Disclaimer: Io non possedo niente, NIENTE!
A.N. I've always hated Sinister, so he doesn't exist in this story. his usual cronies now work for Magneto, thought you should know, instead of springing it on you without explanation.
A.N.2 OK, I don't really like this chapter. The next is going to be better, I promise.
A.N.3 Nirvana song starts in middle of story, not beginning. Case you were looking for it...
Black Spades, heartsyhawk : Thanks for liking my story!
mysteriousfangirl : Mystique is not going to be the cause of trouble in this story, although she does inadvertently start all the trouble. You'll see in this chap. Thanks for liking my story!
Freak87 : Hope I don't desecrate Nirvana, that would be bad for a Nirvana fan such as ourselves. You got the whole family thing in one shot; the mothers are in later chaps, including this one. Those last two paragraphs were rushed, I tried for a whole week to make it sound OK, but failed, (
Oh Me
Katherine Pride woke up with the sun shining through the window. She looked at the digital clock on her desk, and it read 8:44 am, and for a minute she panicked. 'Why didn't the alarm work?' Her mean subconscious answered for her as the fog went from her mind, 'Because it's Saturday, dumbass.' With that, Kitty relaxed, and got up. She was headed for the bathroom across the hall to ensure she got a shower before the other girls woke up, but stopped as she smelled wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Forgoing a shower till after breakfast, she headed to the kitchen. She found the back of Rouge, facing the stove and cooking, something she rarely did.
"Like, Rouge! You're OK!"
It took Rouge St. Marie Howlett a few seconds to reply, something else that was different, "Yeah, Kit... I heard I raised quite a stir yesterday morning."
Kitty, not fully awake, did not notice the uncharacteristic pause, "We're all just happy that you are OK, and not hurt. Mr. Worthington made it sound like you were in serious pain. And Mr. McCoy, like, wouldn't say anything when we came back from school. Of course, all of the other adults here were gone for the day. Why were they gone? What happened?"
"Ahh... Kit, look, I really don't want to talk about it. Besides, Chuck and dad said we were gonna finally tell the students everything today, whether I want to or not."
"Rouge... how come you never wanted to tell us your history? It, like, sounds serious, like, part of your mutation. I know your mutation is a touchy subject, no pun, but who here doesn't have a problem with their powers? Take me, it took me, like, almost a month to touch anything again, it freaked me out. Was I gonna starve to death? I missed hugging my mom. I, like, got through that, you know you can get through whatever it is, too."
Rouge went back to cooking the huge breakfast that 'he' started, relieved to know that she could finish what he started. Finishing was easier then starting, in her opinion. After a few seconds, "Kit, I feel... I feel so ashamed at what happened last night." At the silence indicating Kitty was willing to listen, "I was told it was not my fault, and you would say the same, but I can't shake the feeling. It all started five years ago, when I was 14 years old, when you and everybody else weren't here yet. I get the feeling that if I just... I just... you know, I can't finish that sentence."
Kitty, the contradictory gossip/friend, knew that she made more ground then ever before with Rouge's feelings and past, she didn't want to push it. If it took weeks, Rouge would tell her more and more each day. She felt that she would get a lot of information later on that day, but she wouldn't get anything about Rouge's feelings and fears, what she really wanted to know, in order to get closer to her friend. And, yes, to her brother, but that was just an added bonus, what really mattered was her friend. Not pushing the topic, she stated, "Rouge, you know I'm your friend, I would never look down on you, you know that, don't you?"
Hearing her younger friend without her chippiness and without using 'like' once, Rouge was touched. "Thanks, Kitty."
"What's that smell? Reminds me of home." Samuel Guthrie, Cannonball, fellow southerner, entered the kitchen.
"Like, hey Sam. I have no idea, but it smells good, what is it Rouge?"
"I have no idea, I got it from one of my voices in my head." It was not the whole truth, but at least it wasn't a lie. What happened was Rouge gained Remy's trust during the night and accquiesed to him taking over for a bit to cook a big Cajun breakfast for the house. He told her that cooking always made him feel good, and she happened to agree with him. Remy's real reason was that he wanted to make the girl happy after her feeling guilty all night for absorbing him.
After breakfast, Kitty got her shower, after three hours of waiting for other students getting their shower. It was around 1pm when the professor called for all the students to come to the living room.
The big living room, filled with comfortable couches and seats, coffee tables, paintings and pictures, was still roomy as all the inhabitants of the mansion filled the seats. In front of the elaborate windows with curtains (not too expensive, as they would get ruined eventually, by the inhabitants or enemies) stood the Howlett family, minus Mystique, and Xavier. Rouge looked downcast, as if she was embarrased or feeling extremely apologetic, something none of the other students usually saw. Kurt and Logan looked defiant, almost proud, being the strong pilars for their girl. Xavier was the calm one, as always, and everyone relaxed, waiting for Xavier to start.
But he did not start, it was not his story. The Wolverine started, "You will not say anything until the stroy is done." He added a glare to ensure that no one talked out of line, then started again. "As you know, me and my two kids were here before you all were, even before Scott and Jean. Mystique, my ex-wife, knew Xavier through Lensherr, she was friends with them before I ever knew them. We met them quite a few times, even saw Chuck walk before the Savage Land incident. Kurt and Rouge got to calling them both Uncles. Anyway, we were invited to live here, all four of us, after Charles heard that Rouge and Kurt manifested their powers and Kurt changed appearance."
From the shocked faces about Kurt, Kurt picked up the story, "I was not always blue with a tail and yellow eyes, I was a black haired blue eyed white boy until I was about 11 years old. Rouge and me gained our powers early in life because our bodies matured faster then other bodies. Anyway, we came here and started a new life with Uncle Chuck and Aunt Ororo. There were other mutatns here, but they either moved on to college, like Warren here, who came back to teach, or they moved on in their lives, coming back to visit sometimes, you all know Betsy? She was one. Or, some of them died."
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If I had to lose a mile
If I had to touch feelings
I would lose my soul
The way I do
A young and innocent Rouge sat in the rec room with some of the older mutants, the ones that tolerated her, Yu Shu'Lien (Tiger) -1- , Betsy Braddock (Psylocke), Warren Worthington the 3rd (Angel) and Cortez (no code name, yet) -2- . The other mutants, including her brother, were either at the mall or swimming in the pool. She was currently unbeaten in the game of Soul Caliber. It didn't matter how much fun she was having though, she could still hear the shouting coming from Uncle Chuck's study...
"I'm taking the kids with me, you can't keep my babies from me!"
"One, Rouge is not yours! And yes I can! They are mine too! I won't see them get hurt or used by that madman you call a leader!"
"He's not a madman! He has more sense then you ever could! Gahh! To think I married a man who didn't care about the future!"
"Don't you dare accuse me of that, I'm always thinking of our children!"
"NO! You think about her all the time! How can you raise your children under those circumstances!" Ororo Munroe, recently arrived, also in the room, cringed as Mystique pointed at her. Hank McCoy, also recently arrived, shuffled his feet, obviously feeling out of place.
"This is no time for that, I love my children more then life itself! How can you accuse me of putting my interests above them? You were once like that, caring, what happened? All you care about..."
"Don't shift the blame to me! I love both of them! I'm doing what I think is right for them!"
"If I may," interrupted the calm presence of Xavier, and a nice quite filled the mansion "I don't doubt you both love your children, it's time you both realized that." He took a pause to ensure they acknowledged that fact and gave each other grudging apologetic glances before he continued, "Logan, remember that Eric just has different views then us, it doesn't mean he is crazy or a madman. Raven, I ask you to consider your children, they have both been moved twice in their lives, and have finally settled here. Kurt triumphantly told me that he emptied the last box from the move nearly two years ago." He smiled at the memory and noticed the twitch of the couple's mouths, as if they wanted to hold in the smile. "Also, I know that you do not want your children to fight, but you must know that Eric will make them fight, or do some type of work for him."
"And you wouldn't do the same?" sneered Mystique.
Wolverine, now realizing his wife's fears, spoke up, "No, we won't make our children do what you don't want them to do. I won't let them follow in our footsteps, as we both fear. They will not become agents in a war."
Raven Darkholm Howlett finally looked at her husband's eyes with her own eyes, ones that did not belie her fears. He also barred his fears for her. After all they suffered and survived, they still felt the fear for weapon-x. She wasn't really angry at Logan, just angry that they couldn't stay together, that their wonderful family had to separate, and she was taking it out on the only man who really understood her. "I'm sorry."
"Me too."
"I wish that we shared the same about what to do, but I don't think that's going to happen, is it?"
"No. For what it's worth, I know the kids would rather be with you, you're more lenient when it comes to them."
"Thanks, Jimmy. I would rather not say this in public, but this is the only time I'll be able to tell you this, Ororo... is a... wonderful... woman." By now, she was crying. The other adults, knowing the fight was coming to an end, left. Raven then continued talking to her husband. "That's all. I really don't want to give you up, but if I don't, you'll never speak to me again. I know that we will still talk and love each other, even if we're on different sides of the board, so I'm not afraid to ask you for a divorce."
"Are you sure Raven? We did promise to work anything that came our way..."
"...With our children in our mind. They'll understand. I'll still see them later. But I saw the way you and Ororo look at each other, you never looked at me that way. We always stayed together because we had so much to gain by staying together. It shouldn't have been through marriage though. The kids like her too. I'm... going to say good-bye to them, then leave... as soon as I'm packed." She left the room, Logan still standing there, crying for the fifth time in his life.
Rouge, still sitting in the rec room, was also crying. The older teens had left as soon as the loud screaming had stopped, knowing Rouge would be OK. But she was not. About ten minutes after the screaming stopped, she felt arms around her shoulders and the smelled the faint smell of her mother's strawberry shampoo. "Hey momma."
"Hey girl... you know I love you right?"
"Yeah, momma."
"Good. I bet you heard...?"
"Yeah. You'll write? Call?"
"I wouldn't dare not call you, write you. I would never, ever, ever forget you or your brother, never." She emphasized that by squeezing extra hard.
Raven didn't want to let go of her daughter, but she had to, she had to leave and do the thing that she thought best for her children, in the end. After crying 20 min. with her daughter, she walked outside, leaving Rouge still crying in the rec room. She found Kurt cannonballing into the pool. She smiled, but couldn't stop crying. After his head resurfaced, "Kurt! I would like to talk to you." And they talked, in private, on the backyard porch facing the woods. It took over an hour for Raven to explain everything to her son. He was very much the hyper child, carefree and loveable, and never caught on to his parent's problems like Rouge did. They also cried for a long while, hugging and promising to keep in touch.
Leaving Kurt to cry on the backyard porch, she entered the mansion for the last time and walked to the front door. She said good-bye to all the students, they all came back from shopping or swimming, hearing the news that their history teacher was leaving. Never let it be said that Raven Darkholm Howlett did not care for the mutant kids.
At the door, she first shared a hug with Ororo Munroe, rather reluctantly though. They didn't say anything, but their looks said plenty. Ororo was given permission, but with the understanding that she would die if a toe was out of line.
Raven then said good-bye again to James, hugging him fiercely, both of them still crying. "I'll... send the papers for the... divorce."
"Take your time, darlin... Take care."
"You to. I hear anything about my children not being treated right, you gonna get it mister."
"You got it, mother-bear." They shared a last smile before Raven walked out to the taxi in the guise of a white-skin, red-hair, brown-eyed woman.
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Rouge continued the story, the first time she spoke since breakfast, "Mystique" everyone noticed she didn't call her by momma, as she used to, "was successful with Magneto. Her job for the man was reconnaissance work, information gatherer, and recruiter. She hated to fight, after the many years she had to kill for weapon-x. One of the last missions she had before she left Magneto was to recruit a girl by the name of Carol Danvers. A girl who was suffering in New York from mutant hate groups. Her powers were invulnerability, flight, and super-strength, but she was still suffering, she didn't know how to defend herself. Mystique was successful recruiting her, and Carol worked for Magneto. For a few months, before we even knew Carol was there, she was learning to fight and to infiltrate, all that wonderful take-over-the-world stuff.
"A few weeks after her acceptance of Magneto's offer, she was sent with some of the brotherhood members to weaken the x-men. Magneto was planning something, and he wanted us out of the picture. He told his people not to kill anyone, but Carol did anyway..."
Angel, who knew most of the story from here, picked up the story from across the room...
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Xavier was wandering the house, noticing the quiet. Entering the kitchen where Logan was, he asked what all the kids were doing. "Warren is bumming in his room, high school basically over for him, lazy senior. The other students that are still in high school are studying for finals that are coming up. They actually want to pass. I think the promise of summer is inspiring them. Kurt and Rouge, not weighed down by high school, went out with Raven for the night."
"Oh. When was the last time they all went out?"
"A few weeks ago."
"Wasn't that when Magneto came over to talk to me?"
"Yeah, she was afraid he might start something."
"Logan, you don't think she took them tonight because she's afraid something is going to happen, do you?" No sooner had he asked that when they heard a scream. "That was Betsy! Let's go Logan." But he didn't get very far. Unbeknownst to them, Vertigo was outside the kitchen window, and she had used her powers to make the two men faint from nausiousness.
Upstairs, Warren Worthington the 3rd was fighting for his life. There were almost as many brotherhood members as there were x-students, and they were fighting one-on-one. His girlfriend Betsy Braddock, was taken out first, by surprise. As always, it is a good strategy to take out the telepath first. From what he could gather, Wolverine and Xavier were taken out as well, no yells from the PE teacher or thoughts from the english professor.
Currently, he was flying to dodge the fireballs coming from the pyro, John Allerdyce. The pyro was only 16, so Angel, 18, had more experience. All Pyro would do was stand there and shoot fire from his lighter. And all Angel had to do was dodge, and move around the flying dragon to deliver a right hook to the face. The dragon disappeared as Pyro stumbled, and Angel used that to come in and hit him again. Pyro, knocked unconscious, fell to the floor.
Angel flew out of his room to help his fellow x-students. He came upon Tiger first in the hallway, the sword-wielding Asian, and started helping her fight the beautiful blond girl who he had never seen before. Instead of asking questions, he flew towards her to throw a punch, she sidestepped him. Using his flying momentum, he pivoted in the air 180 degrees to kick her, but was blocked. Tiger was coming to hit the girl at the base of her head with the side of her green iron-sword, and Angel moved to give her room. But the sword broke when it came into contact with the blonde's head. She turned around to a stunned Tiger, and punched her, knocking her unconscious. Angel flew to help, but was flying out the window as the blond kicked him in the stomach.
He stopped himself before he hit a tree, and flew back into the mansion. He saw he was too late. The girl had moved on, but not before taking the adamantium broad-sword and slicing Tiger's throat. He dropped to the floor, unsure what to do next, rage building...
After the silence was noticeable, as either his friends or the Brotherhood had won, he flew to the foyer. In the foyer, a lone teenager stood in the middle of a melee. Cortez was is name and he had fought off about five members of Magneto's crew. Earlier, he had walked through the mansion, looking for fellow students, but found none still conscious. He had literally walked into a trap when he walked in to the foyer, as enemies came exited the shadows. Easily the most experienced x-student, after Tiger, he looked at the people and looked for the most powerful. Charging the blond haired girl he recognized as Vertigo, he dodged her ripples of nausea and touched her, she immediately lost control. Cortez was sure to stay behind her at all times, until all the others were on the ground, puking or unconscious, including Angel who just flew in. He then hit Vertigo at the base of her head, knocking her unconscious.
He was now facing off the dangerous blond teenager, who had hid behind a pillar during Vertigo's burst. His hands glowed white as he tried to amplified her powers. But she moved away from the white light, dropping the broad sword in the process, and flying up and around him. She punched him, and he flew out the door. She followed him out, flying with light-speed. Landing on top of him, chocking him with her super-strength foot. He did not die from lack of air, though, he died as her shoe smashed his throat, and he was beheaded.
The house was eerily quiet, except for Angel puking in the foyer looking even more sick from watching Cortez loose his head. The blonde girl was walking back to the house, ready to finish Angel, when two more mutants appeared before her. She could tell they were younger then her, but she did not care. "Who are you?" asked the boy.
"Your doom." She flew to him and grabbed his throat. He bamfed away, a few feet, but away from her. He was still chocking from her extra-strong grip, not able to get back up. She turned to the girl, "And what could you possibly do? Pout me to death? Cry and make me die? What! You're so pathetic, you just stand there, and looking lost, why are you here? How could you possibly defeat me?" With that she flew at the girl, locking her throat in her gloved hands. She wanted to watch the weak excuse for a human loving mutant die slowly. She did not pay attention as the girl brought her hands to her face, most likely wanting to scratch her face to let her go, but it wouldn't matter.
I can't see the end of me
My whole expanse I cannot see
I formulate infinity
Stored deep inside me
But it did matter. She felt a draining sensation. She tried to pull away, but her face was glued to the hands holding her face. She tried squeezing harder on the throat, but she was now weak. She fell to her knees, letting go of the girl, but the girl did not let go of her. She lost sensation in her legs, torso, stomach, hands, arms, shoulders. She felt like she was in the middle of sleep and wake, when a last pull pulled her away from her body. The last thing she heard, "I'm so sorry, Carol Danvers."
The last thought, 'How does she know my name?'
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The results are always perfect
And that's old news
"And that was the last I saw before I passed out." Finished Angel. Not knowing if the story was finished, some of the students looked to the Wolverine to confirm it was done. The questions came in a jumbled mess.
"What happened to Carol?" "Did the hood members leave?" "Was Magneto's plans thwarted?" "How did Rouge not show Carol's personality all this time?" "You said Mystique left Magneto, where and why?" "How did Kurt and Rouge know to come back?"
Professor Xavier stopped the questions coming with the mere raising of his hand. "Since I was lucky to hear the questions, I will answer them. Magneto planned to set up a base in the Savage Land, from which to recruit more mutants then to launch nuclear weapons. With Carol's memories, Rouge was able to tell us and, yes, thwart his plans. Kurt and Rouge came back as Raven slipped the fact that the mansion was under-attack. Against her wishes, they left. After realizing that Carol killed two mutants and was about to kill Kurt and Rouge, and that Magneto didn't care that much, she left to Germany, to ashamed to come here. The Brotherhood were allowed to leave without contest. Some of the younger ones, roped into Magneto's ideals, came back after realizing Magneto's flaws."
Rouge picked up, knowing what the professor was going to talk about next, wanting to say it herself, "It took me almost a year to calm Carol down and not have headaches anymore. We agreed to a switch, me by day, Carol by night. We found out that if part of the brain slept half the time, it was workable. By that time, we were in high school and Scott and Jean made an appearance. Then the rest is history."
silence, stunned silence-
1- Tiger is a recurring character in my stories, I'm planning on it anyway. Tiger is a mix of Matrix and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Her powers include knowing all the fighting techniques in the world and then some. She has two swords, a green-tinted iron sword that is flexible, and a white adamantium broad sword that is inflexible. The swords are from her ancestors, and they give her wisdom and strength. She is young in this story, unlike the other stories.
2- Cortez is not my creation and not a well known character. I only ever seen him in the old x-men cartoon, and in very few episodes. He has the powers to amplify other's powers (I think), thus having them loose control. He was, not anymore, the friend of Remy LeBeau, but became an acolyte of Magneto. He is a very fanatical, bordering crazy, guy. I changed him for this story.