia were out here with her. She could use a good friend to chit-chat with.

Hands still in her pockets, Agnes let herself muse as she as stared absent mindedly ahead. People jogged past her but paid her no mind, exactly the way she liked it. Though she got a look or two every time her wings fluttered, she was more or less left alone. Maybe today would be good after all.

It was as she mused this, though a sudden motion caught her off guard. At first she thought it was just another jogged running up from behind her and passing around. Instead, though, as she looked at the person passing…she had to pause. It was young woman and…she had insect wings.

Agnes had to marvel for a second. She didn’t know why. Obviously coming from a school of mutants she had seen mutants with wings before. Hell, her sister, Gina, had wings too! But there was just something different about this. She watched the iridescent wings glitter briefly as the woman began to slow down and Agnes had to tilt her head. Inadvertently her own wings fluttered to life but she forced them to calm against her back.

A small smile stretched across her lips at the dark haired woman with the multi-color streaked hair. Agnes really had yet to run into another insect mutant so this was indeed surprising. She beamed as she just watched the woman momentarily.

After all, she didn’t want to disturb her if she was busy.

Petunia really wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. Being adult was fun in it’s own right. But she really didn’t understand adults. Maybe that was the problem because-

“Ohmigod!” Petunia heard the clap once or twice of the other mutant’s wings and she couldn’t help herself. The aimless rate that she had been traveling turned into a zip right up to the other insect winged mutant. Immediately she tried to circle around to her back or her side so that she could see the other mutant’s wings and still hovering so that the tips of her toes were dangling off of the ground. “I just love your wings! I just- OhMiGOD!” Petunia gushed.

“They’re real right?” Petunia tried grabbing for one of the wings for better examination as she hovered. Her body turned sideways slightly as her wings kept her aloft with a soft clatter. With an obvious no idea or care for another being’s personal space, if Petunia had been successful in grabbing one of Agnes’s wings, she only intended to hold the wing out and watch the light dance on it’s surface. Petunia had never had the chance to admire one this size from this angle before.

>> “Ohmigod!”

Agnes jumped. For half a moment she was fearful that maybe she had made a mistake by watching her fellow mutant. She knew that not all mutants appreciated being stared at and Agnes was fearful that just maybe she had over stepped her boundaries. She didn’t want the woman to think that she was rude or anything like that.

“Oh, I’m sorry—“ Agnes started to say. Quickly, though, she was cut off by her fellow insect mutant who immediately flew past Agnes and began to circle around behind her.

>> “I just love your wings! I just- OhMiGOD!”

Agnes barely had time to register what was happening. The woman was behind her quicker than a flash and Agnes could feel her pressing far closer to her wings than she wanted her to. She felt one flex as the woman held it up, to inspect it as the light travel through. She would have seen the iridescent colors twinkling across her face, but Agnes was quick to squeak in response had being manhandled in such a way.

>> “They’re real right?”

Her nerves and shyness taking over, Agnes squeaked again as her body decided to answer where her mouth couldn’t. A quick burst and her wings fluttered fiercely, lifting Agnes and inch or two off the ground. She maneuvered herself away from the woman just enough to allow her to turn around and face her.

“I assure you, they’re real,” Agnes said in response, still hovering just a tiny bit in the air. She eyed the woman who floated across from her, watching as the new set of wings beat hard and fast, though still allowed Agnes enough time to take in their beauty. “You’re wings are very pretty,” Agnes said as she hovered a little closer. “I’m sorry if I bothered you by staring earlier. I just…I haven’t meant a lot of mutants with insect powers…”

So the other mutants wings were real. REALLY REAL!

And why did Pix feel in such a good mood from being board? Oh well. That wasn't important because... what was she talking about again?.. Bling maybe. Where was the bling? Pix liked shiny bling! no that wasn't it.... Wings! REAL WINGS! "That is just so cool!" Petunia floated a little closer. "You're not bothering me. I haven't met another mutant with insect wings like mine either." There was roach maybe, but there was something about this mutant that Petunia was finding much more interesting.

"Can you do anything other than fly?" because that would make things so much cooler. "Like I can make bugs. something like that?"

>> "That is just so cool! You're not bothering me. I haven't met another mutant with insect wings like mine either."

Agnes didn’t know why but she found herself smiling rather wide at the new mutant. She had never met another mutant so enthusiastic to meet others like her, except for maybe Gina. But this one, she was so different from Gina. A little older but there was just something about meeting another insect mutant, one that knew almost exactly what you have gone through, that was a little pleasing. Agnes grinned as the woman still fawned over her wings.

She had to admit that if she had had such a personality, she probably would have been gushing over the other girl’s wings too. From the looks of them, they looked like dragonfly wings and were so much prettier than Agnes’ fly wings. But, she would keep that thought to herself for the time being.

>> "Can you do anything other than fly? Like I can make bugs. something like that?"

My, the young woman was a chatterbox wasn’t she? Not that Agnes would hold it against her. Again, had she the personality, Agnes probably would have been just as direct and chatty.

Quietly she shook her head.

“That’s amazing, you can make[/b] bugs?”[/color] Agnes asked in surprise. She could only wish she had such an ability. Instead she had to seek out the bugs she wanted. Far more time consuming than just making them. “I…can’t do that. But…” she smiled at the woman and waited for the moment of truth. Hopefully this wouldn’t freak her out.

Closing her eyes, Agnes took a deep breath and attempted to awaken the swarm on her own. She had been practicing and thankfully it seemed to be working. With a twitch, she parted her lips, opened her eyes, and a few black flies buzzed out of her mouth. She smiled as she watched them buzz happily about, circling around their queen.

“…I can do that,” she grinned toothily at the woman. “They keep me safe.”

Fly wings were still pretty. especially on another mutant who was so closely looking to Petunia Gardener. And when Petunia asked if the other mutant had other abilities, she was over joyed to see the result. Agnes might be worried that Petunia would be weirded out, Petunia was fasinated.

And might I add what enchanting breath this mutant had as well

As the flies flew out of Agnes's mouth, they brought with them them most delightful air around them out of Agnes's mouth. "What is it like inside you?"

Petunia didn't really wait for a response. If she didn't understand personal space before, she definitely wasn't following the unwritten guide lines for personal space now as she leaned forward to look as far in Agnes's mouth as possible. Left right up down what ever movement she had to do to follow the other girl's head.

Suddenly Petunia had an even better idea. She'd just find out for herself. She sucked in a mouth full of air, then squeezed her eyes shut as she forced herself to become tiny and turn into one of her bugs. A dragon fly. A small dragon fly seemed like it would surfice. and to speed the process of changing into a bug along, she pushed more flies, dung beetles, scorpions, spiders, and mosquitoes out of her skin as she shrank into her own little swarm. The lung full of air was suddenly supper concentrated as the pheromones hit Petunia ten fold. and in the middle of her own swarm, the scorpions and spiders having falling to the ground to scurry after Agnes's shadow and up her legs if they could managed to climb each other and reach her. The little dragon fly that was Pix, was zipping right for Agnes's mouth to try to see where her swarm lived.

Agnes actually smiled at her fellow insect woman. She didn’t seem perturbed by Agnes’ abilities at all! That was a first since most people tended to get the heebie-jeebies when they first find out what she can do. This woman actually seemed to be pretty excited about it. All-in-all, this was a fairly cool meeting between the two. Maybe they would even become friends. It would be good to have someone around who at least knows a little about what she goes through from personal experience.

She was about to mention, again, that this woman’s abilities were far more interesting when she was suddenly cut off.

>> "What is it like inside you?"

“Um, Wh—hey!”

Suddenly her fellow mutant was leaning FAR too close into her own personal bubble. The insect mutant was peering around, attempting to get a good look inside of Agnes’ mouth, which obviously made the runaway very uncomfortable. This wasn’t a dentist visit! She shied away from the woman’s attempted and floated back, trying to reclaim that space of personal comfort.

“Hey, what’s the dea—“

She paused mid-sentence. In watching the woman she saw the strangest sight…she was shifting. Bugs seemed to be popping out of everywhere as the woman just collapsed down into a personal swarm of insects of all types! Beetles, mosquitoes, scorpions, spiders, all of them were just falling to the ground where the woman had once been. And then, all of them were scurrying towards her!

Agnes squeaked as she felt the first scorpion touch her shoes and instantly she beat her wings hard and fluttered a bit higher off the ground. Breathing heavily, she was about to turn back to where the woman had been when she suddenly saw a dragonfly zipping directly towards her! It was the only dragonfly she could see but it had a steely determination about it that she simply didn’t care for. Especially since it seemed to be aiming directly for her mouth!

“Hey! Stop that!” She attempted to swat at the dragonfly as she flew higher and dodged the best she could. What the hell was going on now!?

The other girl reacted by trying to resist Pix’s pushy nature, and despite her struggles, there was something in the air that made Pix more excited. More happy. In fact the air around Agnes that she breathed out was particularly pungent in happiness and distresses. Pix wouldn’t go as far as to say that it was euphoria but it had potential. If only Agnes would let her get inside and find it’s strength.

Even the cries from this girl to try to stop Pix were joyful. When Petunai leveled with the other bug girls face the other girl then managed to take a swing at Pix. She took a Swing at her!!! OH HALLLL NAWWW!!!!!!!

The insects at the ground, that could fly, took off at that point. They’d hold the other bug girl down if Petunia commanded them to because unlike the other insect mutant, they listened. They obeyed. And if the Queen didn’t listen to the Goddess, well royalty that didn’t listen to gods in the past paid. That’s how plagues were started. And Petunia was just the type to rain down pestilence on pestilence.

Once Pix darted around the swinging hand that had tried to get rid of her, she buzzed to Agnes’s right ear. Maybe there was a way in that way. “I Said let me in.” Pix tortled with a clap of her wings. “Your insides smell heavenly.”

Pix’s own insects went to the air. Those that couldn’t fly, were lifted by those that could, and in moments, they came up behind Agnes to try to weigh her down and slow her from her getting away. Just landing on Agnes and not attacking her to make her obey, though the obvious threat would overly obviously still be there between the bites of the bird spiders, and the stings of the scorpions.

Okay so this meeting took a turn for the…awkward? Weird? Bat-s*** crazy? Then again, maybe that was something that she should have anticipated; her mutation did have an allure to insects. So an insect-powered mutant would probably be affected as well, right? That was what happened with that big roach she met, Gregory was his name. She had accidentally won his attentions without really meaning to. And as a result he attempted to hurl her off of a building.

She should have known that this woman was going to go crazy too. But that didn’t mean that Agnes was just going to lie back and be throw off of another ledge. Though this woman took a far different approach by morphing herself into a swarm of bugs, the end result was still the same…she wanted in.

The very concept made Agnes stomach churn. She was used to her insects because they were like her family now; her loyal subjects that wanted only to keep her safe against all odds. That definitely didn’t descript this mad, insect woman. She simply was not going to have it.

She waved away more bugs that attempted to get too close and tried to fly a big higher. But as she did so, she twitched when she heard the buzzing so close to her ear. She nearly took another swipe when she was sure that she could hear…talking?

>> “I Said let me in…Your insides smell heavenly.”

Ugh! Gross! she thought!

She growled a little in her attempts to get away from the persistent dragonfly but soon felt other creatures come in close, some even landing on her. She turned from side to side and watched that insects, all seemingly under this mutant’s command, attempt to crawl or land on her. Agnes did her best to twist away but their just seemed so many.

Her agitation rose, her anger rose, and with that…so did her own swarm. Fine. If this b**** wanted to play a game of Bug-O-War, then she could play that.

“You want in?” she growled through gritted teeth and waited for the dragonfly to get near her mouth. “Get past THEM!”

She opened wide.

A thunderous buzz filled her ears and the air around them as a thick, black cloud, a swarm of insects flew from deep down her through. Wasps, flies, and roaches all spilled out and immediately ran to the defense of their one and only queen. Agnes closed her mouth only when the last bug was free and felt them crawl and buzz all around her, attacking those that posed a threat to this, their hive. She knew their loyalty was unshakable, but what about the other insect mutant? How long could that woman’s insects last against the pheromones of an insect queen. Pheromones that promised peace, order, and safety in exchange for loyalty that defense?

Who would an insect rather obey? A dictating, cruel goddess? Or a benevolent and kind queen?

“You want in?”

Why yes. Yes indeed Pix did want in. She wanted in so bad that she could taste the sweet nothings in the air around this other mutants and oh oh oh what sweet nothings they were. How kind it was for her to offer this lovely new home for Pix for Pix would be sure to treat her well for her... her what? Her new home? Castle? Oh no. this home would need a name much more godly to suit Petunia Gardener the self proclaimed goddess. I pyramid? No. This other mutant was the wrong shape. Too lumpy. What was godly and still lumpy? A MOUNTAIN!!

Mount Olympus!

Of course. This mutant would be Pix's lumpy Mount Olympus. IT WAS PURFECT!

“Get past THEM!”

Obviously Pix was daydreaming way more than she should have been about this mobile, lumpy, Mount Olympus, when said mobile, lumpy, Mount Olympus opened it's mouth and exhaled a swarm of flying insects at her. The little dragonfly was caught in the middle of the swarm of insects for a minute. Insects that stubbornly didn't listen to her as a roach slammed into her knocking her out of the air and the little thing flipped backwards, wings half haphazardly clattering to gain control over the air and her own insects replied feeding off her own anger because like obedient little mindless drones they did what they were told and the insect goddess told them to be agitated. At least something listened to her around here. Biting for now if they could reach skin past the clothing. Stingers waiting for the mental permission from their lady.

With a buzz, that turned into a frustrated growl, Pix turned herself back into her human form. Flipping one or two more times in the air and nearly hitting the ground when her wings clapped extra hard against the air, and she swooped back into the air. Welts appeared on her arms and her bare shoulders. She was naked only for a few seconds as shivered from the cold, and shook with anger, Her fists clenched so hard that the whites of her knuckles stuck out. the pores of her skin expanded allowing moths to crawl free from her body, and cling to her as a form of clothing. However she wasn't stopping with a simple layer of mothy modesty. She chose to take a moment to let the moths build in number as her wings buzzed and she sailed around the other mutant. Trying to make sure that she staid corralled one way or another. Pix was also careful to stay withing a certain distance of the insect queen, because if she got too far away, she'd loose control of her own subjects and to have them join the little queen, would just be a waste. Petunia could outnumber her, However She didn't know what would happen once the other mutant befriended her own subjects.

The plan had worked…partially. Agnes had released all of her swarm and watched as they buffeted the tiny dragonfly and sent her hurling off to the ground. But that was quickly stopped when she turned herself back into a human, a naked human, and began to create more bugs to cover her. In the meantime, Agnes felt the bites and snaps of the other bugs that were clinging onto her but her own swarm made quick work of them, many stinging and pushing them off in an attempt to protect their queen.

That was not to say that Agnes didn’t suffer from a stinging bite or two. She was happy that she was at least immune to most insect poisons so that worst of those creatures that still clung on were little more than a nuisance than a real threat.

Still, that didn’t mean she wasn’t creeped out.

She hovered in air as the other mutant flew up and began to fly around her, building up her moth defenses just as Agnes was hovering in one spot, glaring at the woman. Her wings beating hard and fast, Agnes felt her roaches crawling on her skin and her remaining wasps and flies buzzing around her protectively, fighting off any maligned insects that still clung on. Needless to say, though, Agnes was a tad worried. With woman could create insects, it seemed. She far outnumbered Agnes.

At least right now. The young queen still had one more trick up her sleeve.

“Go away…or you’ll be sorry…” she warned.

She had a feeling that it was not going to work. So…a demonstration would have to be in order. If this insect mutant wanted to play the command game with the insects, Agnes would be more than happy to play her trump card.

Breathing in deep, Agnes beat her wings hard; harder than she had ever done which managed to fill the air with a buzz. She locked eyes with the woman, narrowed her gaze, and mentally tried to force her to back off. If she wanted to know what it was like to be under the command of a queen, then Agnes would be more than happy to oblige.

“Fine.”

Another deep breath and Agnes suddenly opened her mouth. The screech that issued forth was so inhuman, so primordial, that it was like listening to the sounds of earth from ancient times. The scream echoed out, filling the air and expanding farther than Agnes ever thought her voice could have gone. It was the lure of the queen and most insects were susceptible, feeling a tiny part of their nervous system drawn closer to her, filled with a need to protect.

But even if these insects that the goddess created weren’t affected…this was New York. There was plenty around.

A thick buzzing filled the air. Soon it was apparent that it was not just Agnes’ wings, but the beat and thundering of thousands of flies coming in from everywhere that had been within listening distance. A thick cloud of black flies flew towards the scene, drawn by one and only one thing…Agnes Nicholas…their one and only queen…