Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men or the Pretender if I did then they would still be on TV.
A Hunted Past
By DolphinChic
It was a cool brisk autumn day and Bobby Drake was slowly making his way home from school. He was kicking a soda can down the street when it happened. Some men in an ominous car pulled up, grabbed him and left his book bag and a note on the curb. Bobby struggled but it was no use. He knew that it was hopeless when the blindfold went over his head.
"Jarod, I want you to make Bobby feel at home." Sidney said kindly.
"Why?" Jarod said with an innocent simile.
"Because he is new and doesn't know what to do." Sidney said with a sigh.
"Ok, I'll do it." Jarod said as Sidney took him to see Bobby. As Jarod walked into the room witch was going to be Bobby's new home, he saw a man in a dark suit watching him. Bobby huddled in the center of the bed, as the door to the room opened and a young boy walked in the room.
"My name is Jarod," the boy said with a smile. "What is yours?"
"Mines Bobby, Bobby Drake," Bobby said hesitating. It would be the last time that Bobby would see the outside world.
It was all coming back to him, that day was coming to him in his dreams. Bobby jolted out of a peaceful sleep, his dream quickly dissipated into the night. As Bobby walked downstairs, he did not know that his dream had woke everyone in the mansion. As Bobby walked into the kitchen, he came to an abrupt stop. The rest of the X-men where surprised to see him walk into the kitchen.
"What's wrong Bobby?" Jean said.
"I couldn't sleep." mumbled Bobby as he got a glass out of the dishwasher, opened the fridge and got the milk.
That seams to be everyone's problem tonight. Jean said with a sigh.
"Everybody's but Jubilee, she's sleeping like a baby." Logan said with a chuckle. The soft sound of footsteps made everyone turn toward the maker.
"Oh, you guys couldn't sleep either." Jubilee said with a wearied look on her face. Bobby noticed that everyone was looking at him.
"What are you staring at?" He said with an angry tone.
"Bobby where you the boy in the dream?" Jean said with that mother knows best tone that made Bobby want to puke.
"Yea, it's me. It just something that I don't talk about, besides if they knew where I was they would take me back to the Center anyway, and I'm not going back there. I have to worry about other things now any way." Bobby said sadly. Jean was about to say something when the sound of footsteps drowned out the conversation again.
"Dad, B.J.'s having nightmares again." A young boy said to Bobby "Ok Alex, I'll be right up." Bobby said as he gulped down the last of his milk, and left the rest of the X-Men wide eyed and staring.
Jarod got off the bus in New York City. He was tired and grungy from his cross-country bus trip. He wanted to take a hot shower and look up an old friend someone who knew what happened. As Jarod walked the filthy streets in the worst part of town, he thought about what lead him to this city. He walked into a dingy looking apartment building that had a cheap handmade sign that said Apartment for Rent.
"I'll let you have it for $250 per month plus a $500 security deposit," said the foul fat looking man that was showing Jarod the dirty and dank apartment.
"I'll take it. Can I pay my rent up front?" Jarod said.
" Ya, come downstairs and I'll give you the lease papers to fill out." He said, giving Jarod a slap on the back. After that ordeal was over, he went out to find a place to eat and after four hours of walking around he found what he was looking for, the neon sign said Jean's Restaurant in big letters. As he walked in the door, a medium sized woman with fierily red hair came up to him and lead Jarod to a corner booth.
"Your server will be with you in a moment." She said with a smile.
Jarod nodded and hungrily looked at the menu. As the waiter came closer to his table Jarod noticed something about him that he couldn't place from somewhere.
"Hello. I am Bobby, your waiter for the evening. Can I take your order?" He said with a smile.
Jarod just sat there silently for a moment and then said. "I'll have the club sandwich with mayo and a Diet Coke."
"Ok, that will be out shortly" Bobby said as he scribbled the order on a pad and went back to the kitchen
As Bobby walked into the kitchen, he paused and almost threw up.
"No, that can't be him. It just can't be him." Bobby mumbled under his breath.
"Who are you talking about Bobby?" Jean said with concern in her voice.
Bobby just ignored her and yelled above the raucous. "Hay Gabby, I need a club with mayo and a DC." Bobby walked out of the kitchen to bus some dirty tables. Jean looked out the kitchen door at Bobby and sighed. She knew that he was going threw a hard time this week, they all were. As Bobby bused tables he looked over at the strange man, realized where he knew him from, and smiled as he walked back into the kitchen to get the order.
As Jarod waited for his order, he took out his cell-phone and called Miss. Parker. "Hello, Miss. Parker. Guess who?" He said.
"Jarod, listen here you little rat when I get my hands on you; I'm going to rip your tongue out!" The feminine voice on the other hissed.
"You really don't mean that. Your father must be in the room."
"Oh, yes I do. I really hated your last pretend, I am still picking sand out of my hair." The voice said with contempt.
"Well then you won't like this one. I'll send you something nice." Jarod said hanging up the phone as the waiter came with his order.
"This is on the house Jarod" Bobby said as he sat.
"Bobby is that you? Wow you have changed a whole lot." Jarod said with a Cheshire cat grin.
"Na, not as much as you have. So, where are you staying?"
"I rented an apartment in the city, unless you can think of a better place."
"In a heartbeat, you can stay with me, the boys would love to see you. Give me ten minutes and we can go."
As Bobby ran back into the kitchen, Jean stopped him.
"Bobby, who is that guy?" She said with a worried tone.
"Oh um, he's a really old friend and he's only going to be in town for a few days. Hay Jean, can I get off early?"
"Yea, if he's single Rouge and Storm are going to know about it."
"Thanks, I'll make it up to you." Bobby said as he grabbed his coat and walked out the door. As Bobby and Jarod walked out of the restaurant neither one of them noticed the pair of aerial eyes that glowed in the shadows. The sentential scanned the parking lot for the millionth time. It focused on Bobby and Jarod and compared them with the vast database that was hidden within its deep computer core.
"Target acquired, countermeasures for Iceman engaged." It said as it took a giant step toward the two unsuspecting men. When the car next to them started to shake Bobby knew that something was wrong and that's when he saw it.
"Stay Down Jarod. I'll take care of this." Bobby said as fear crept into his voice. Jarod watched in astonishment as Bobby started to ice up. In no time, Bobby was in full force and started to glide toward the giant robot on a sheet of ice. Back in the restaurant Jean sensed that something was wrong, she ran outside just in time to see Bobby hit the sentential with enough force to knock down a building. The sentential lost its balance, but was still standing as the white patch on its body melted and ran of in torrents. "Scott, Logan, Remy, come quick Bobby needs your help." She made sure that no one else could hear her as she sent her message directly into the minds of her teammates. The sentential didn't notice the other men closing in on it, but when it did it was too late. It exploded under the barge of power. As the police sirens started to wail, the X-men and their new friend melted into the night.