WARNINGS: This story is a slash story, meaning its content describes homosexual relationships and sex. I do not own the X-Men franchise (the books, the movies, the comics, or the cartoons) as they are property of Marvel, Stan Lee, and FOX Entertainment. I do however own the main character. Although this story is rated M, the sex will not appear for a while so if you're reading to get your rocks off, this is probably not the best story to read. There's violence, graphic language, sex, and war. This isn't one of those stories where the two characters instantly fall in love and have sex, there is a buildup. Also, at the beginning of each chapter, there will be a cast and character list of those I've chosen to depict the characters. These are my personal choices and if you don't agree, feel free to debate them but I probably won't change them. If it bothers you so badly, imagine them as whoever you like. So just sit back and read the story of 2 (well really it's more like 3 or 6) mutants and their trials and tribulations. Thank you and enjoy.
CHAPTER 1: Days of Future Past
*The X-Men universe depicted in this story is my own creation comprised of elements from the comic books, the Ultimate comic books, all 4 movies, and pieces of my own imagination. This universe, similar to Marvel's Ultimate Universe, is made to simplify the events of all the aforementioned mediums so the existence of magic, aliens, and alternate universes no longer exist. Furthermore, this universe is set in modern day with only slight modifications such as advanced technology and is slightly dystopic. Finally, I will not put any mutant in my story who's not one of the 198 or who hasn't been repowered.
In 1095, Pope Urban II authorized the first crusade to cleanse Europe of the taint of paganism and poly theology but was actually the Vatican's way of not only ridding the world of pagans but the gods they worshiped, most of which were actually mutants being idolized.
1580-1750, mutants were hunted, tried, and persecuted in an attempt to rid the world of "witches", the most popular, but certainly not the only instance of a witch hunt, were the trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts.
1861-1865, The American Civil War began to end the slavery of both blacks and mutants. The North whose tolerance of mutants, although not absolute, was less hostile than it had been in the South. The President wanted to abolish these violent acts (and possibly to gain popularity for a reelection) but when the South refused these ideals, a war began. Even in the midst of war, the President was reelected and shortly after, the war was ended.
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a staunch anti-mutant terrorist, who saw Lincoln's acceptance of mutantcy in America as the decline of the strength of America and its morals.
In 1933 Adolf Hitler, a harsh anti-Semite and mutant hater went on a spree of imprisonment and death, claiming that his Aryan brothers needed to ban together to rid the country of anything that would destroy the foundations of its morality. The Jewish people were the first to be persecuted, and shortly many other minority groups were imprisoned in concentration camps as well, the second largest group being mutants.
Sometime during the 60's Wolverine, Sabretooth, Mystique, and several others are the first candidates for the newly formed Weapon X Project.
In 1962, mutants were the main orchestrators of the Cuban Missile Crisis. (see X-Men: First Class)
In 1974, the government released its first prototype of the Sentinel Project, crafted from the blueprints of Bolivar Trask, near the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. This hulking machine rampaged through 13 states, killing anyone with the X-Gene until finally being called back by Weapon X. It resulted in 330 deaths (both human and mutant) and the government covered the event up by using a natural disaster as a smokescreen. This was then labeled by the media as the Super Tornado Outbreak.
In 1975 in response to the knowledge that the government was building machines to destroy them, Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr created a safe-house to protect and house mutants from being hunted. The government saw this action as Xavier and Lensherr's attempt to build an army so using S.H.I.E.L.D. to gain their trust, the government funds and heavily monitors the activities of Xavier House.
In the early 1980s, S.W.O.R.D. creates Phase 1 of the mutant cure. Their first patient shows no signs of being cured but research showed it was in his system. Thinking he could be the catalyst for the release of the cure into the populace, they set him free. He eventually infected a number of people who spread the cure to others but the cure began killing people, mutant and human. The government, in an effort to cover up their own mistake, gave this cure the name AIDS and placed the blame on the homosexual community as a scapegoat.
In 1984, after Erik Lensherr and Xavier parted ways, Xavier turned his safe-house into a training ground as a countermeasure to the inevitable war happening between humans and mutants. This became the birth of the X-Men. His first official X-Men roster consisted of Sean Cassidy, also known as Banshee, Tessa "Sage" Fox, Calvin "Mimic" Rankin, Jonathon "Forge" Silvercloud, and Lucas Bishop. It would also be the birth of Erik's more radical group, The Brotherhood. Their first mission was to kill Bolivar Trask, a feat that they accomplished.
Sometime between 1987 and 1993, a new mutant group rose up and staked their claim in the "war". Called "The Hellfire Club" this group, unlike Xavier who hopes for mutant emancipation through diplomacy and Magneto who seeks to rule humans through force and manipulation, The Hellfire Club looks to be a part of the human world. Led by socialite and business tycoon Selene Gallio, they do business with humans, become government figures, and horde money, wealth, and stocks in order to be elite and in exchange, they are protected from persecution. But they don't do this for the sake of mutantkind; they do it for their own personal gain. Materialist and self-centered this group exploits the idea that "money makes the world go 'round."
In 1995, Larry Trask, Bolivar's son, takes his fathers place in the research and development of the Sentinel Project and fast tracks his father's ideas.
By 1997, Weapon X has already built and tested 4 different Sentinel prototypes and 2 more cures. Xavier House is renamed to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and opened as a school for mutants.
Sometime in 1999, X-man Hank McCoy is captured and experimented on by Weapon X. Their tampering with his abilities made him stronger but also caused blue fur to sprout from his body. Because of his genius, he is highly resistant to the program's conditioning and he is released from the program after 2 years in captivity.
In 2000, Erik, now going under the moniker Magneto, builds a machine that would turn most of the city of New York into mutants. His plans were thwarted though by the X-Men. This event only furthered in revealing that mutants in fact exist to the general public and anti-mutant groups begin springing up. The biggest of which, Friends of Humanity, is built by Larry Trask's uncle Simon Trask. Magneto's first test subject, Senator Robert Kelly is turned into a mutant but the unnatural mutation causes his cells to break down and he dies. Magneto is arrested. (see X-men, the movie)
In 2001, during Magneto's imprisonment, his protégé Mystique discovered that the government was going to distribute the latest Sentinel models to other countries. In response she plotted a terrorist attack on America. Her plan came into fruition in September of that year. She was successful in stopping the trading but in the process killed over 3,000 people.
In 2003, Magneto broke out of prison and returned to his mantle at the head of the Brotherhood. In his absence, Mystique impersonates Senator Kelly, using his platform to help the mutant cause. William Stryker, Bolivar's apprentice, attempts to wipe out all mutants using his mutant son. His plans were unsuccessful but the event succeeded in killing one of the X-Men's most valued members, Jean Grey and destroyed the morale of the team. (see X-Men 2)
In 2005, a young girl named Katrina's powers of Hydrokinesis raged out of control in New Orleans, killing 1,300 people. S.H.I.E.L.D. was called in; the girl was taken away and never seen again.
In 2006, S.W.O.R.D. created a seemingly final mutant cure and offered it to the general public. They even make guns to administer it. Jean Grey is discovered not to be dead but returns as her darker personality, The Phoenix. She kills Charles Xavier and with the help of The Brotherhood, destroys hundreds along with the labs creating the cure. In the aftermath, she too is killed. Shortly thereafter it is discovered the cure wasn't permanent and mutants begin gaining their powers back. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters closes its door. (see X-Men: The Last Stand)
Later this year, a young British mutant named Elizabeth Braddock is captured by Weapon X and taken to their facilities. There they lobotomize her, taking her brain and implanting it into the body of one of their brain dead agents. The operation is successful and Betsy Braddock is given the name Psylocke and placed under Weapon X's control. With her psychic abilities and the skills of her host body, she's trained as a deadly weapon.
In 2007, the real Senator Kelly returns, seemingly in control of his new abilities. Magneto's goal was to make him "walk a mile in a mutant's shoes" but the transformation only furthered in deepening Kelly's hate towards mutants. He backs the plans of Trask and pushes for the Mutant Registration Act. Heir to the Worthington fortune, Warren Worthington III is taken by the Friends of Humanity. They rip his wings from his body and leave him to die in Central Park. Weapon X soon intervenes and takes the injured mutant to their facilities where they outfit him with new techno-organic wings and a will to obey their orders.
In 2008, S.W.O.R.D. finalizes the mutant cure, using both the blood from the original test subject and new blood from a mutant girl named Terrigen. This cure is oxidized and released into the air, quickly spreading around the world. This event, known by most as M-Day, reduced the mutant population from millions to about 2,000. 1,198 to be exact. Senator Kelly is among the mutants who are cured. Reports of people mysteriously drowning, being crushed by heavy objects, and falling from the sky began pouring in. Some mutants proved immune to the cure, others were rendered completely powerless. There were also cases in which mutants powers were weakened instead of completely disappearing and a few cases of the mutants growing stronger. With the cure now a part of the world's air supply, mutant births are completely unheard of. Those with physical mutations have also been met with varying results as some of them lose all signs of mutation while others keep their physical mutations but not the powers attributed to them. Magneto refuses to allow these people into his ranks but he does open up his base of operations, an island known as Genosha, to the mutant public promising freedom and liberation.
In 2010, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters is reopened and renamed the Xavier-Grey Institute. The Institute allows ex-mutants with physical mutations to remain at the school.
In late 2012, the X-Men infiltrate a Weapon X compound and free several mutants from Weapon X's hold, including Psylocke and Warren Worthington III (now known as Archangel). The process of ridding them of the program's mind control has left them comatose but slowly recovering.
In 2013, the final Sentinel robot is dispatched. This version of the robot is slimmer and smaller than its predecessors but no less dangerous. This design is shipped across the world to every major city and a worldwide curfew is enforced to protect humans. The Sentinels patrol the streets after midnight, killing anyone containing an X-Gene. The President is unaware that the Sentinels are in place to destroy mutants. To his knowledge, they simply protect humans using minimal force.
Sometime during the beginning of 2014, a new drug called Mist hits the streets. When taken by humans, Mist heightens brain activity temporarily giving them enhanced conditioning. Unfortunately, the more they take it, the heavier the strain on their minds and bodies, causing muscle atrophy, brain damage, paralysis, and death. There have been many reports of humans dying from the drug wearing off while they were in dangerous situations. In mutants, the drug enhances the mutants pre-existing abilities, making them stronger and more powerful. The drug, though, is highly addictive and is usually detrimental to the mutant taking it.
Mutants have existed possibly since Man walked the Earth. But back then, there was so few of them, other explanations could rationalize their existence. Aliens, Witches, and Bigfoot were all human's need to explain away a simple genetic mutation in a time where this knowledge was unheard of. When mutants could not hide who they were, their families would ship them to carnivals where they were treated as freak shows and morbid entertainment. But just as humanity flourished, so did mutantkind and this time they learned how to blend in with everyday society, living in the shadows of human ignorance. They became your mother, your father, your best friends, and your lovers while humans were blissfully unaware of there presence.
Despite the fact that the general public was unaware of the growth of mutation within human beings, the government was fully aware, even utilizing mutants and their extraordinary powers to achieve the government's goals. And this relationship wasn't entirely one-sided. Whenever there was a mutant power outbreak, the government simply covered it up and paid off anyone who witnessed it...or wiped their minds clean using the many telepaths in their employ. Many of the tragedies and natural disasters that were caused by mutants were explained away by the government. But when mutantkind became too much to handle, the government created a separate branch specifically dedicated to protecting mankind for any mutant threat. This was how Weapon X was formed. Within Weapon X, a subgroup called S.H.I.E.L.D. was created. It was the task of S.H.I.E.L.D. to eliminate any mutant threat as quickly and quietly as possible using any means necessary. They kept employing powerful, patriotic mutants who saw a niche in the security that being an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. brought with it but unknown to them, S.H.I.E.L.D.s purposes were not for the benefit of mutants. S.H.I.E.L.D. was just a cover-up for what was actually happening to the mutants that were detained by its agents. They were being murdered and experimented on by Weapon X. Headed and overseen by Senator Bolivar Trask, the organization was the governments way of aggressively trying to figure out how mutants ticked and how to use them for themselves. Using all manner of brainwashing and power tampering, Weapon X bolstered the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. with mindless mutant assassins.
But Weapon X had other ideas in mind. Their true objective was the eradication of mutantkind. Bolivar Trask, an ex-military scientist trained with a genius intellect and a hatred for the unknown drew up intricate blueprints for machines designed to hunt and exterminate anyone possessing an X-Gene, the gene said to be responsible for mutation. These machines would later be built under the leadership of Bolivar's son, Larry, whose hatred of mutants was only exacerbated by his father's death at the hands of the mutant supremacist Magneto. Larry, more driven and cunning than his father set his sights further. With multiple degrees in Chemistry, Genetics, and Engineering, Larry developed yet another subgroup of Weapon X made to destroy mutants named S.W.O.R.D. This one, funded by Worthington Pharmaceuticals and the Kelly Administration, was bent on creating a cure for mutations.
My name is Addison Santiago and I live and go to school at the Xavier-Grey Institute. Even though my school is packed with mutants, it's not that different from any other boarding school. We have dorm rooms, each with 2 students per room, we have classes that must be attended everyday, and we have rules in place to maintain order within our little society. Sure, most schools don't have a hangar under the basketball court, a simulation training room in the basement, or attacks from outside forces almost every week but don't we all have our problems?
At the Institute, we have the "in-crowd" like any other high school but here popularity isn't based on looks or money, especially when half the students are physically mutated and most of us don't have any money. In my school, it's all about power. The stronger your powers are, the more popular you are. But strangely enough, too much power puts you at the bottom, like David Haller. He's the late Professor Xavier's son but with his multiple personalities, each with their own unique power, most people fear him and keep a wide berth from him. Our reigning royalty is Julian Keller and the Stepford sisters. Julian Keller, an extremely talented telekinetic, is on the fast track to becoming an X-Men. In my school, becoming an X-Man is the highest honor anyone can have. It means you're out there fighting on the front lines for what's left of the mutant race and that makes you a hero. Occasionally a student with useful talents is allowed to come on missions with the X-Men but until you get a uniform, you're not an official member. Julian has been on several missions with the X-Men and with his cocky swag and know-it-all personality, every guy wants to be his friend and every girl wants to fuck him. The Stepford sisters, Sophie, Phoebe, Irma, Celeste, and Esme, are the favorites of Emma Frost, our headmistress. The five sisters are both beautiful and creepy with their ability to speak, walk, and act in complete unison. Their telepathy is unrivaled by any of the other students and when they walk through the school, crowds part. To add insult to injury, Julian has dated at least 3 of the sisters but with the Stepfords, it's basically like being with one of them.
I'm not one of the in-crowd. As a matter of fact, I'm not even on their radar. My power isn't particularly strong and most people don't even believe I have a power since no one else can hear him but me. Add to the fact that Ms. Frost took me from a mental institution, most of the students lump me in with David Haller which is fine with me. I honestly don't really even know what my power is. It's not one of the more common, useful powers like telepathy, telekinesis, enhanced strength, speed, or a healing factor. No, mine is much odder than that. My power is Frank.
Frank is my "imaginary friend", well as friendly as an imaginary person can be, but it's hard to believe he isn't a delusion of my own making since even I can't see him. But I can hear him. All the time. He never shuts up, always going on about the naked girls he's seen or the juicy tidbits he's gleaned from overheard conversations. Sometimes I think he talks just to hear his own voice...if he can hear his own voice.
The first time I heard Frank, I was about 12 and when I told my parents, initially my mother, a psychiatrist, saw this as a coping mechanism to the lose of my twin brother but as time passed the conversations appeared, to my parents, to be getting more intense. When it didn't seem like I was growing out of it, my parents took me to a therapist where I was diagnosed with severe depression and schizophrenia and they put me on a myriad of medications. By 14, I was taking 7 pills a day and I still wasn't getting better so my parents had me committed to a mental institution. I stayed there for 2 of the longest years of my life until the day Emma Frost showed up and took me away. I don't really talk to my parents anymore, which is fine by me. After my brother Damek died of brain cancer as a child, my parents changed. They were once loving and doting but when Damek died, both began pouring themselves into their work and ignored me and each other. Now I call once a month just to remind them that they still have one son but I will probably never go back to Chicago to visit them. It's just too hard on all on us.
Frank isn't entirely bad. He can interact with physical things when he wants to and telepaths can't read him so he's good at sneaking around undetected. Although this is sometimes a problem since Frank is a known voyeur and gossip monger. He's constantly telling me other people's secrets even though I've told him over and over again that I don't care.
Aside from Frank, my other friends at the Institute are Doug Ramsey, Sarah Rushman, and Japheth Lefu. We're the outcasts and the undesirables. My roommate Doug is unpopular because with his ability to understand and decipher all language, he is considered powerless. But what many don't know is that Doug can also read body language, allowing him to counteract any physical attack aimed at him. He's also incredibly smart and a genius at computers as if they speak the same language. He's actually kind of cute in that nerdy kind of way but he's much too sweet for my taste. Besides, he has a huge crush on Sarah, something she's completely oblivious of. Sarah isn't a mutant...well, not anymore. When M-Day happened Sarah lost her ability to grow super dense bones and pull them from her body like weapons. But even though she lost this ability, the bones that had grown from her never disappeared. So now she's what we call a "Rem" or an ex-mutant who has retained their physical mutation. She likes to act tough and brash but she once confessed to me that it's very painful for her to constantly have to support the heavy bones covering her body. Japheth is probably in our group because most people find his powers a little gross. He has these 2 large metal slugs that act as his stomach. They go around eating everything and when they climb back into his body, they enhance his size, strength, stamina, and endurance. The last year and a half I've been here at the Institute, they've been like family to me. A highly dysfunctional, completely inappropriate, all over the place, mess of a family but my family nonetheless.
At the Institute, we're taught to use our powers for the good of human and mutantkind, to protect humans from the mutants who seek to destroy them. But with our numbers constantly dwindling and mutant birth almost non existent, I don't quite believe Xavier's dream. Humans have basically declared war against us and while we're sitting around in seclusion trying to become one in their world, the Sentinels stalk the streets killing mutants and the very air we breathe has the power to turn us human. I hate sitting around doing nothing but what can I do? I can't leave because I have nowhere else to go and I don't have the power to rage a one man war against the government. So for now, I must smile and nod when they tell us the praises of fighting for Xavier's dream.
The Institute is luckily protected by some kind of technology that cloaks us, which I've never understood since it's now common knowledge that the Institute houses mutants. After M-Day, our headmasters Scott Summers and Emma Frost decided that with so few of us left, they would publicly announce the whereabouts of the Institute in the hopes that it would draw more mutants into its protection, which it did. There's students here from all over the world, one being Japheth. He came to us from South Africa and I couldn't be happier that he did.
We are allowed off the grounds but we must be ever vigilant of time. If we stay out past curfew, we risk our own lives and the lives of the X-Men who will undoubtedly come looking for you.
I know my world sounds bleak and hopeless but in a world where humans hate and fear you, the only thing you can do is survive.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I wouldn't really consider this an actual chapter but more of an introduction to my X-men universe and my character. Which is why I won't be posting an official chapter until more interest in the story is built. I decided since the movie comes out next week, I'll give it a week before I post the first chapter.
So now that my schedule has freed back up, I can now start writing the new story. With this, I wanted to create my own world by taking everything I like about the different versions of the X-Men and getting rid of the things I didn't. For me, I thought it was a smart move to have M-Day happen because the X Universe had gotten too cluttered with characters with no good backstory or good reason as to why they were in the comics in the first place. But the whole House of M thing and the Scarlet Witch magic mutant thing, while entertaining, I felt was a little strange. I've also never been a fan of comics that mix themes. I've always felt X-Men was more science fiction than fantasy so I never liked the inclusion of magic so I did away with that and I'm over aliens at the moment so I got rid of that too.
I wrote this chapter back in March so I was well into the third chapter when Fox released their timeline for the new X-Men movie and it was interesting to see how much our two timelines meshed. I chose to publish this story before the movie partly so that any similarities found people won't say I took from the movie and also because I want to slowly tailor my story to fit whatever happens in the film if possible.
I referenced a lot of things from the main universe and twisted them such as Weapon X, S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., Terrigen Mists, and the drug Banshee to fit more with how I wanted my story to go. I also knew I wanted the Sentinels to feature in the story but not be a main problem. I didn't want to be typical like a lot of the X-Men OC fiction I've read by 1. Making the Brotherhood the enemy, and 2. Making the main character incredibly powerful. I shied away from giving Addison telepathy, telekinesis, elemental, or weather control because they've all been done to DEATH!
When it comes to his love interest, I hate doing popular, typical characters and I knew who I wanted him to be with (I won't reveal that until later) but I'm also aware people are less likely to read a story if they aren't familiar with the character so I picked someone who makes sense (Colossus) since he's gay in the Ultimate universe. I didn't want it to be Cyclops, Wolverine, Iceman, or Gambit because again these pairings have been done to death.
Also to clarify, Weapon X is the main government mutant threat branch. S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.W.O.R.D. are both different off shoots of the Weapon X Program.
I have a list of what real people I imagine the characters looking like but I will only reveal them as they appear since there's so many of them so as of right now, I will tell you that Addison looks like model Dawid Auguscik.
I gave Japheth a last name since he doesn't have one in the comics. "Lefu" means 'sickness'.