Alex POV

"Well, John, I'm Alex." I said. He grinned to me, and I exhaled smoke. I wondered what he was here about. I knew he wasn't just a neighbor down the street that wanted to wish Keith and me a pleasant stay. We had gotten visitors like that all day. They must not get a lot of visitors around here. I looked out into the night. The stars and moon provided light, as well as the hallway inside. Should I ask him what the bloody hell he was doing at my house? I looked at the lighter in his hand. The flame was gone. I looked up, and it was in a ball in his hand. The fire was floating. This was so cool. So another mutant came to town. Maybe he did live here in town…unlikely though. He opened his mouth to speak. Finally, I might get some answers. Being me, I cut him off, saying, "Pretty cool." He nodded.

"Yea, but I hate having people control my life, you know? They act like I can't make decisions for myself or something. Grown ups are stupid. I was sick of being forced to be someone I'm not. So I ditched the school. I'm living free now. With some friends of mine." He said. Whoa, who was this guy? He seemed cool. And he understood me completely. That was a new one. Even I couldn't understand me sometimes. Maybe because of the smoke…I've done harder stuff than cigarettes. Much much more, but I don't want to get into that now. Anyway, this guy seemed alright. He was like me. Rebellious.

"So, fire-boy, what are you offering here?" I asked, knowing there was a catch to freedom. There always was. People couldn't let others live in peace and free, could they? No, they had to say how this and that was bad for them. But everything this guy…John had to say… it all made sense. He grinned the slightest bit. He seemed to do that a lot. But at the same time, I could sense what he would be like in battle. He'd be a lieutenant. So, who was the commander?

"Fire-boy….I like it. Most just call me Pyro. Or John. As for what I'm offering, let's just call it freedom. Freedom with a family that'll protect you." He said, noticing my gang symbol on my shoulder. I really should get it removed. I would eventually. "Like in a gang, but one of mutants." He finished. I knew he would finish with that. Well, being surrounded by mutants wasn't that bad. I was about to answer when Keith screamed from upstairs.

"Hold that thought." I said and sprinted upstairs. As it turned out, Keith had had a bad dream about an explosion and me protecting him, ending my life to save him. I smiled. "Listen, Keith, no need to be so worried. I am limited on bombs for now, and I would never use one around you. Nor would I fling myself over you to protect you from the blasts. Got it?" I asked. The last part was a joke, of course. He knew that. His face relaxed a little and a smile crept up beneath the scared little boy's expression.

"Hey Alex?" He asked in a small voice. I nodded. "I want to go back to the mansion. So we'll be safe." He said. Oh, he has to be kidding. Uh, I was never going back there in my life. He could count on that. No, I was going to go and join that mutant gang. It sounded cool. John had called it something like The Brotherhood or whatever. Anyway, I had made up my mind. But I didn't want the kid to get hurt. Well, what would I do? There wasn't much TO do. I couldn't let the kid join. I couldn't go back. I guess this would be the end of us hanging out together. It was time to go our separate ways. Wait, why the hell was I caring at all? I barely knew this kid.

"I'll call you a cab in the morning." I told him, leaving the room and not looking back at his hurt, shocked face. I knew that he was attached to me for some random reason. Apparently he looked up to me. Whatever, he'd live. I walked back outside. The sun was coming up, so I called in that cab for Keith. I made him pack his things, and he cried. He made it seem as if I were dead or something. He was so…needy. He wasn't needy in a bad way though. I almost pitied him. Then again, I would never look up to me. Looking up to me was by far the stupidest thing a person could do. Once the cab, carrying a sobbing Keith, drove off, I turned back to the house. Pyro had returned.

"So, what do you make of the offer?" He asked me. I was about to answer when I heard a motorcycle drive up behind me. I turned, and there was the epically annoying dog-breathed wolf dude from the mansion. Great, this would be loads of fun. Hint the sarcasm dripping from my thoughts.

"I accept. What now?" I said.

"First though, you have to prove yourself by beating this guy." Pyro said. Easy. I hated the wolf dude. What was his name? Logan? I didn't know, nor did I care to. He was an annoying pest, and he probably thought the same thing about me. Well, I HAD stabbed him in the gut. So not my fault…I wouldn't have done it if he had left me alone. I still didn't know what he could do, so I stood my ground, knees bent, ready to leap into action. He walked up, a few feet away, not making any notion to attack. Pyro had gone somewhere else while I wasn't looking. He wasn't here now. So much for protection of the Brotherhood. Well, this was my test. I had to face it alone. It wasn't going to be all that hard. I extended my claws.

Logan POV

They had sent ME to fetch the kid. ME. They were insane. I loathed that girl ever since I found her in that other kid's room, trying to steal. I knew she was bad news. And yet, she was mine. No use trying to deny it now. She had my claws. My glare. She had my attitude and sense of independence. It wasn't fair. Life never was. But she was family, wasn't she? I scowled at the thought. I didn't like this one bit. I knew nothing about parenting. And really, I didn't want to. I didn't feel any hope in this girl. Then I saw her with Pyro and it all changed. My hate for the Brotherhood triggered something telling me to try and save Alex from what she was going to agree to. Yea, she was a troublemaker. Pyro was too. Then again, who wasn't these days? All the things I had done as a kid…..no, it wasn't nearly as bad as what she's probably done. But, I'd have to try and get her on the right side, didn't I?

Should I tell her who her father really is? I don't think she'd believe me. How could I convince her? The claws, of course. She hadn't seen the claws yet. I didn't want to pull them out though. I didn't want to have to fight her. Did I really have a choice? I had plowed through enemies before, easily. I never thought I'd have to fight my own daughter though. I never thought I'd have a daughter. Oh, what I don't know. Why did I care? She could go mess up the rest of her life. No, I couldn't let her do that. Why was this so hard? Why were there so many questions running through my head? Welcome to parenting, Logan. Welcome to life. The professor said in my head. Oh, that was so helpful. I walked up to the girl.

"Hey, kid, come on. You really believe all this talk of freedom?" I asked her.

"It's better than having someone following you, trying to make sure you do what everyone wants you to do. And why the hell are you here, Dogbreath." She replied.

"I got a name, ya know. And I'm here to stop you from making the worst decision of your life. Whether you come peacefully or if I have to force you to come." I said.

"And I don't want to hear it. Also, I think it's pointless. You don't decide my future, I do." She said back to me.

Wow, she was determined. Another trait she got from me. What I wasn't expecting was when she pounced at me, tackling me to the ground and started slicing me with her claws. A violent little child, she was. I kicked her off of me and got up. I wasn't in the mood to fight. And I don't think revealing who I was would help the situation. In fact, it could have a disastrous effect. God knows how destructive she already was. She lunged at me, and I dodged. I wondered if she had a heart. That's a horrible thought to think, but still. She always acted like she didn't care about anything. Was this a pointless argument?

She rammed into me when I was thinking and knocked me down. For such a young kid (Well, not THAT young) she had a lot of strength. I kicked her off me and she retaliated quickly, using that momentum to spring back, then forward with a strong spring in her step. She flew through the air and flipped over me, slicing my shoulders. Then, landing on her knees, she spun, tripping me. Not surprising. I hit the ground with a slam and the wind was knocked out of me. At least she wasn't using guns against me.

I sighed heavily after fighting for a while. My cuts healed up, and I decided to go to plan B. With one swift shot with my tranq. Gun, she was knocked out.. Well, that was one way to do it. Pyro was nowhere in sight, which was a good thing. I put Alex on the motorcycle with care. She didn't seem all that bad when she was knocked out. I sighed again. This was the only way to do it. I took her back to the mansion, hating myself for knocking her out. She would hate me too. I wondered what the future would hold. She was a rebel though. I wondered how long she'd be this way. My mind strayed further, and then my thoughts were cut off.

"Was knocking her out really necessary?" Damion asked. He was in front of the mansion awaiting my return.

"Completely." I replied simply, bringing her inside and putting her in the spare room she had stayed in last time. She began to wake up. Then I noticed something…The dog tag. That was mine. I took it up in my hand to look at it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with my dog tag?" She asked, ticked off. Great, how would I explain this?

((R&R! Sorry it took forever, and I will be really busy from here to…who knows when. I'll try to write more.))