Some of the Characters and places belong to Marvel, not me, please don't sue I have no money anyways. The names of the establishments have been changed for the same reason. Some of the Characters are mine, please ask if you ever decide to use them, (doubtful!!), but they are combinations of real people, so I would like to know if they are used.
This is also my first ever attempt at writing Fan-Fic in any area, I don't think this is very good but everyone must start somewhere. Please R & R, and please be kind, I'm new to this.
Drinking Coffee on a Fake ID
By
NoHaven
Boston, Massachusetts
A young blonde girl walks down the streets of Boston chilled to the bone by the early January weather. Her name is Paige Guthrie, known as "Husk" a member of Generation-X. She has come to Boston alone to get away from the rest of the team and get some thinking done on her own, she has also arrived here under the false pretenses of looking at the campuses of some of the local Universities.
'Gawd, I can't believe Emma actually let me come to Boston alone. I knew Mr.Cassidy was gonna argue but I never expected him to fold, even with Emma and I arguing on my behalf the look on his face was priceless.' She thinks to herself allowing a small grin to form on her face. The argument had been fierce and it appeared to Paige that Sean Cassidy had nearly had an aneurysm when Emma Frost had said that the experience of going to Boston alone for a few days would be good for Paige; to get her away from the grounds and the group and let her feel somewhat independent. Ms. Frost had arranged for Paige to stay at the Plaza and made it very clear how Paige was to conduct herself. She had arrived yesterday and had fallen asleep almost immediately upon getting into her room and indulging in the honor bar's cashews. She woke today and decided to go for a walk and see the city of Boston.
Paige Guthrie striding up Lansdowne Street, through the gray snow and ice, passing the clubs "Jasmines", "Equator", "Roy's Bar". Lost in though she scarcely notices them, or the large Green Wall to her right of Fenway Park.
'What is happening to this world?….Magneto is ready for war; the X-Men and X-Force are preparing to fight him at all costs. The whole universe tried unsuccessfully to turn Earth into an intergalactic prison. Senator Kelly's presidential campaign went to well for comfort even though he lost. The FoH are gaining strength and numbers, with reports of beatings and murders at their hands coming from everywhere in the country…and the team well they their own mess, with Ev dyin…Gawd, Ev, I miss ya…Jubilee has become even more hyper than usual, M is acting as if nothing ever happened, then fleeing home to get away from the school and the memories, Angelo, well he's just being himself but lately it seems as if he has been trying to get my attention, and Jono…I still don't know what is going on with him.'
"Gawd, its COLD!!" she finally exclaims and quickly looks around, she is standing at the corner of Lansdowne Street and Brookline Ave... "Nowhere to go but here I guess." she says as she looks at the front of the "Kettle and Flask Saloon".
'I guess Jubilee and Ange may have been right about us making Fake ID's on the computers.
"Never know when we are going to be undercover and need alternate identities" Jubilee had hypothesized, "and if we are gonna make them then we may as well make them say we are 21, just to make it more believable of course."
She had thought I childish but in a way she felt rebellious about having it. The simple act of making a Fake ID had also seemed to her to be a seemingly normal action of people her age, or so she told herself.
"Well heah goes nuthin" Striding up the steps to the front door, she opened the door slowly and walked in cautiously.
'I've fought, Sentinels, Emplate, the Pahalanx, and been to different dimensions, so why am I so nervous about this? Mah stomach is doin flips on me.' She thought to herself.
In front of her at a small table was a very large very angry looking bouncer.
"Ya comin in? Or you going out? Make up you fuckin mind, its cold out!!!" he growled at her.
"Uh, comin in." she said sheepishly.
"Go ta the Baaar, let them deal with you" he said sharply
Walking to the Bar she looked around, the establishment was dark and essentially empty aside from two bartenders and four patrons sitting at the opposite end of the entrance, and of course the angry looking bouncer who seemed involved in a crossword puzzle at the moment. The Bar was divided into two sides, a large one with numerous tables a small dance floor and a jukebox on the right hand side of the building, and a smaller side with less tables, but with a very large TV in the corner that had CNN at the moment, though no one was watching it, on the left side. All the walls were covered in old black and white pictures, the majority of which seemed to be pictures of old sports heroes, on the wall on the left side was a faded sign that had the words "UP THE REBELS!" barely visible against an Irish flag. The bar itself was a large box made of old mahogany and with a small door with the word "Kitchen" painted haphazardly above it.
Behind the bar were two bartenders, one young and one old. The Younger of which seemed entranced in thought as he read a newspaper, balancing himself as he sat partially on a cooler with his feet propped on an ice bin. The older bartender had his back against the bar and was watching a small TV, which had the local weather on it.
He turned to face Paige his, face weather with time, but with gentle green eyes. As he spoke he snapped Paige back into reality, and away from her surveying of the bar.
"Ahg, lass, ye must be chilled to the bone, come have a seat." He said gently in an accent that Paige could not quite place, a mix of Irish and Bostonian she though to herself.
Paige walked to stool on the corner of the bar and hoisted herself up on it, leather padding worn by years of use made it very comfortable, she removed her jacket which was plain navy blue not unlike a navy top-coat.
"Ah, hate to do this lass, but ye wouldn't happened to 'ave any ID on Ye?"
"Um, yes, hold on." She said as she pushed her hand into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her Fake Kentucky driver's license, nervously handing it to the bartender.
"Well….." he said while examining the license, turning it to see the holograms, bending it slightly feeling the edges for loose lamination. "Everything seems fine here, Miss Bumkin?" he said quizzically.
STUPID JUBILEE AND HER IDEA OF A JOKE!! She thought to herself, "Ah, that's pronounced Boomkine, its…. German."
"Well Miss Boomkine, the German from Kentucky, what can I get for ye, a nice Beeah? Or something a little stronger to take the chill out of ye?" he said handing the ID back to Paige who quickly stuffed it back in her pocket.
"Um…" she paused thinking of the time she got drunk on one beer and had to be nursed for the night by Jono, JONO of all people, later that night she had tried to kiss him which resulted in him destroying the dormitory, she shuddered at that thought or rather the memory of puking all night. "I think a coffee will do, thank you."
"Well soot ya self, it ain't great coffee but I guess its warm." He said reaching under the bar in front of her and pulling out a coffee cup, then taking the coffee pot from a small heating unit behind him. "Can aye, interest ya in something te eat? coffee may not be good but the food is first rate." He said in a kindly manner
"Um, no ah'm fine right now, maybe in a few minutes, thank you."
"Fine with me." He said returning to the local news on the TV.
'Jubes and Ange would be so impressed as to how I handled myself, though I guess they would both strangle me for ordering a coffee and not a concoction of every known alcohol known to man put in a big glass, and given a catchy name like "slow death" or something along that line she could hear them now, "YOU DID WHAT HAYSEED? JEEZ sometimes I think you really are slow, dontcha know a fake ID is so you can drink alcohol underage, or didn't ya figure that out on your own?" but they would still be jealous of sorts.
Paige sat quietly thinking when she was interrupted by what was on the local news.
"Boston Police officials say that the beating death of 18 year old Joshua Means of Brookline is now being linked to the Mutant Hate group the "Friends of Humanity", the tragic beating was the fourth such an incident in the past 3 months. Means body was found on Monday on Westland Avenue, reports of witnesses say that Means was seen being chased from the Christian Science Church Park at around 2:30am on Monday morning. Means has yet to be identified as a Mutant. The Police have had little headway in finding any single individual to connect to the crime, and have opened a tip hotline, 1-617-999-2677. Coming up in sports Bob Lobel talks about the Red Sox newest free agent signing."
"Fucking Animals!!" the Bartender growled, "I hope they cage everyone involved in that crime."
"Would be nice to think that they would." Paige replied meekly before turning her eyes to the surroundings of the bar and drifting into thought.
'My god, they beat that kid to death because he might have been a mutant, he was my age. Four beatings like that, how can people hate to willingly? Did he do anything wrong? Or was he simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? This world SUCKS! how can innocent kids like that be murdered and it not even be the lead story yet the day a kid is found to be a mutant It could very well be the lead story. GAWD, Magneto must be reveling in the fact that it is becoming so clear that 'homo superior' is being persecuted and the only safe haven is Genosha, his army gets bigger everyday. And his opposition get more and more frightened about people like ME! Oh it is so sad that people think that way.' The Bartender interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss…can I getcha another cup? Maybe something to eat?"
"Um, yes another cup would be nice, and I guess ah can look at a menu, thank you."
The Bartender quickly filled her cup and placed a paper menu with the Bar's logo on it in front of her. Paige looked at it blankly, her mind elsewhere. Behind her the large bouncer at the door stood up and walked to the back room grumbling something about a five-letter word starting with E.
"Lass…you seem troubled about something, wanna talk about it?" the bartender said kindly.
"No, ah'd rather not talk about it at all."
"Okay, but you've been quiet since ye walked in here and I don't deal with silence well. Ye see I'm an old Irish Bostonian bartender, I like to hear noise or my own voice and since you dinnae seem to want to talk, I'm going to." The Bartender said sarcastically hoping for a smile. "Well. . . . .ah would guess from your age and ye dress that ye are a student at one of these local universities, so lets see if ah cannae guess which one, hmm?" He said leaning on the bar directly in front of Paige and looking at her. "Ye look smart, but yuir boots there have actually been worn, they aren't brand new, yuir jeans are stylish but older and worn a bit, and yuir top well its nice, a little plain and doesn't seem to be a big name brand. So that rules out BC, ye are a bit to far from Haavaaad then they like to wander on a Tuesday afternoon, BU maybe? Or Northeastern? One of those two would be ma guess. Am I close?"
"Uh, actually ah go to school out in western mass." She said with a small smile.
"UMass?"
"Um, something like that."
Just at that moment the doors to the bar flew open and seven men who seemed not much older than Paige, walked in dressed in black coats with red arm bands and the letters FOH prominently visible in black, strode through the door. Paige instinctively prepared herself for the worst and started to get out of her seat only to be stopped be the hand of the Bartender who was staring angrily at the group. The young man who seemed to be their leader stepped forward and started to speak only to be cut off.
"Hold on son, IS THAT DANIEL McNAULTY STANDING BEHIND YOU??" The older bartender angrily barked at the young man "DANIEL GET YUIR SORRY ARSE OUT OF THIS BAR NOW!!! YE AREN'T 21 AND YE FATHER, GOD REST HIS SOUL, WOULD BE ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE IF HE SAW YOU HANGING OUT WITH A GROUP OF HOOLIGANS LIKE THESE." He said gesturing angrily at the group "HE WAS A GOOD MAN, FAIR AND HONEST AND HE CARED NOT WHAT YE SKIN COLOR WAS, WHAT RELIGION YE WERE OR WHAT YE BLOODY GENETIC MAKEUP WAS AS LONG AS YOUR WERE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS. NOW GET YUIR ARSE OUT OF MY BAAR BEFORE I CALL YE MA AND HAVE YE SKINNED!!!!"
A young brown haired boy quickly darted away from the group out the front doors and onto the street where he looked back as if God himself had told him to leave the bar.
The leader of the group, a young man with blonde hair and green eyes stepped forward and began to speak angrily, meanwhile behind the bar the younger bartender had walked to the door marked "Kitchen" and shouted something, before returning to his post placing his hand below the bar top.
"We are the "Friends of Humanity" we have come to see if anyone in this bar is a traitor to his race," the blonde headed boy said striding towards the bar "so far you seem to be suspect, why would you not raise arms against the Mutant Menace?" The young man said coldly a mere yard from Paige, she thought of all the things she could do to him and started to stand up again when again the older bartender placed his hand on her shoulder urging her to stay, looking at her with kind eyes.
"Well, they aren't raising ma taxes, me rent, me daughters tuition or me bloody car insurance. Not like that bloody Nazi Kelly wanted to do, shame he is from Irish decent gives a bad name to the whole ethnic background." He said almost challenging the young man.
"WHY YOU GENE TRAITOR!!" The young man shouted "TRASH THIS PLACE, LETS TEACH HIM A LESSON!!"
At that very moment the bouncer who had been sitting at the front door when Paige came in, strode through the doors from the back room looking angrier than before, and now followed by two other men. The first one was a young black man with dreadlocks and very broad shoulders; he was built like an athlete Paige thought to herself. Behind him was a VERY LARGE man wearing Jeans that looked ridiculously small for him and a tank top which showed that he was VERY much in shape, he resembled Colossus in build with a large ornate tattoo of a Celtic Cross on his right arm, his head was shaved and he look very angry. The group of FoH froze as the three strode towards them, the largest man stuck out his hand to receive a wooden bat that had been tossed to him by the younger bartender, catching it and placing a hold on it in on fluid motion.
All three bouncers fanned out, with the black man standing in front of a young looking brown haired boy who looked at least 5 inches shorter than the bouncer, the large bouncer with the tattoo was less kind taking two of the young men, throwing one against the wall like a rag doll and then tossing his friend a tall lanky black haired boy against the wall and placing the end of the bat under his chin effectively pinning the young man to the wall. The final bouncer striding straight up to the remaining three men and smiled "Wanna Play?" he growled, pushing up the sleeves of his shirt.
At this moment the older bartender, his hand still placed on Paige's shoulder, spoke very calmly "Ye see lad, if ye come in ere with a bad attitude, you get me boys angry." Looking at the black bouncer he said quietly "Anthony there is a third degree black belt in kinjitsu, and used to play football for BC, he's got a bit of an attitude problem." Looking at the bouncer with the tattoo he proceeded to say "And yuir friends their have met me youngest son Sean, can you believe he is only 18? he has problems controlling his temper." Then he brought his attention back to the head of the group, and the two remaining young men, "and I see ye have already made the acquaintance of me head bouncer Thomas, he just doesn't like Arseholes."
"Now if ye and yuir fellow weak minded friends leave now, the gents can return to their game of poker in the back room, and ye will be no worse the wear."
"I had a full house," Sean growled at the two terrified members of FoH.
"If not, the gents will become angry and I will have to call the Police to let them know a bus musta hit a group of young men outside my establishment. Its yuir choice lad." The bartender said very authoritatively.
"Alright old man, you win, we'll leave, but make no mistake, and we'll be back." The young arrogant leader of the boys said his voice confident.
"Fine with me, but ah warned ye."
As the six young men left, some leaving faster than others, the three bouncers converged on the bar.
"We done?" asked Thomas
"Yes, go finish yuir game." The bartender said in an agreeable fashion "And Sean, don't go losin all ye money."
"Right, no problem" he called over his massive shoulders walking to the back.
The Bartender turned his attention to Paige again "Sorry about that lass, some people are just arseholes."
"You aren't worried about what they might do for retaliation?"
"Nay, not in the least bit, I've got friends plus they no better than to mess with the boys. Just look at the regulars they didn't even look up from their drinks." He winked at Paige, and glanced down the bar where 4 older men sat sipping their drinks and arguing about the Celtics.
Several hours passed as Paige sat listening to the bartender, he was a kindly man who had tended bar for over 20 years, he had seen it all and dealt with it as it came. Paige noticed how he always seemed to have a smile on his face. He made her laugh and just for a short while forget about her problems. Paige began to feel more and more relaxed and around 6pm, just five short hours after she had entered, she prepared to leave. Sean, the bartender's son had walked to the front and had been listening to the last bit of the conversation, Paige noted that despite his imposing demeanor he was much like his father, light hearted and kind.
As Paige stood pulling on her coat, the bartender spoke. "Miss…. can I get yuir real name?"
Paige froze, 'he knew? Why didn't he say anything?' "Uh…"
"Look ye seem like a nice girl but here is a tip, No one has a name Amanda Bumpkin, from Backwater Kentucky. Ye aren't going to be in trouble, I just want to know." He said half smirking; his son chuckled in the seat next to Paige.
'Damn Jubilee and her jokes.'…"Its Paige, Paige Guthrie."
"Pleasure to meet you Paige, my name is Patrick Jonathon O'Neil, and you have met me son Sean."
"It was nice meeting you." Paige smiled and started to walk to the door.
"Oh and Miss Guthrie" Patrick called, causing Paige to turn around "You tell Cassidy and that loud mouthed Canadian Logan that their bar tabs are nae getting any smaller the longer they are away." He said smiling at her.
"How…how could you have known?" she stammered in amazement.
Patrick simply tapped his left shoulder near his neck and looked at Paige. She suddenly realized that he was indicating the small gold pin on the collar of her coat; it was an X with a circle surrounding it.
"I told you we have friends." He said pointing to two pictures on the wall. One of the pictures was very old, slightly faded but the two figures were unmistakable, it was Patrick sitting at a table with a younger Charles Xavier. The other Photo was not quite as old but it was of Patrick, Logan and Sean Cassidy sitting at a table toasting something. "Sean, help miss Guthrie get a cab, it too cold to be walking around the city." Patrick said smiling.
"Ay, dad" Sean said standing and walking to where Paige stood.
Paige wheeled on her heel and looked at Patrick in astonishment, then proceeded to walk out the door with Sean.
"I can't believe he knew the whole time."
"Don't be surprised, we see a lot of people in here."
"Well if ya'll ever need help dealing with the FoH, you can give me a call." Paige said confidently as a cab pulled up.
"Ay, I guess we could." Sean said smiling as he held the door of the cab open, "But then again you can never be sure who is a mutant and who isn't can you?" he said raising his right had to her face and creating a small bright green flash. He smiled, banged the top of the car and returned to the inside of the bar.
"The Plaza, please." Paige said as she looked out the cab window, maybe the world wasn't as bad as she had thought, maybe she just hadn't seen it all. Their were good people in the world, there were even good mutants in the world who were not superheroes, this visit was better than she had thought it would be, the big problem was now how to explain to Sean Cassidy that she was in a Bar in Boston and met one of his friends. Maybe that would come to her as she slept that night.