Blastwave

Own nothing

(Hospital)

There was clapping and rounds of applause all around. Essex looked at his Nursing Student "You did well, no…You did superbly. Take pride in the fact that you managed to save the patient."

Reyes let out a deep breath "I was…"

"Terrified and panicking, I know. I was in your position once. Please, before you leave to go home, I would like to speak with you in my office."

Celia Reyes nodded choppily "I will Doctor Essex." With that she left the operating theatre and headed off to complete the rest of her day.

Essex entered his office, pulled the blinds down, pressed a series of books and a secret door slid open. As the door closed, and descended into the bowls of the Hospital, the reedy and thin five foot eight, salt and pepper haired, brown eyed doctor began to bubble. Soon enough, the man began to extend in both length and height; his spine popped and cracked as he began to assume a height nearing six and a half feet tall, his skin pale before and his eyes turned red.

The man in Nathaniel Essex's place smiled a thin smile. It had been a while since he had used the name Nathanial Essex in public; in fact he hadn't used the name since 1890, when he had been in human ages he had been 80 years old. Nathaniel grinned as he remembered those times, he remembered studying with Charles Darwin; him more towards medicine and Darwin in biology. Nathaniel smirked in knowledge knowing that for his time Darwin and his work had been radical. Nathaniel had followed that particular peer with interest.

He left for America shortly after Darwin's death and had re-named himself; this time Nathan Millbury. He watched as the 18th Century turned into 19th; he participated in what had become known as the World Wars. It wasn't until ten Germans had riddled him with bullets and bayonet wounds and he had not fallen did he disregard his name. He then took on the alias as Nosferatu and after once again staging his death; took up residence in Germany.

There he had forced himself to enter the confidence of a young mutant; not a powerful one gift wise but one who made brilliant use of it. This young mutant was Adolf Hitler. Sinister, smirked he had seen the future of humanity and had decided to back Hitler, for his own purposes naturally. His work had been bloody and messy and combined with his marble coloured skin, he had everyone terrorised. He collected genetic material from all; preferably from children not for any other reason than children were often easy to bribe, one young child was Eric Magnus Lensherr.

Sinister smirked, after the war was done he had gone back to America and had collected samples from children and adults in America, including one Charles Francis Xavier.

As he stepped off the lift; lights flickered into being. This, underground lab was his sanctum where he had looked at Darwin's works and had decided to further them. He snorted the 'Aryan Master Race' that Hitler had deemed was a start…An embarrassing idea of superiority BUT it did achieve what Hitler had wanted.

As he was about to get to work to create his own mutant, created from the myriad of genetic material ranging from blood, skin and even a heart…His mind was a blur, as he put a new phial into a device to record it. He loved being a surgeon and a doctor, yes it gave him the means to further his own goal but it also gave him satisfaction knowing he had helped people.

Just then his phone rang "Essex speaking." He said in what would be described as Queens English, with popped 'p's'.

"Herr Essex, it iz wunderful to speak wiz you again. Who I am iz of not much importance ozzer zan you vorked wiz my grandfazzer; Helmut Zemo. I, require your assistance…you see my wife and children unfortunately died in childbirth two days ago…In my grandfazzer's notes, he said you could work miracles…"

Essex smirked "Herr Zemo, you wish for me to return to you your children…you must know that my price…"

"Iz steep, I know Herr Essex, Nozferatu, Herr Sinister…I have no care for such materialistic needs…Can you do my unspoken request or not?"

"I can, I can…Where should we meet?"

"I shall contact you, Herr Sinister, auf wiedersehen."

"Auf wiedersehen, Herr Zemo."

(Bayville)

The School let out early; a snowstorm had been forecast but wasn't expected to break until tomorrow. One discreet text from Harry to Sirius and Remus who had managed to convince Storm to participate, said snowstorm came early.

"Harry, something wrong?"

"Not wrong per se, love. Aside from it's Christmas and I need to get some bits and bobs, pull a few strings and be morally ambiguous to get some of them…"

Rogue nodded "I got ya. You need something for everyone but a few things for the people you're closest too."

Harry squeezed her hand "That includes you Miss. Power-for-Every-Occasion."

Rogue giggled at that "I need to get something for you as well Mr. Master-of-Collateral."

Harry smiled, kissed her on the forehead, he turned to walk into town when Scott, pulled up next to him. "Harry! Heading into town? We need to chat and I could give you a lift?"

"Is this a chat as in both of us talking? Or me listening to you rant?"

Scott turned red slightly "Both."

"As long as the rant doesn't last long."

With that Harry jumped in. Surprisingly it was only him "Jean's taking the rest in Kitty's car. Where's your lot?"

"Honestly…not sure. I mean the ground's not shaking, people aren't tripping out of their minds…then again that could be some good LSD or Dean's playing around. Oh and nothing's on fire; so all is well in terms of pandemonium and poor life choices…Now about this rant."

It turned out to be less of a rant and more of new attempt to get along with Harry. Their antagonistic and two ram style of confrontation was setting some of the students on edge and Professor X had suggested that they clear the air.

"I get it. I get it; you were amongst the first of the new bunch of X-Men; blood relative to a member of the 'First Class' and was one of the First to be taught. You were taught to lead, automatically know everything and about everyone so you could manipulate the field of battle. I am quite literally your diametric opposite…Scott, I wish we actually had this chat sooner…I'll admit this, I will challenge you and I'll say this right now I see orders as guidelines and that they need to be done so give leave the mechanic to his devices and let me work my magic."

"You'll behave around the Brotherhood?"

"Scott, I've got the Brotherhood. Roadblock ain't that hard to deal with, Avalanche well I'll get Pint-size to deal with him, he's a sucker for her, and as for Toad…They don't like salt."

"…And Wanda and Pietro?"

"What does she do? I know the other."

"One's fast and other's weird."

"Break Pietro's leg and ankle then sorted. Wanda can get weird and freaky, I'll trap her in an alternate dimension."

Scott nodded "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did you get Rogue to fall for you? I mean how do you ask a Girl out?"

Harry chuckled "You're asking one of the most socially awkward and uncontrollable teens…Just tell her how you feel, take her out somewhere…Just be confident in yourself."

By now they arrived in town, Harry grabbed his bag and vanished into the Mall. Harry snorted, no matter the time of the day there were always the tropes that hung around. Harry avoided the homeless beggars, scowled at the potential rent-a-thugs and ducked into the Music store. "You got anything you wanted signing, sir?" Asked the young retailer.

"Sorry, signing?"

"Sabaton…They're signing their album and merch…"

Harry looked and with some very quick reflexes, a bit of wandless sleight of hand; he had two copies of Sabaton's record "You got any of their shirts? Size 8 Female?"

"Let me check…What if someone else asks for it?"

Harry pulled out his wallet "I have $300 dollars for you as a tip…"

The retailer blinked owlishly and vanished, he returned with the shirt and Harry joined the que. He loved Rogue; she was gonna love this. "What can I do for you sir?"

"A group signature on one of the albums and t-shirt…for Anna Marie…My Girlfriend." He looked over his shoulder, the hair on his neck was standing up…Something was up.

Harry paid for the signings and paid for the album and melted back into the store, a new Flogging Molly Album for Seamus, some Guitar picks for Siryn and he headed elsewhere. Soon enough, he was laden down with a variety of supplies along with a few combinations of things that if stopped could and would lead to some very interesting questions with the Police.

Harry made it out of the Mall and onto the South-Side where co-incidentally Neville and Seamus were scrambling into a mini-van with grinning Sirius behind the wheel. "HARRY! Wanna lift?"

"What's happening?"

"Heading back to the Manor…Sirius was adamant in picking up a mini-van."

Harry sighed, as wonderful as his Godfather was, Sirius really didn't get the subtleties of mundane culture and guys in a mini-van…actually Builders Van really didn't sit right. Harry scrambled in "Sirius; a Transit Van IS NOT a good idea to pick teens up in…It raises uncomfortable questions but thanks."

Sirius nodded "I got ya…I got this through a hire service?"

Harry nodded "Anyway let's go. I have gifts to wrap, including some coal."

"You're a fucking dick sometimes."

"If it helps, it's for Sunspot."

Remus chuckled "That's funny but sill harsh."

"I've got everyone chocolate and some people more…Bar one."

The Magical Mutants fell into an easy silence as Sirius drove them back. They stopped by a drive-thru pizza place and the group stocked up on several very large pizzas. One for each of them, Agatha Harkness had explained that from ages fifteen to twenty-one, twenty-two all Magic wielders needed as much food as possible. The X-Mansion's food bill had increased exponentially but not as much due to the fact that Sirius and Remus had taken it on themselves to finance the excess extra food the Magical's needed.

Harry grabbed his 'Hellzone Meat Feast' a Meat Feast Pizza with chilli cheese stuffed thick crust, jalapenos and a few other chilli's and hot sauce. All in all, only someone with a very high tolerance for spice would even dare to snag a slice. He needed someway to deter Kitty and Bobby; as they tended to scoff his ordered pizza before he could get to it.

As they entered the X-Mansion, true to experience Shadow-Cat made her way over "Hey, Harry…Thanks for pizza." Rogue; had seen her boyfriend enter and his face remained impassive if only slightly annoyed but their was slight grin.

Katherine Pride's face when she bit into the slice of pizza was a treat. Her face turned red, steam seemed to billow from her ears and her eyes diluted as the sheer hotness radiated off her tongue "No thanks, you can have that."

Katherine whimpered and skulked off "That was class, Harry…We'll pass…We actually want to be able to taste our food."

"You do know Jean's cooking tonight…"

The Full-Spectrum Psychic was many things but good cook she was not.

That particular day it seemed had been the day that the X-Mansion had received a removal van's worth of parcels. Mutants rushed about the place throwing wrapping paper, cellotape and the occasional scissors. However, Harry had his own problems; the Magicals had taken over his and Neville's room, were refusing to budge, Harry sighed and he settled for dealing with the rest of the gifts.

Harry had also bought his own wrapping papers, scissors and tape. He didn't trust anyone not to make off with his supplies.

Eventually, it took to the small hours of the morning before Harry was done but eventually all the presents were placed in a pile in the Living Room underneath a Tree, that was probably magically grown, that filled out nice and presentably located in the corner of the room.