Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with X-Men, Marvel, Fox. I am just a fan and I am not making money off of this story.
Author's Note: This is partially inspired by the X2: X-Men United novelization. The novelization depicts a totally different Ronny Drake.
Unlike the movie itself where Ronny is a mutant-hating human supremacist (the movie's bonus features show lots of anti-mutant posters decorating his room), the novelization's Ronny is basically just a troubled teen who calls the cops out of fear and confusion. And apparently he and Bobby were close growing up.
Also in the novelization, Ronny dies during Xavier's mass psychic attack. And he's sorry for betraying his brother and wishes he was mutant so they can be together.
I didn't read the X3 novelization I only skimmed it. To anyone who read it - was Bobby's family mentioned at all? Please let me know.
I can't believe it. Bobby's leaving me. He's going to some fancy boarding school in New York. I can't believe he's doing this to me - leaving me alone with Mom and Dad.
Mom and Dad are of course glowing. Their precious golden boy has been selected for some school for "Gifted Youngsters". How did this place find Bobby anyway? He never said anything about applying to some special school. I don't get it, we used to be so close. Lately he's been…I don't know…pretty quiet, I guess. It's like he's hiding something. I asked him point blank the other day if there was something he wanted to tell me and there was second or two of hesitation before he said 'no'. In other words, 'yes'. What's going on with him?
—-
Today's the day Bobby leaves for the school. Two of the teachers - Mr. Summers and Ms. Munroe - are coming here to take him. We're watching TV in his room until they arrive. Well, sorta watching. I'm not paying attention to the screen because I'm too distracted by his leaving. It's awkward.
I finally break the silence. "You're really going?"
"I have to!" he practically yells. Have to? What does that mean? He takes a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm just nervous. I mean, I think it sounds like a really cool place. I don't want to pass up an opportunity like that."
That sounded a little too rehearsed. "I wish you'd tell me what's going on. We've never kept secrets from each other before." I don't want to admit it out loud but it actually really hurts that he's hiding something from me.
He doesn't say anything for a few seconds. "Why are you really upset that I'm leaving?"
Isn't it obvious? "Mom and Dad are just going to get on my case even more with you being gone. And who's going to help me with my homework now? Plus you're going to some special prep school, as if I didn't have a hard enough time competing with you already!"
"It's never been a competition between us, Ronny."
I snort. "Tell that to our parents." It's not fair being angry at Bobby. I know that. It's not his fault Mom and Dad put him on a pedestal and make me feel like less when I can't live up to his standards. He's been a good big brother, he's never made me feel like I wasn't good enough. "What am I supposed to do for support now?"
He puts his arm around my shoulder. "I'm only a phone call away."
Yeah I know, but it's not the same.
We keep watching TV. Bobby changes the channel. It's a news report about an alleged mutant siting. Bobby quickly changes the channel again. "Good, I don't want to see that," I declare.
"Oh c'mon - we've been through this. They all can't be that bad."
"No, Bobby, you 'c'mon'! Don't you know what some of these freaks can do? That's not normal."
"You sound like Mom and Dad," he mumbles.
"Well, sometimes they're right."
Bobby doesn't say anything again. He's got that same distracted look on his face he's had for weeks. "Well, if I had mutant powers, I'd use them for good."
"Good thing you don't!" I exclaim. "They're dangerous. I wouldn't want to be around any of them."
Just then there's a knock on the door. "Bobby, Mr. Summers and Ms. Munroe just pulled into the driveway."
"Okay, Mom, I'll be right down." He jumps up and rushes out the door past Mom. He looks upset. Bobby, what's going on with you?
I go downstairs a few seconds later. Bobby's already chatting with the two teachers from the school. Everyone's sitting down around the coffee table. Mom's already had tea ready and there are some cookies on a plate. The woman from the school is young but has completely white hair - interesting. The man is wearing some really unique red shades. He hasn't taken them off even though he's inside the house. Hmm, I wonder if he has an eye condition.
"Well, I'm all ready to go," Bobby says. "I'll just go upstairs and get my stuff. Mr. Summers, could you help me carry it down?"
"Sure thing."
Bobby and Mr. Summers head upstairs. It's just me, my parents, and Ms. Munroe. They start discussing the school. This is boring. Well, partially. I'm bored but I'm also jealous because I want to go too. There, I admit it. Why am I not considered "gifted?" Okay, I know why. My grades suck and I have to work my ass off just to get a B. But I don't want to be so far away from Bobby and be stuck alone with Mom and Dad.
Bobby and Mr Summers sure are taking a while. How long does it take to bring suitcases down the stairs, anyway? I leave the adults to their conversation and go see what Bobby and his teacher are up to.
I can hear Bobby talking just when I'm outside his room. "I really want to tell them but I'm afraid how they're going to react." React? What is he talking about? Is he gay? Is that what he's been hiding? I can see why he'd want to keep that from Mom and Dad but he has to know I wouldn't care.
"It's your call, Bobby," Mr. Summers replies. "If you want to tell them now, we'll both be here to support you."
"I just don't want them to hate me or be afraid of me. I hate hiding this from them. But some of the things that they've said...I don't know if they're going to change their minds just because I'm one of them." One of what? "Especially Ronny. We've always been close and it's really hard not telling him about this. But the things that he's said scares me. What if he doesn't understand this?"
Understand what? What is Bobby talking about? I've heard enough, I enter the room...and see a giant ice ball forming in Bobby's palm.
What the fuck?
Bobby and Mr. Summers realize I'm there and look up. Bobby looks horrified. I'm looking back and forth between him and the ice ball in his hand. Bobby made that. He made that ball of ice out of nowhere.
Bobby's a mutant.
My brother is a mutant.
Mr. Summers slowly steps back and walks past me out of the room. "I'll leave you two alone." He closes the door behind him.
Bobby and I just stare at each other. I don't understand. How can my brother be one of those mutant freaks? Wait, how can I even think that way about my brother? Bobby continues to look scared. Scared? He's actually scared of me. He can do who knows what kind of powerful unnatural stuff, and yet he's the one who's scared of me.
He suddenly remembers he's holding that ball of ice and quickly turns around, opens the window, and tosses it outside.
He looks into my eyes. "Ronny, please..." he trails off. Yeah, he definitely afraid.
"Bobby...I..." I don't know what to say. Everything I've heard about mutants tells me they're bad and dangerous but now my brother's one of them. And I know he'd never hurt me. "Why didn't you tell me?" It's a stupid question. Even I know that.
"How could I? After all the things you said about mutants?"
"Yeah but...you're my brother. That changes everything."
"Does it? Most of the students at Professor Xavier's school were kicked out of their house when they became mutants..." he stops talking and his eyes go wide, as if he suddenly realizes he said too much.
I figure it out, and I'm sure my eyes go wide too. "Wait, is this a mutant school?"
He's breathing heavily and pacing back and forth. "Please, Ronny. Don't tell anyone. Yes, it's a school for mutants. It's a regular school with the usual subjects but we also learn how to control our mutant powers there."
I'm not sure what to say. A school for mutants? And my brother's going there! "How did you find this place, anyway?"
Bobby fidgets as if he's not sure if he should tell. "I've known I've been a mutant for a few weeks now. I ran away from home in the middle of the night when I first got my powers." My eyes go wide again. I had no idea. "I stopped by a gas station to buy something to eat, and coincidently Professor Xavier and Ms. Munroe had stopped there on their way back to New York to get gas. He figured out I was a mutant runaway almost immediately. He didn't mean to read my mind, but apparently the 'young emotional and scared' project their thoughts and anyone who can read minds can usually read theirs without trying." Read minds? That's scary. No, stop thinking like that. That's why Bobby didn't tell me in the first place.
"I admitted I didn't want to run away and he encouraged me to come back if there was a chance of salvaging my relationship with my family. We came up with this cover story of a prep school while they drove me home. I snuck back in the house and went back to bed like nothing happened and the next day Professor Xavier called Mom and Dad to invite me to the school."
I don't say anything at first, trying to comprehend everything that I've just learned. I sigh and look down. I'm too ashamed to look at Bobby. "I guess I understand why you didn't tell me."
Bobby reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. With the same hand that formed the ice ball earlier. "Thanks for being understanding now." My brother is a mutant. Suddenly, the idea of mutants doesn't seem so scary anymore.
"Can you do anything else besides make balls of ice?" I'm genuinely curious.
"Yeah, I can ice things in general and otherwise freeze things."
"That…actually sounds kinda cool," I admit. What was I so afraid of? "Should I call you 'Iceman'?"
Bobby laughs. "I like it, that's a good code name." It's good to see him happy again. He's clearly relieved that I'm in the know.
There's a knock on the door. "Bobby, are you almost ready?" It's Dad.
The smile disappears from Bobby's face. "Please, Ronny, don't tell them," he whispers, eyes full of pleading. "I'm not ready for them to know because I don't think they'll understand."
I get why he's afraid. I wasn't the only one talking anti-mutant crap in the house. Sure, I came around pretty quickly, but I don't know if they will. "Yeah, Dad!" I call out. "We're just saying goodbye."
"Okay!" I hear him walk away.
It's just Bobby and me again. He looks sad. I think he's either feeling terrible for hiding this from our parents or he's imagining telling them and then they disown him. Maybe both.
"I'm sorry for all those things I said about mutants," I say. How could I have been so stupid believing all that? I thought I was better than that.
He hugs me. "It's okay, Little Brother."
We let go after a few seconds. "So, is this going to be our little secret?"
He nods. "For now."
"Okay."
We're quiet a few seconds. "We should probably head downstairs," he finally says.
I don't want him to go. "You're really going to leave me alone with Mom and Dad?"
"I know they give you a hard time, but they love you, even if they're not the best at showing it. And who knows? Maybe without me around for them to compare you to, they might lighten up." He shrugs and gives me a sympathetic smile, as if he's not sure if even he believes that. I manage to smile back; I appreciate what he's trying to do. Who knows? Maybe he's right. That may be the only good thing to come out of Bobby's leaving.
Still..."I'm gonna miss you," I admit.
He hugs me again. "I'll miss you too." We pull apart and he sighs. "Let's go."
I help him with his suitcases and we make our way down to the living room. Mom, Dad, Ms. Munroe and Mr. Summers are standing and talking when we come in.
"Everything okay?" Mr Summers asks, and I know what he's taking about. He's looking at me and Bobby. Or is he just looking at me? I can't tell because of his glasses. So all this means that he's a mutant too. I wonder what his powers are and if that's the reason he's wearing dark shades indoors. I feel like I should say something equivalent to the cliche 'I mean you no harm. I come in peace' to let him know that their secret's safe with me and I don't have a problem with mutants anymore. But of course I can't because Mom and Dad are in the room.
Bobby nods. "Everything's fine."
"Cool shades," I remark. It's true anyway, and maybe saying something friendly will ease the tension.
"Thanks," he smiles. Good, message received.
"I'm ready to go when you are," Bobby says.
Mom and Dad hug Bobby and say their goodbyes. I'm wondering - and I'm sure Bobby is too - if they'd be so loving if they knew he was a mutant. Right now, they're so happy and proud that they're special golden boy is off to a prestigious school for the gifted. If only they knew just how gifted.
We're outside now. Dad and Mr. Summers load the car with Bobby's belongings. More goodbyes are said. Mom and Dad with him luck. He gives me one final hug and a look that pretty much says 'Thank you'. With that, Bobby gets in the back seat of the car, Mr. Summers is in the passenger side, and Ms. Munroe drives off, and we watch them disappear around the corner.
Special. Gifted. Wow, I'm actually feeling a little envious of Bobby right now. Just a little while ago I thought mutants were freaks because of their powers; and now I'm feeling inferior because I don't have special powers of my own. Crazy. Part of me wishes I was a mutant, just to get away from here and go somewhere "special" and be with my brother.
