It was amazing how DNA worked, it really was. Strings of proteins coded the entire human body, the entire human existence, for that matter.
It was amazing how a mutation in that string of proteins could change so much about a humans opinion of you, who were also once human, but have now evolved to become more than that.
It was amazing, but to humans, it was terrifying, something to be controlled and destroyed.
And so, it was when he was 9 that our hero was kidnapped with his twin brother, and subjected to awful testing of that very DNA, and his brother was killed in front of him.
And Alfred Jones, who had been meant to be a hero of the mutant cause, was shifted completely, becoming an invariable evil force against humans, his heart going out to the brother he had lost then.
Which takes us to our hero.
Alfred awoke screaming for them to stop, before it registered that they could no longer hear him, and it was all pointless anyway, to continue to cry for someone who was already dead and gone.
Another dream about him- about the screaming, the crying... He had reached out his hand for him, but it hadn't been enough to save him. He sat up abruptly in his tent, shaking.
That was yet another dream about him.
Alfred F. Jones curled back up; he had been numbed to this feeling long ago. Of remorse, regret, feeling rundown and rejected... Until nothing was left but rage, pure undiluted rage- rage at the humans. Rage for what they'd done to their kind.
He got up out of his makeshift resting place, and then packed up his tent. He ruffled his feathers, sighing to himself. What a mess this world was. Alfred scratched at the tips of his wings, making a face as he encountered some hikers that gasped when they saw him. He flipped them the bird, and took off, holding his bag to his chest. His body was less human than a lot of mutants. As he had aged, it had became more that of a birds. He grumbled as he figured he'd have to find a place less likely to be found by humans.
The mutant felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. This was an "emergency" phone, with only 2 numbers installed in it. His lover's was the only one he cared about. He landed in the forest below, farther inside it now, and answered it with ease. "Yo." He grinned.
Arthur huffed on the other end. "Why do you insist on speaking like that?" He said, grumpily, and Alfred laughed.
"Why do you insist on beatin' me up bout it?" He asked, leaning against a tree. "I'm out and about. What do you need?"
"A date would be nice." Arthur said, tentative. Alfred laughed heartily at this- they had been dating for about 3 years, in complete secrecy.
"Really? A date? That'd go well. Have you seen me lately?" He felt his feathers on his neck.
"Something where we'd be alone." Arthur was irritable now. Good. Time to put on the act.
"Meet me out by the forest." Alfred said, smoothly. "We'll have a nice time out here."
Arthur agreed, and the mutant snapped his phone shut. He didn't have to hang up. The phone did that for him.
He flew out to his destination, hiding his things in the hollow of a tree. Flying was really the only time he felt free, and happy. Alfred waved at his lover as he saw him pull up in his convertible. Arthur was huffy. "I do hope you know how much trouble I'd get in if we were caught." He said, flatly, and Alfred laughed.
"Good to see you too, Arthur." He said, smoothly. "Have any news? I'm sorta blocked off from the rest of the world, with the new things going around, takin' in mutants like myself." He gestured to his feathered face. "This is certainly new. Next thing yanno, I'll have a beak. That'd make for an awkward kiss." He prattled on, going over to Arthur leisurely.
Arthur looked annoyed at his insistence on making conversation like that.
"Oh shut it." He muttered, stealing a kiss from him. "You know I can't stand hearing you talk so easily about that…."
"About what? My eventual, inevitable death that is coming closer with every passing day?" He hummed, curious. "Even if I didn't have a clock ticking on me, I'd die one day or another."
Arthur looked sad, before he tugged on Alfred's feathers. "Stop that. You know I'm looking for a cure to your mutation's fast progression." He said, irritable.
Alfred laughed. "Yeah, and I thank you for that."
He plopped down, pulling Arthur down with him, onto his lap and nuzzling his face, with his own feathered one. "I love you." He told Arthur gently.
Arthur nodded. "Why can't you come back with me?" He asked softly. "I mean, I could help you more…!" He said, trying to convince his secret lover.
Alfred kissed his forehead. "You know I can't. I have to do this." He got up. "You walk that line…like it's there for you to choose."
Arthur looked up at Alfred, sad. "I've told you before, Alfred…"
"No, I'm serious Arthur." He said, forceful. "It's us against them. Either we fight them, or they'll destroy us. I don't know about you, but I know that trying to reason with humans doesn't work. We've lived too long in this rut."
"Alfred…" Arthur looked up to him, hearing what he was saying but not understanding his futile hatred of humans.
"Please, Arthur!" He said, pained. "You know as well as I do this is a jungle, we have to survive in it by dominating. Just like the homo sapiens did to the homo neanderthalensis!" He explained his reasoning. "Humanity cannot tolerate us! They will wipe us out!" He held out his hand to Arthur. "Please, follow me, follow me into the jungle."
Arthur looked conflicted, before he stood up on his own. "I simply can't believe that it's that clear cut, Alfred." He pushed his hand away.
Alfred sighed, throwing his hand down. "Fine. Think that way." He said, cold.
"Alfred, don't be that way!" Arthur said, annoyed. "You know we have our differences here. But either way, in order for me to help you, I have to stay with Professor X anyway! It makes no difference if I do want to come with you or not, I have to stay put."
But Alfred was walking away, wings ruffling. "Alfred!" Arthur said, upset. "Alfred, you have to understand!"
He was gone, feathers falling in the air where he had been.
"Alfred…" Arthur whispered to himself, looking up into the sky and shaking his head. "Damned fool…."
Hopefully one day they would be able to be together, and Alfred would realize that humans and mutants were still two sides of the same coin.
XXXXX
A/N: May get a sequel! I love xmen, I love hetalia, let's see what happens when you mix the two!