Chapter 31: Broken Bonds and Reconciliation
"Are we enjoying this little ride?" Brent said as he looked on at the tornado.
"Jennifer, we need to get out of this." Joshua said telepathically to Jennifer.
'And how do you suppose we do that.' Jennifer thought as the tornado whipped them around. 'As you can see, we are a bit pre-occupied.'
"I have an idea, I can try and use my telekinesis to push us both out of this tornado, but I am going to need you to catch me because it's going to take too much effort to do this." Joshua replied.
'Are you going to be able to fight after?' Jennifer thought.
"Yes, we just need to this quickly." Joshua said as his eyes began to glow.
Soon Jennifer felt a strong telekinetic force push her out of the tornado. She looked around to see Joshua falling as the tornado receded. She flew as quickly as she could towards Joshua. As she caught him, she dodged several lightning bolts. She looked down over to see Brent calling down lightning in her direction.
"Oh Jennifer; why must you always be such a spoil sport?" Brent said as he launched another lightning bolt in her direction.
"Brent, please stop this!" Jennifer said as she landed a few feet away from Brent. "Why are you doing this? This is not you."
"This has always been me. You ask me why I am doing this." Brent said angrily. "You drove me to this. You and that bastard of a human being next you drove me to this. You know how I feel about you and yet you continue to cast me aside for him."
"Brent, it's not like that. You're twisting the entire situation." Jennifer said on the verge of tears. "I know how you feel about me and I feel the same way. Why do you continue to make this an issue with Joshua?"
"I am uhhhh you're not going to trick me Jennifer." Brent said as he composed himself and sent gale force winds at Jennifer and Joshua.
"Jennifer, I am sensing another presence here that has a powerful influence on Brent's mind." Joshua said telepathically as he helped Jennifer up. "I am going to try and break that. I need you to keep talking to him. The more he feels, the less powerful the mind control is. I think it has to do with his Atmokinesis."
'Alright be careful and make sure to bring back Brent.' Jennifer thought.
'She cares so much about him. He doesn't know how lucky he is this time.' Joshua thought as he prepared to enter Brent's mind.
"I am not trying to trick you Brent, I just want to understand where all of this hostility is coming from. I really just want the old Brent back." Jennifer said as she was in tears.
"You really want to know why I am treating you this way." Brent said in a cold silence. "I think it is better that you see what your new boyfriend is all about."
Brent's eyes turned from a cold white to an angry red. Suddenly the scene around Jennifer began to distort and appeared to change into the institute. The room appeared as their lunch room. Jennifer looked around to see Joshua and Brent hanging out. Jennifer approached and managed to overhear the conversation.
"So Brent, now that you finally have become accustomed to life here on campus, what do you think about some of the girls here on campus?" Joshua asked as he took a bite of his hamburger.
"Well there are some pretty girls here. I mean Jen is pretty cool." Brent said as Jen smiled. "But to tell you the truth, I really like that Maria."
"Oh really?" Joshua said as he continued to eat. "Well how do you think she feels about you?"
"I don't know. It seems like sometimes she interested but then again it seems like other times that she isn't." Brent said as continued to eat.
"Well why don't you just read her mind and find out?" Joshua said as he looked at Brent.
"Because Xavier says that we shouldn't use our abilities to manipulate the minds of others." Brent replied.
"Well its not really manipulation if you're just reading her thoughts, is it?" Joshua said.
"Well, I guess not; but it seems really wrong." Brent said.
"Then I guess you won't know." Joshua said as his eyes glowed. "Oh look here she comes."
"What?!" Brent yelled as he turned around accidentally knocked the food out of her hands.
"Ahhh!" Maria yelled as her food was knocked in the air.
Suddenly her food floated above her. It suddenly looked as though it was going back to the scene before Brent had knocked everything out of her hands.
"Brent you have to be more careful." Joshua said as his eyes glowed. "Hello Maria, won't you sit with us?"
"Oh Maria, I am so sorry." Brent said apologizing profusely.
"Oh don't worry Brent. Thank you so much Joshua." Maria said as she pushed past Brent.
Jennifer just continued to look around until Brent came up behind her.
"This was a good beginning." Brent said startling Jennifer.
"I don't get it, it seems like you and Joshua are best friends here." Jennifer said as she continued to look on.
"Did you just listen to what happened?" Brent said with anger. "He wanted to me to use my powers on Maria to know if she liked me. This was the beginning of the mental manipulation that caused our friendship to erode."
"I really don't see what the big issue is. I mean yea it would've been wrong to use your powers to see, but you guys were younger and more curious so I could understand." Jennifer said as she looked Brent in the eyes.
"Did it ever occur to you how different I would be if I invaded her personal privacy?" Brent said. "I didn't want to be that type of person, but yet I knew what he was doing and condoned it."
"Brent you were an impressionable freshman who was looking for friends. Joshua was, I mean, is a good person. He just has a different view than yours about life, isn't that alright?" Jennifer said as she looked Brent in the eye.
"Jennifer, are you freakin' kidding me?" Brent said angrily. "I guess you still have too much trust in that boyfriend yours."
"Brent…" Jennifer began.
"Stop, I guess I have to show more." Brent said as his left eye glowed red again.
The scene began to change once more. Soon a hallway appeared. Jennifer looked around and recognized it to be the girl's dormitory of the Xavier Institute. All of a sudden, a younger looking Brent is seen walking down the hallway with flowers in his hand.
"Aww didn't I look precious?" Present Brent said as he appeared next to Jennifer.
"I don't understand, what am I supposed to be seeing?" Jennifer said looking puzzled at the sight.
"Patience is a virtue Jennifer, just keep watching." Present Brent said.
Younger Brent walked down the hall until he approached a door. He looked very dressed up and nervous. He shakily knocked on the door and waited until it opened.
"Hello Josh... Oh Brent… hey" Maria said as she looked slightly disappointed.
"Hey Maria, I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to hang out or go see a movie." Brent said.
"Oh I'm sorry; I actually made plans for tonight with the girls." Maria answered as she saw disappointment in Brent's face. "But maybe we can do something another time."
"Well alright then. Here ya go, something to remember me by." Brent said as he handed her the flowers.
"Thanks a lot Brent, they're beautiful. I see ya later." Maria said as she closed the door.
Brent looked at the closed door then walked away happily.
"Okay I don't see where Joshua plays into this." Jennifer said still confused.
"Wow you really are impatient, just keep watching." Brent said.
As Brent entered the stairwell, he sensed a familiar telepathic mind back on that floor. He turned around to see Joshua at Maria's door. He knew that Joshua would want to hang out when Maria told him the same thing so he stuck around and over heard the conversation.
"What's up Maria?" Joshua asked.
"Nothing; I'm just getting ready to go out with the girls." Maria answered.
"Aww, that means that you don't get to go out with me." Joshua answered cockily.
"Well isn't that disappointing." Maria said a little put off by his attitude.
"But I thought you would want to go out with me tonight." Joshua said as his eyes glowed.
"Well, I could always go out with the girls some other time. Alright, give me a minute." Maria said.
"That's how you get a date Brent." Joshua said telepathically to Brent as Brent walked down stairs angry and hurt.
Jennifer looked on as the scene reverted back to normal.
"That's only a taste of why I would like nothing more than to see Joshua suffer." Brent said angrily. "O speak of the devil. I'll be right back."
Meanwhile elsewhere in Brent's mind…
'I'm really glad that Jen was able to distract him long enough for me to enter his mind. That electrostatic current that he runs through his mind to block telepaths is incredible.' Joshua thought as he traversed the recesses of Brent's mind. 'There are many Psionic blocks and defenses in here; how was someone able to get full control over his mind?'
"Joshua, what are you doing here?" an image of a furious Brent appeared before Joshua.
"Brent you need to listen to me, there is someone here who is mentally controlling and/or manipulating you." Joshua replied with concern.
"What makes you think that I should believe you?" Brent said as his left eye glowed and Psionic spikes engulfed Joshua. "So Sinister, I believe I asked you a question."
"Ahhh, Brent we were, no we are friends and this is why I'm not going to fight you right now." Joshua said. "All we've been doing is fighting since I left and since I came back. If you don't believe that I'm your friend, then at least believe that I am not here to hurt you."
"Well, well aren't you admirable. Perhaps you would fight back if it were an easier target." Brent said as he suddenly appeared as Sinister and Maria. "Well aren't we at a familiar scene, wouldn't you say so my dear."
"Yes I would." Maria said as she launched a couple of hex bolts at Joshua.
"Maria!! This can't be possible, you're dead." Joshua said as suffered from the new attack.
"How would you even know Joshua, did you stay around to see if I was okay? Did you?" Maria screamed. "You know I hated you for making it seem that I wasn't even good enough to be a Hellion. You think that you have changed and that because the X-men have accepted you again that you are good. NO you're not. You're still the same evil, vindictive, manipulative asshole that we all know you to be."
"I tried to tell you that." Brent said as he transformed back. 'I always knew that you were just a needy little child with a toy. Maria, I always knew that you were too good for him. He must've been obviously messing with your mind."
"Maria, no I never did that. Brent you wouldn't believe that I wouldn't do that." Joshua said as the Psionic Spikes embedded themselves deeper into him. "Maria, Brent, I'm sorry."
"I think it is a little late for that, Sinister." Brent said as his eyes glowed white and his arms crackled with electricity. "Goodbye."
"No I will not let you do this." Joshua said as his eyes glowed. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I finally realized that you are not Brent."
Joshua unleashed a wave of Psionic energy that shattered Maria. Brent lay on the ground as the Psionic spikes disappeared. Joshua ran over to Brent. Brent began to fade away as Joshua looked down at him.
"This isn't over Sinister." Brent said as he fully disappeared.
'Well thank goodness that is over.' Joshua thought as he saw a portion of Brent's mind open up. He saw a familiar scene of him getting a date with Maria as Brent looked on. 'I didn't remember it happening like that. Well maybe if I modify this a little, then I think that we'll get along a lot better.'
"Still the same aren't you Joshua?" Brent said as he came up behind Joshua. "As much as I appreciate your help, I don't appreciate doing the same things that you used to do to me. Every time that I want to trust you and try to put this behind us, you pull this same shit over and over again. I could sense what you were doing on the plane and how you felt about Jennifer. I can't take it anymore, I really can't. We'll never be friends and I will never forgive you Joshua."
"Brent… I didn't mean…" Joshua began.
"Save it Joshua, I am tired of it. Since you saved me, I am giving you the chance to walk out here without serious damage. Get out of my mind." Brent said as his left eye glowed.
"But Brent…" Joshua began again.
"GET OUT!!" Brent yelled as he thrust Joshua out of his mind.
The scene reverted back to the original madipoor factory. Jennifer came over to Brent and hugged him.
"I'm so happy that you're back to normal." Jennifer said holding back tears.
"Yea, it's feels good to be back." Brent said turning to Joshua who looked off in another direction.
"Brent, he has been through so much and if you can't find yourself to forgive him, at least just treat him as a person." Jennifer whispered into Brent's ear.
"Josh, let's find that mutant." Brent said as he held out hand. "This doesn't change things between us, I am doing this for Jennifer and that's it."
"Alright" Joshua said as he shook Brent's hand. 'It's a start.'
Brent and Joshua combined their telepathy and managed to find the mutant. They flew towards an abandoned factory. They landed and entered. Jen and Brent flew around while Joshua looked around the ground level. Jen managed to find the mutant on the second level.
"Guys, up here I found her." Jennifer said as she saw a girl dressed in black and white crying.
"Hey, I feel like I know this girl?" Brent said as flew up next to Jennifer.
"Go away, leave me alone." The girl said.
"Don't worry, we're here to help. My name is Jennifer. That's Brent and that guy over there is Joshua." Jen said as she moved closer to the girl. "Who are you? What's your name?"
"How can I trust you?" the girl said as she began to glow.
"We're not going to hurt you. We're X-men and we discovered that there was a mutant signature around here and we were sent to help them." Brent said as he held out his hand. "You can trust us."
"Yea, you don't have to continue to run and hide." Joshua said.
"How do you know that?" The girl said. "You're one of them aren't you? All you were sent here."
"No we're here…" Brent started.
"No!! Get Away!!!" The girls said as blinding light daggers threw Jen, Brent, and Joshua back.
"Nice Job Joshua." Brent said as he began to go after the girl.
"I need to fix this." Joshua said as he began to follow.
"No Josh, I think you have done enough." Jennifer said as she stopped him. "Both Brent and this girl are not very trusting of you right now. Let him talk to her."
"Alright." Joshua said as he looked on.
"I said go away!" The girl yelled as she threw more light daggers at Brent.
"Wait, let me just talk to you." Brent said as he trapped her in a corner. "I know that you have no reason to Joshua, but you can trust me. I understand that you scared and feel alone right now, I felt that way to at one point in my life. I also understand the burden of having unruly powers that get out of control."
"My name is Amber Johnson." Amber said as she looked at him warily. "Is it true that you are an X-man?"
"Yes, and I think that you would enjoy coming to the Xavier Institute with us and train your powers." Brent said as he held out his hand.
"Wow, thank you." Amber said as she hugged Brent.
"Well they have been gone for a while." Joshua said as he paced.
"Don't worry; Brent has a very empathic sense which is good with helping people who are distraught." Jennifer said as she saw something in the distance. "Here he comes."
"So are we finally ready to go home with our newest recruit; Guardian." Brent said as they all headed back to the jet.
They flew back to the mansion and landed in the hanger. Emma, Scott, Ororo, Madelyne, and Nathan met up with the team. As they got off the plane, Ororo and Nathan hugged Brent and made sure he was alright. Madelyne went over to Joshua and made sure he was okay. Emma introduced herself to Guardian and took her to her quarters.
"So everything went alright?" Scott said to Jennifer.
"Well, we were attacked by an unknown force but managed to get the mutant." Jennifer said as she sighed.
"What about Joshua and Brent?" Scott looked over to the families.
"Well, there was some tension in the beginning and to tell you the truth, I really don't know. They were extremely silent on the way home." Jennifer said in a worried tone. "Brent really scared me when we were out there Scott."
"I'll talk to him. Don't worry." Scott said as he looked her in the eye. "Just get some rest and leave Brent to me."
"Alright." Jennifer said as she headed out.
"Brent, Joshua, can I talk to you for a moment?" Scott said as the parents began to leave.
"Yea." Joshua said as he walked over to Scott.
"I think I'll talk to you later, Scott." Brent said as he left the hanger.
"Dammit Brent!" Scott yelled as he left. "Alright Joshua, I thought this would help the situation, but it hasn't apparently."
"Does this mean I am off the team?" Joshua asked.
"No, but I really don't know what we are going to do." Scott said as he began to leave. "Please try and sort this out."
Meanwhile outside of Rogue's office, Brent approaches the door.
"Come in Brent." Xavier's voice telepathically said.
"Hey Professor I need to talk. Is Rogue around?" Brent said as he entered the room.
"I'm ova here sugah, do you want to talk to me privately?" Rogue asked as she came out of a different door.
"Well, I think Professor Xavier should stay because I really don't know what to do." Brent said exasperatedly.
"Well sit down and explain the situation to us." Xavier said.
"I just feel so much angrier now that Joshua is on the team." Brent said as his eyes began to glow. "I just think about everything that he's done and …"
"Well sugah, I think ya'll need to just come to terms with this and move on." Rogue said as she rubs his shoulder.
"If were that easy do you think I would be here. I was mind controlled today into attacking Jen and Joshua. I was able to control myself when it came to Jen, but I wanted to kill him!" Brent yelled as lightning crashed outside.
"Calm down Brent." Xavier said as he approached him. "It seems to me like the memories you have of Joshua are your main inhibition to forgiveness. If you would like I can help you become more forgiving towards Joshua."
"You can!" Brent responeded excitedly. "I feel like this animosity has caused the team to not function as well as it can. What does it involve?"
"Well, if I can access all of the negative memories of you and Joshua, I can place a Psionic block on them until you are ready to come to terms with them." Xavier said.
"Professor, I don't think that is such a good idea." Rogue said. "People need to come to terms with their emotions and their memories. I know when I was dealing with the memories and personalities others, the Psionic blocks helped only to a point. In the end I needed to come to terms with it on my own."
"I don't know if I can Rogue. I really don't know if I can. I know, no I felt how much I scared Jennifer and I didn't care. All I wanted to do was kill Joshua and that what enveloped my mind. I thought it was the mind control, but realized that it was me." Brent explained. "I am tired of that feeling that way every time that we have a mission, or danger room session, or even just the fact that I see him. I need something that will help me now."
"Brent this decision is ultimately up to you." Xavier said. "I understand the urgency of which you speak and I assure you that this will be the best."
"Alright then, do it." Brent said as he closed his eyes and Xavier tapped his temple.
"How do you feel, sugah?" Rogue said as Xavier backed away.
"Awesome, I think I'm going to go to dinner and have a meal with my team." Brent said happily.
"What about Joshua?" Xavier asked.
"He's a member of the team. I'm hoping that he'll join us." Brent said as he left. "Thanks a lot Professor and Rogue.
"I just hope that you have done the right thing here Professor." Rogue said.
Brent went down to the cafeteria to see a bunch of the team sitting there. He got his food and greeted them happily. The rest of the team greeted Brent happily except for Jennifer who looked at him puzzled. He sat down next to Jennifer and exchanged pleasantries with the team.
"Brent, are you okay?" Jennifer asked as she looked at him seriously.
"Yea I am absolutely fine, why?" Brent said as he telekinetically passed John a fork.
"You just seemed a bit off after this mission." Jennifer said
"Don't worry I got it all taken care of." Brent replied.
"Oh look here comes trouble." Charles said as he looked over at Joshua.
"Hey Josh, over here." Brent yelled.
Everybody looked a Brent with a look of surprise and confusion. Joshua looked back at Brent in the same way.
"Brent, are you feeling okay?" Amy asked.
"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Brent said as Joshua sat down across from him.
"Are you sure it's okay that I sit here?" Joshua asked Brent.
"Yea man, why wouldn't it be?" Brent said as he held out his hand. "But first I have to apologize to you. I have been completely unfair and unruly towards you."
"Am I dreaming?" Joshua said as he shook hands with Brent. "Thanks I guess."
"Haha. Man you are such a kidder." Brent said as he continued to talk to everyone.
"What in hell is wrong with him?" Ace whispered to Luke.
"I don't know, but I am going to find out tonight." Luke said as looked over at Brent and Joshua laughing. "This is not Brent."
