Since her return to a seven-year-old body, Evelyn had been quite busy. She started by settling in at the mansion and trying to find a suitable past time for herself (resulting in getting kicked out of DocProf’s infirmary with grounds not to return unless she was injured). She found out she used to have a relationship with a certain gender shifter, who now seemed to be involved with a pregnant redhead who was facing daily physical mutation changes. Lastly, she made friendly relations with a certain ‘Elke’ who had enlightened her on the adventures a life of crime could produce. The last was the reason she was currently in the mansion kitchen, piecing together what could only be described as a Molotov cocktail.

The gasoline had been easy enough to obtain (although someone’s car would probably be short in gas later that day), and there were plenty of sheets stashed in cupboards to be stripped. She had a variety of models to test now, and was surrounded by everything from laundry detergent to flour as she delicately soaked corks in flammable fluid.

Midway through attaching one of the stoppers, the echoes flared with warning. Someone had entered the kitchen.

Ah, busted.

It had been a couple of days since the scene at the Infirmary. Becca was pregnant, and exhibiting a wide variety of mutations that were beginning to make the idea of parenting the kid feel more and more daunting by the day. In addition, Evelyn was still at the Mansion, and she was still a kid. And, apparently, a brat. Still, Maya could not avoid talking to her any longer. The situation had to be resolved somehow, and she was obligated to try talking first. One could only avoid a kid so long in an enclosed space.

Someone told Maya that the "blonde little psycho" was in the kitchen, so she headed that way, hoping to find Eve in a good mood. She was... still Eve, right? They had been in love once. Even if she was definitely creepier as a kind, there had to be an Eve in there that was...nicer, and...

... making Molotovs in the kitchen?!

"Eve?!..." Maya paused in the doorway, with a look of shock on her face "... what the hell?!"

[Surprise. Alarm, discomfort.] Ah, maybe she should have taken her craft project to go... it was a little late for that now as her gloved hands were already covered in gasoline. With a pressed lab coat and a pair of swim goggles she looked like she was pretending to be a mad scientist for Halloween. Her eyes were silver behind the plastic lenses as she glanced toward Maya.

When your x-girlfriend finds you making Molotov cocktails, what was the appropriate response to use?

”You didn’t happen to bring any string with you, did you? Turns out this one frayed easier than predicted.” Yup, nailed it.

The kid was either a miniature ad scientist, or doing a very good job at cosplaying as one. Maya stared at the bottles and caught a whiff of gasoline. It would not have been the first time for the Mansion to blow up. Then again, it was usually the bad guys who did it. And Eve was not a bad guy. She was a kid. A very, very smart, creepy kid... but a kid.

>>”You didn’t happen to bring any string with you, did you? Turns out this one frayed easier than predicted.”

"Uh... Eve?" Maya approached cautiously. She couldn't think about how Eve used to be her girlfriend, she had to focus on her being what she was now. "While all that looks... fascinating, making explosives in the kitchen is kind of against the Mansion rules."

Evelyn sighed. She didn’t think Maya was such a stickler for rules, but maybe that came along with the whole X-men status. She finally secured the cork before pulling her glove off and pushing her goggles up her head. ”Given the combustible nature of these materials I figured it would be preferable for me to use a location near a fire extinguisher and sprinkler system. However, if it makes you feel more comfortable I can relocate to a different workplace. Here, you can help me carry some.” She picked up a bottle and shoved it toward the other girl.

Collecting the other incomplete pieces, she wrinkled her nose a little at the smell. She would need a shower to prevent the lingering stench from staying in her hair. ”I wouldn’t spill that if I were you. I’m sure Becca wouldn’t appreciate the fumes near your new mutating child.”

>>”Given the combustible nature of these materials I figured it would be preferable for me to use a location near a fire extinguisher and sprinkler system. However, if it makes you feel more comfortable I can relocate to a different workplace. Here, you can help me carry some.”

No one had ever accused Eve of not being logical. This version of her, however, was logical, but without the emotional maturity of the former adult Eve. She shoved a bottle into Maya's hands, who winced a little. Being blown up by a kid genius was not on her to-do list for the day.

>>”I wouldn’t spill that if I were you. I’m sure Becca wouldn’t appreciate the fumes near your new mutating child.”

Bother.

"Okay, maybe I wasn't clear: no explosives anywhere on Mansion grounds. Not without supervision anyway." they did have Chemistry lab, but Eve was probably better off not knowing "Why on earth are you trying to make molotovs anyway?"

Evelyn paused, arms loaded with flammable materials. It took effort for her not to look annoyed by the constant interruptions. Frankly, it sounded like Maya was making excuses, and Evelyn was keen to call her on it. ”So, no explosives without supervision. Would you not be an adult, and therefore, given you are carrying the explosives, involved and supervising? I see no problem.” She started toward the door again, only to be interrupted. Maybe she should have used the jet hanger for this after all...

”Well, given the aforementioned flammable nature, I would think you could assume I plan on lighting something on fire.” that was the logical assumption at least. The smarter question would have been where are you taking those or even asking if she had proper supervision to light them.

No, she did not. Unless a 10 year old counted as qualified supervision. Elke was not, from what she gathered, qualified supervision.

Evelyn, once she got something in her head, was usually pretty determined to follow it through. Authority was not going to deter her, apparently. Which meant Maya would have to rely on logic. Which the 10-year-old was much better at.

FML.

>> ”So, no explosives without supervision. Would you not be an adult, and therefore, given you are carrying the explosives, involved and supervising? I see no problem.”

"I meant Chemistry professors and stuff like that. It's not the supervision part..."

It was more the why-do-you-have-explosives-at-all part...

>>”Well, given the aforementioned flammable nature, I would think you could assume I plan on lighting something on fire.”

Maya sighed a defeated sigh.

"Alright, Evelyn, can you just stop for a minute? I need to talk to you. And we need to talk about setting things on fire. Which you definitely should not do on Mansion grounds. At all. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about first."

Evelyn did not need echoes to know how exasperated her adult companion was feeling. Evelyn knew giving her one of the Molotov probably meant it would not be returned, but considering she was not able to reach things from the ground, she had to collect what she could before climbing down from the bar-stool. Being short meant she had to take risks. Risks meant her craft project may not come back.

"We have a chemistry teacher? Is that an open course? I didn't think to look for the chemistry lab, I probably could have found some sulfur and potassium." Evelyn considered whether she could break into the storage room on her own. Probably not, given there were plenty of younger students here who could cause trouble with dangerous chemicals. Pushing the distraction away, she looked back at Maya.

That's not what I wanted to talk to you about first.

Evelyn rearranged her flammable armload, looking up at the older girl. [Discomfort. Stress. Concern.] She was somewhat fascinated by the body language she was reading. If this really was her ex, what had happened with them? Surely not just an armload of Molotov cocktails. That seemed to be a new character trait she was facing. "Well, I can only think of a number of things you and I would have to talk about. And surely one of them can't be any underlying feelings you reserve toward an oldex because, I should remind you, I'm seven now. That's definitely bordering on pedophilia." She said in in the most innocent smug way, but she would not have been surprised if Maya flat out dropped the bottle she was holding.

At the same time, this was the faintest hint of a sick sense of humor in Evelyn's tiny body. She, just made a joke. A cruel one, but a joke nonetheless. "And I wasn't setting anything on fire in the school, if that makes you feel better." That seemed to promise things would be set on fire elsewhere.

>>"We have a chemistry teacher? Is that an open course? I didn't think to look for the chemistry lab, I probably could have found some sulfur and potassium."

Evelyn at this point could have taught Chemistry lab, but Maya was not about to point that out. Maybe once she was less immediately flammable, she could be signed up for some advanced classes? Anything to keep her energy focused on less potentially lethal activities.

>>"Well, I can only think of a number of things you and I would have to talk about. And surely one of them can't be any underlying feelings you reserve toward an oldex because, I should remind you, I'm seven now. That's definitely bordering on pedophilia."

"Whoa!" Maya almost dropped the bottle full of gasoline. Those were words no one wanted to hear from a kid's mouth. Little Eve sure knew how to keep her from finding balance in this conversation. "That's not..."

>>"And I wasn't setting anything on fire in the school, if that makes you feel better."

"Honestly? Not really." Maya admitted "Let's just take these to the DR and I'll deal with them later. And no, for the record, I don't want to talk about feelings. You... uh, older you and I were over a long time ago. But I knew you as a great person. And whatever I'm feeling right now, I probably sucks a hundred times more to be seven years old again. And you're not even the only one. So... I guess I wanted to check in."

Evelyn tried not to wince as Maya fumbled the Molotov. Maybe she should rethink this particular adult helping her. She seemed a little, jumpy? Nervous? Confused? All of the above? Evelyn sighed, looking up at the older girl with what she thought was a calm expression. Although, it probably just looked like one of those scenes in a horror movie with the small child stares you down before it murders you.

White hair, silver eyes. Nothing disconcerting about that, right? Oh, and she was holding gasoline. That may be a part of it.

"So, you want to talk about my feelings?" There was a moment where she looked like this was the most boring comment in the world. Then, a smile started from one corner of her mouth. It met the other, and she broke into a laugh. It was somewhere between the cute laugh of a child, and the terrifying laugh of a sociopath. She quickly set down her bottles while she could, trying to wipe her eyes on her shoulder.

"You think...I am upset by this?" She wasn't surprised very often, but this turn of events certainly did the trick. She leaned on her knees and looked up, eyes blinding blue now. For a moment, she looked almost like a normal child. Then that twisted smile returned.

"Maya, I think you have your ideas of childhood a bit misplaced. What exactly would be the difficulties of being young again?" She peeled off the gloves and reached into her pocket for a hairband, taking the moment to pull her silver locks back. "I still have my powers, and I have a blank slate to start with. I've already read what science textbooks this school has in it's library, and this generation does have the wonderful benefit of a heavily informative Internet. I may have forgotten what I acquired as an adult, but who can miss what they don't remember?" She had no idea how harsh the words she was saying must sound. Maya was part of that past. Their relationship was part of that past. But to her, it was just another piece of information getting stored away.

"I can't imagine I had any physical abilities to miss. I never had a drivers license. And I don't need a job as a child. Do you...see my point?"

With a calm expression, she picked up the bottles again, all smiles gone from her expression. "The only worthwhile pursuit is learning. I am in a school. Given enough time, I don't feel there is anything that can stand in my way."

>>"So, you want to talk about my feelings?... You think...I am upset by this?"

They seemed equally surprised in that moment. Evelyn looked like a child for a moment - an actual normal child, that is, as she stared at her in bewilderment. Maya was not sure why her words had that effect. Had no one every tried to talk to Even about feelings before? Even for a seven-year-old, that was kind of... surprising.

>>"Maya, I think you have your ideas of childhood a bit misplaced. What exactly would be the difficulties of being young again?"

Puberty. Twice.

>>"I still have my powers, and I have a blank slate to start with. I've already read what science textbooks this school has in it's library, and this generation does have the wonderful benefit of a heavily informative Internet. I may have forgotten what I acquired as an adult, but who can miss what they don't remember?"

In that moment, Maya really, really missed the old Eve. Not in a romantic sort of way, but she did like the girl - a lot - and she had been a kind and caring person. Seeing her looking so much like herself, but behaving so differently, threatened to make her head spin again. She was seven, she liked being seven, and she was on a mission to become the creepiest child mad scientist ever.
Great.

>>"I can't imagine I had any physical abilities to miss. I never had a drivers license. And I don't need a job as a child. Do you...see my point?... The only worthwhile pursuit is learning. I am in a school. Given enough time, I don't feel there is anything that can stand in my way."

Well, this just escalated from creepy to terrifying.

"I... kinda see your point" Maya admitted, steering their path towards the DR as they walked, very carefully, with the bottles. Because there was nothing more natural than chatting with your seven year old evil ex while carrying Molotovs across a school. "It... definitely has its upsides, I guess. But what's the end game here? I mean, you gotta be working towards something with all that learning, right?"

I...Kinda see your point.

Evelyn felt her eyes narrow, sensing something dishonest in that statement. Maya was not the most guarded person with her emotions, and much of that reflected in her features. Maybe it was because of their past relationship, but Evelyn though some of her statements had unsettled the older girl. Or maybe, the entire situation had. She remembered the look Serena had when she found out Evelyn had deaged to this seven-year-old body. Was there really so much to be missed about the past her? She felt frustrated, annoyed. What goody-two-shoes had she become that no one would appreciate her clearly remarkable headstart she now had. She had new powers, and she was so much younger starting with them! Never forgetting! What could ever go wrong?

"End game? I mean, there is the short term plans with flammable liquids and possible arson, but that is more of a test than anything. Regardless, based on your current standing as a supervising adult, why would I really want to disclose any other ideas to you?" She tilted her head slightly, considering. "I mean, look at your own childhood. Did you really have the same plans then as you do now? Being a parents, raising a bunch of mutant brats and trying to, what, save the world?" She may have been mocking the older girl without knowing it. The tone did come out with a bit of a sneer. Elke was doing fine, and she was not doing anything responsible. They had fun doing art and running wild. Why would she desire to put things like that aside?

"Look at some of the brightest minds. How many reached their greatest potential following the rules? Face it, Maya, they were made to be broken. And sadly, you stand on the wrong side of me, and those rules."

She stopped very suddenly in the middle of the hallway, and Maya may have seen the warning signs before it actually happened. Evelyn released her arms, and let all of the bottles crash to the ground. Glass, gasoline, flammable materials went every direction.

And like the demon spawn she was, she bolted in the other direction.

Rules were for wimps.

Kids had all kinds of dreams when they were little. They wanted to be astronauts, or ballerinas, or doctors. Little Eve must have had some kind of a dream at age seven, even if it was radically different from other kids'. Otherwise, what was the point, right? Maya could deal with a potential mad scientist (or mad engineer). It was still better than random destruction.

>>"End game? I mean, there is the short term plans with flammable liquids and possible arson, but that is more of a test than anything. Regardless, based on your current standing as a supervising adult, why would I really want to disclose any other ideas to you?"

Fair point. Damn the child and her mutation.

>>"I mean, look at your own childhood. Did you really have the same plans then as you do now? Being a parents, raising a bunch of mutant brats and trying to, what, save the world? Look at some of the brightest minds. How many reached their greatest potential following the rules? Face it, Maya, they were made to be broken. And sadly, you stand on the wrong side of me, and those rules."

Boom went the bottles. Nothing caught on fire, but even so, Maya jumped just long enough to allow Evelyn to bolt away. The hallway was soaked in foul smelling fuel, and a dilemma was immediately obvious: stay for cleanup and safety, or chase Evelyn down.
It would have been a bigger dilemma if Maya had not been a teleporter.

Swearing, Maya tapped one of the mirrors in the hallway, and ran past Eve before jumping out into the hallway in front of her. Evelyn had won round one; Maya was actually pissed now.

"Don't. Make me put you in Danger Room timeout. I have done it before, and I will do it again." she snapped at the child. She was not proud of it, but she was also past humoring her. "You wanna talk like an adult? Fine. But they you are gonna be held responsible like one, because I know for a fact that you know better, you incredible little sh*t."

Maya had one clear advantage in the current situation: she knew more about Evelyn than the child knew about her. Had Evelyn remembered the teleporting powers, she probably would have opted for a different escape. Mirror-walker! Seriously? She hated Mirrors. How on earth had they ever dated in the first place?!

Now cornered, and lacking her primary weapon, Evelyn did the next best thing: she dove into Mirror’s legs, locking her arms around one leg and her legs around the other, successfully becoming a human pair of shackles and a very obnoxious inconvenience. ”Don’t make me put you in Danger Room time-out!”

”Ha! I’d like to see you try!” she declared from her position of resistance.