Uncanny New Mutants

Chapter 53: Time Off

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.


The Xavier Institute-

Rahne Sinclair walked along the path that led to the lake that bordered the edge of the Xavier Institute's land. The redheaded Scotswoman was off on a picnic with her family and some friends. It had been such a stressful time for the young mutant woman that it was decided that Rahne should take some time off from X-Men business. Sam Guthrie and Dani Moonstar had taken up leadership of the team for the moment, just like they did back in the old days, when they had first become students.

'Seth, stop bothering yuir father.' Rahne told one of her children, who was in his lupine form running around Warlock's feet trying to jump up at get whatever was in the picnic basket that the techno-organic alien was carrying. 'Ye can have something to eat once we get to the lake.'

'But I want something now…' Seth whined as he changed back to normal. 'I'm hungry.'

'Then you should have had breakfast.' Warlock told his son. 'We bought you that special cereal that you like, and you didn't want it. It's your own fault that you're hungry.'

Seth just sulked and scraped his foot in the dirt.

'Dinnae do that…' Rahne sighed. 'Ye'll get yuir new shoes dirty.'

'Never get to do anything…' Seth grumbled as he purposefully walked slowly behind the group.

'Seth, come on!' Moira Junior called to her bother. 'We're going swimming!'

'Swimming's stupid.' Seth retorted. 'And you're stupid too!'

'Mum, Seth's being mean!' Moira Junior told her mother.

'Just ignore him, sweetie.' Rahne responded. 'He's just in one of his moods. He'll come along once he gets bored.'

'That's if the monsters dinnae get him first…' Moira Senior grinned conspiratorially.

'Monsters?' Little Doug, the smallest of the Sinclair Triplets, blinked fearfully.

The elder Scotswoman gave her grandson a reassuring smile.

'There arenae any monsters in the woods…' Moira whispered. 'But your brother doesnae know that, does he?'

'I hear that the monsters eat naughty little children.' Warlock chipped in. 'Especially the kind get lost in the woods.'

Seth stopped in his tracks and looked at the dark woods around him. The tree branches looked like they were reaching out to grab him like skeletal limbs.

'I don't wanna be eaten!' Seth whimpered as he ran to catch up with the rest of the group. Rahne just smiled at that. Her son was so predictable.


The lakeside, a little while later-

Everybody had made it to the lake without ending up as a monster's dinner. Rahne had laid out a blanket on the ground so everybody could sit down while Warlock took out all of the goodies.

'May I have a Scotch egg, please, mum?' Little Moira asked politely as he held out a paper plate with a half-eaten sandwich crust on it.

'Sure ye can, lass.' Rahne smiled as she passed her daughter half of a boiled egg covered with sausage meat and breadcrumbs.

'Gimmie!' Seth butted in as he swiped the Scotch egg from his sister.

'Seth!' Little Moira yelped in surprise. 'Give it back!'

'No!' Seth retorted as he stuck his tongue out an blew a raspberry.

'Give it back!' Moira growled. 'I mean it!'

Seth laughed nastily as he poked his sister on the shoulder. That was the last straw for the eldest Sinclair Triplet. Hair started to spout over the little girl's features as she transformed into her lupine form.

'Moira, be careful!' Rahne grimaced as her daughter's pretty little dress ripped as she changed shape. 'That dress was expensive…'

Moira ignored her mother's pleas as she dashed after her brother, intent on taking his head off.

'This kinda makes me glad that ah don't have kids.' Sam commented as he picked a watermelon seed out of his teeth with a toothpick.

'What, don't you and Lila ever plan on having kids?' Dani asked. 'Or is it and Tabitha?'

'Who are you going out with nowadays, anyway?' Warlock snickered. 'I've lost count.'

'Oh, ha, ha.' Sam rolled his eyes. 'Y'all are real funny. For your information, ah'm still goin' out with Lila... Ah think.'

'It's lucky that ye dinnae have kids, Sam.' Sean smiled. 'Knowing the Guthrie genes, ye'll most probably end up wi' an army of sprogs.'

'I'd better go after Seth and Moira.' Rahne sighed as she stood up and dusted some crumbs off herself. 'God knows what sort of trouble they've gotten themselves into now…'

Warlock chuckled slightly as he watched his wife walk away.

'And here I was thinking that this was supposed to be a nice relaxing day…'


A short time later-

Rahne had returned with her two errant children without too much fuss. Seth had been told off for stealing his sister's Scotch egg, while Moira had been told off for attacking her brother. Even if he did deserve it. Rahne wouldn't allow her children to fight each other.

Rahne was in the lake with Little Moira, teaching her to swim. The mutant werewolf needn't have bothered because, as soon as Moira had jumped into the water, the little girl had started to swim like a veteran. She really was a quick learner.

Doug, meanwhile was standing on the bank of the lake watching the waves splash onto the land.

'Don't you want to join your mum and sister?' Warlock asked his son. 'They look like they're having fun.'

'Nuh-uh.' Doug shook his head and hugged his father's leg. 'There's sharks in there. Seth says so.'

'Seth's just making that up.' Warlock comforted his youngest child. 'There aren't any sharks in the lake. It's far too small. Sharks need lots of room to swim and lots of stuff to eat, right?'

Doug nodded in reply.

'Well, the lake doesn't have enough food in there for a shark to eat.' Warlock explained. 'Besides, it's fresh water, and sharks only live in salt water.'

Doug still hadn't budged. The poor little guy was scared. Warlock knelt down to talk to his son eye-to-eye.

'Okay, what if I morphed into a boat or something?' The techno-organic alien suggested. 'That would protect you, wouldn't it? Not that there's anything to be afraid of in there. Now, what do you say? Do you want to go join your mum and sister?'

'Okay…' A still-timid Doug nodded.

'That's my man.' Warlock smiled as he morphed into a raft. Doug clambered inside and they headed off into the water.

Seth sat on the picnic blanket with the others. He was still in trouble for stealing food from the others. The Sinclairs' middle child sat there and scowled at everybody having fun in the lake. Everybody was having fun but him. It just wasn't fair!

'Swimming's stupid.' Seth grumbled to himself. 'Everybody's stupid. Moira's stupid. Doug's stupid…'

'Now, Seth, dinnae be like that…' Moira Senior told her grandson. 'If ye keep on being grumpy, ye wilnae ever be able tae have fun. Ye dinnae want that, do ye? Do ye want tae be a grumpy old man f'r the rest of yuir life?'

'No…' Seth sighed heavily. 'I'll be good.'

'There's a good lad.' Moira smiled as she ruffled the little boy's hair. 'Now, what do ye say that we have a look at what else yuir mum packed in the hamper?'

'Steak?' Seth asked hopefully.

'Seth, ye know that yuir mum left that f'r dinner tonight.' Moira responded.

'Cookies?' Seth asked again.

'Ye ate all of the cookies before we even got here.' Moira pointed out.

'Steak?' Seth asked once more. Moira just shook her head at that.

'Aye, Seth. Steak.'

TBC…


Next: Do You Feel Lucky?

Illyana Rasputin and Doug Ramsey head off for a date. Unfortunately, Garrison Kane, Thunderbird, Black Tom Cassidy, and Trevor Fitzroy, Apocalypse's new Horsemen, may just end up spoiling it.