Hey everyone – here we are with the last chapter. Yep. After this one, the story is at an end. I was thinking of *perhaps* doing a sequel of a few chapters and whatnot, if anyone is interested, send me an email or say something in yer review.
I'm also going to be doing a couple of X-Men Evolution fanfics, one revolving around Jamie and another about Bobby – so keep yer eyes open for that. Also, during the duration of writing this chapter, I ate about 5 mangos…. Go mangos!
Without further ado – here's the last chapter
Chapter 21
********
It had begun to snow.
Todd was kneeling upon the slush on the road – by this time, just about all traffic had come to a stand still and he was dully aware that someone was calling out to him. He hardly noticed the world around him, except for the silence that had gripped the night. The snowflakes caught reflections of light, and they danced to the road – adding a surreal appearance to the scene.
He was clutching his brother. He had been there when Rob was fading. He had been there to catch him when he fell. He had been there.
The world had stood still for that moment – as Todd looked down at his brother, his hands were dripping with his blood. He attempted to say words, but no matter how hard he tried, they got lost in his throat.
The words were lost on the way to his throat, but they found their way to his eyes – he couldn't help himself. He knew guys weren't supposed to cry, but he was in tears. They were the only words he could say.
He had spent so much time over the past few months being angry – hating his brother for the fact that Rob had joined up with the Brotherhood – but now he hated himself. How could he have wasted time like that? How could he have wasted the time left? Why hadn't he tried to get in contact with Rob instead of just being angry and upset.
But there was no time for that now. He had lost the time.
He held Rob in his arms, clutching his brother as if he was afraid that letting go would be the end of him. He held onto him desperately – sobbing in his terror. He watched as the tears dropped off his cheek and melted in with the snow that was slowly gathering on Rob's face. It wasn't going to end like this. It couldn't.
" Don't move him!," Todd heard a voice say. It shook him out of his state, and he looked up. It was a woman – the same woman who had hit Rob with her SUV. Todd didn't say anything, but he looked up at her with a tear streaked face.
" Don't move him!," the woman repeated, the panic in her voice giving her a tremble in her voice, and knelt down beside Todd, " I'm a nurse, it's okay. You can't move him, he's got a compound fracture. Moving him can kill him. Just lay him back down on the ground."
" He's dead already!," Todd shouted at her, his voice cracking under his sadness.
The woman placed her first two fingers at Rob's neck, checking for a pulse. Todd watched her with a disconnected air – this was not real, he kept telling himself. Rob's lips were already turning blue.
The woman took her fingers away, and said nothing. Instead, she grabbed Todd's arms and tried to pry him away from his brother.
" What are you doing?!," Adrian finally finding his own voice, though it was chocked in terror as well.
" You have to keep him still," the woman explained, coaxing Todd into letting go of his brother, " That's the only way he's going to live."
Todd's heart leaped in his throat, " You mean… he's alive." It wasn't a question – it was a statement.
Before the woman could say anything else, a group of nearly 15 police officers ran up, guns drawn and pointed at Rob.
" Everyone, back away! Don't trust this kid," one of the cops shouted, inching closer to Rob. Todd looked up at him in a bizarre confusion.
Adrian didn't like the feeling of being surrounded, especially by people who had guns pointed at him – and he especially didn't like the fact that everyone was shouting. He was surrounded by cars – cars with engines roaring, people pointing and whispering on the sidewalks, the snow crunching under everyone's feet, the snow melting and dripping down into the sewers. And now he had to endure these officers – shouting and pointing guns.
He looked past them, to where Pyro was still kneeling on the ground with a look on his face that clearly showed that he hardly had any clue what was going on. Pryo was being pulled to his feet by the cops that surrounded him – it made Adrian smile within.
But Adrian wasn't about to let Rob fall into their hands. He reached down and grabbed Todd's shoulder – Todd already understood, and hardly a few seconds after the cops had first appeared before them, Todd, Rob, and Adrian teleported out of sight.
The cops were used to tricks being played on them, they were used to Rob's power. They stood where they were, looking around with their guns still drawn, waiting for the mutants to reappear. But they never did.
But someone else did appear. Seemingly out of thin air, a silver-haired mutant pulled himself out of his sprint and stood where Rob had only been a few seconds earlier. He had been too late. The cops that were present were too accustomed to being surprised to be caught off guard.
But Quicksilver darted his way past them before they were able to subdue him. Pietro sprinted so fast that he was merely a shadow, a wisp of wind that flashed past the officers. He made his way to where Pyro was being dragged away – those officers hardly understood what had happened. A very very very fast person merely appeared, grabbed Pyro and took off running again.
All the mutants were now gone, and the cops were left with nothing to manage except for one tremendous "directing parking" job.
**************
Adrian kept teleporting. He didn't even bother to return to his Jeep. Right now, he understood that Rob needed help – FAST – and driving would only slow him down. He didn't care how nauseous he got, he didn't care how much energy he would have to expel to make sure that they returned to the mansion – Adrian just knew that he had to get there as fast as possible.
He had never teleported so much or so fast in all his life. Their feet barely touched the ground for a half of a second before they were gone again. Adrian's head burned as if he had been holding his breath – he could feel his will power slipping ever so slowly. He kept his teeth tightly clenched, forcing himself to go onwards.
They reached the mansion in only a few sparse minutes, but even that was time that they didn't have.
Adrian, Todd, and Rob appeared in the school – Todd had already passed out from the abuse that the teleporting had cause, and Adrian was awake for a moment, long enough to shout out, " Help!" before he too lost the energy to stay awake.
All three teens collapsed to the ground.
**********
Todd woke up a few hours later with a monumental headache. He opened his eyes, forgetting what had happened for a few moments and looking about himself in confusion. Then it all came back to him – the night before, he remembered watching Rob getting hit by the SUV, he remembered his heart tore itself from his chest, so painful had that sight been. He was certain that Rob was dead.
He remembered running to side brother's side. He had shouted at him, shook him as hard as he could to get Rob to notice him – but Rob had been beyond them then.
Todd jumped out of his bed. He felt a wave of dizziness crash over him from his sudden movements, but he didn't care how terrible he felt. He had to know if Rob was okay, or if he was….
He left the room that he was in, and nearly collided with Professor Xavier – who had been on his way into the room.
" Professor!," Todd stammered out, forgot to apologize, and blurted out, " Is Rob okay?"
" Todd, please," Xavier said, making his way into the room, " Have a seat."
" Is Rob okay?!," Todd demanded, his body trembling in the terror of what he might find out. His body suddenly felt cold – he did not want to bear what news Xavier might have. Please don't let it be, Todd thought to himself so fiercely that even the Professor heard him.
" Don't worry," Xavier replied, smiling despite Todd's fear, " Rob is fine… for the moment. We can't predict what may happen, but we are doing everything we can."
Todd's racing heart slowed a moment.
" He's alive?," Todd asked, his words so fragile as if the hope that rested upon such a statement may just collapse under a louder voice.
" He's alive for the moment," Xavier said, stressing the word 'moment' to Todd's disappointment, " He's going to have to recover from quite a lot – his leg and his skull is fractured, and he broke his collar bone. He is suffering from a intense concussion. But he may well recover, and recover soon. We have an excellent doctor working on him."
" Doctor?," Todd asked – as far as he knew, Dr. Jean Gray had disappeared months ago without a sign, presumed dead. What other doctor could there be?
" When I knew what had happened –" Xavier started, Todd realized that he would have known about the accident through his telepathy, " I sent Kurt to find the best doctor that I knew – he has an exceptional skill at understanding the human body, and with circumstances being how they were, I had to hope that I could trust him."
" He's… He's a mutant, isn't he?," Todd asked, slowly calming down and wanting to know more about this person who was working at saving Rob's life.
" Yes," Xavier said, " A potentially dangerous mutant."
Xavier led Todd through the lower levels of the mansion to the room where Rob was being kept. When Todd saw his brother again, he felt as if he had walked directly into a brick wall.
Rob was certainly alive – but he was pale. Very, very pale. He looked like he couldn't last much longer. His left leg was bound perfectly in white bandages, his shoulder wrapped up tightly, and half of his face hidden under the gauze that wound over his face. Todd swallowed his apprehension and walked into the room.
There was no one else in the room save Xavier, Todd, Rob, and a stranger that Todd had never seen before – who was sitting in the corner looking over his patient.
" They have done quite a number on this little brother, yes?," the doctor muttered softly towards Xavier, his body language lacking any emotion except for that in his burning eyes.
" Have you done what you can?," Xavier asked, there was an authority on his voice that Todd hardly heard him use before.
" There is no need to fear, is there? It would be foolish of me to let one with powers like his to die, yes? A waste on my part, wouldn't it?," the mutant replied, a smirk spreading over his face. He was motionless for a moment, and then got up to leave the room.
" I shall return shortly," the mutant doctor replied, " There is little more that I can do. Being in company with his pain is torment enough."
VooDoo was gone.
Xavier turned to leave the room as well, but he stopped and turned to Todd.
" You can trust Jeff with Rob's life," Xavier offered, " Like he said, he will not let Rob die."
Xavier was gone, and Todd was at last alone with his brother.
************
It had been weeks since the accident, and Rob had still not pulled out of his coma, though his health was steadily increasing. Todd hardly left that room during that time, he hardly spoke a word to any of the other mutants at the school if he saw them. He was completely at a lose – his life at a stand still in the anticipation.
Adrian was much the same way – he was overwhelmed with anxiety over his friend, but more so at what he should expect from Rob when he woke up. Would Rob want to go back to the Brotherhood? Would he have learned anything? Would Adrian even want to have to bear witnessing his friend acting like them?
Time wore on…
*****************
A few days passed. Todd was sitting in a chair that rested next to Rob's bed. He stared forward, not really looking at anything, with an expression that was deadpan and uninterested. The time was beginning to show on his face.
For a few hours, Rob had been stirring in bed – Todd was hoping that this meant that he would be awake soon, but a few hours had passed. Now Rob was still once again.
The disappointment was definite.
Todd was finally convinced that he should expect nothing from his brother that night, and stood up to leave.
" Todd?," a small voice asked.
Todd wheeled about faster than he would have deemed possible – laying in the bed, Rob was looking at him, his eyes not exactly focusing.
" Rob?," Todd asked, " You're awake?"
" Where am I?," Rob asked, looking down at his body, noticing his leg and shoulder in bandages. He lifted his right hand to his forehead – and felt the bandages that protected his fractured skull. He had the appearance of one who couldn't remember what had happened to him – maybe he would forget that he had ever joined the Brotherhood.
" You're at the Institute," Todd ve mber?"
Rob appeared out of breath – this was probably the sort of stress that Rob did not need when he had just woken up from a coma – but he managed to stammer out, " Why are you here?"
Todd smiled, because just then he realized how he could convince Rob of the truth, and he answered, " I'm a mutant, too!"
Rob didn't say anything at all for quite a long time, then he smiled slightly, and asked, " What can you do?"
Todd took out his camera cell phone faster than he had ever done before, flipped open the phone and showed it to Rob – he was far too weak to hold anything in his hands. In a flash, Todd displayed the first memory he could think of. It was a familiar memory – when he first found out that Rob was a mutant.
" You can show memories," Rob said, squinting at the phone.
" Yeah, anyone's memories," Todd said, " All I have to do is touch them."
Rob hesitated for a moment, and then ventured to ask, " Even that day… when everyone attacked me. There's so much.. I can't remember about that."
Todd smiled – he didn't even have to ask.
Rob watched the memory with a strange look on his face – he watched from his own point of view things he could not remember. Sneaking into the school, cornering his friends, forcing the X-Men to pass out, and being attacked by Rogue.
" I don't remember any of that," Rob stated, " But why would I do that?"
The memory of Magneto flashed up on the screen – Todd replied, " It was mind control."
Rob didn't say anything for a few moments, but his breathing became heavier. Finally he said, " Todd… I can't. I…"
Rob didn't finish his thoughts – his deep weariness got the better of him and he was subdued into unconsciousness. But Todd smiled. Rob was going to be okay – and finally, he knew the truth.
************
The next few days passed, and Rob was making quite an improvement – health wise. Even Logan helped with Rob's recovery by allowing Rogue to use his powers to heal Rob. She only got as far as his fractured leg, but it was the least she could do to make up for what she had done to Rob.
But Rob was mostly silent over these days – brooding over the fact that he had been tricked into believing that he was betrayed so that he would be forced to join the Brotherhood. He felt ashamed that he could have so easily been led, and hardly spoke to anyone.
Anyone except for Todd.
Todd went to go see his brother a few days after Rogue had healed his leg, only to discover that Rob was no longer in his hospital bed. Instead, Xavier was there, as if waiting.
" Professor, where's Rob?," Todd asked.
" He's gone to Magneto," was all that Xavier said.
****************
Rob knew the way. With his leg healed, he could easily walk, but his left shoulder was still a mess and his arm was in a sling. Needless to say, he was driven enough to get to the Brotherhood quickly.
As soon as he approached their base, he used his powers so that none of the other mutants in the Brotherhood could see him. He walked quickly passed Pyro, who was tiredly amusing himself with his lighter. Rob walked past Pietro, who was sitting at a chair while nearby his twin sister, Wanda, was comforting him.
" You'll always be his son," Wanda said while Rob walked by, eavesdropping.
" What good am I?," Pietro asked her, " All Magneto cares about lately is Crimson. How can I compete with that?"
Rob walked by them, clenching his hands into fists.
Of course, his powers only worked on people whose minds were open to his suggestions. Magneto, however, was not so easily fooled.
" Crimson," Magneto said, entering the room, and the three other mutants looked up in alarm. Crimson chose to remain invisible to them.
" You have come back," Magneto said warmly.
" I only came back to say that I'm leaving," Rob spit back bitterly. Magneto's fatherly attitude was making him feel sick.
" And return to those who want to keep you ignorant of your true strength?," Magneto asked, his own temper revealing itself in his voice.
" At least they don't have to resort to using mind control to get allies," Rob shot back.
Both mutants were silent, both staring at each other. Rob turned to leave.
" Remember who gave you control," Magneto called after him.
Rob turned around to face Magneto, his eyes narrowed into slits and he whispered back, " All I have to do is touch you."
And with that, Rob left the Brotherhood. It was dark outside by the time he decided to head home. There was no doubt now about where to go. He would return to Xavier's school – over time he would get over his embarrassment at having thought that the X-Men were his enemies. He knew that they would understand, and maybe in a few years, even he would become an X-Men and help them fight against those who wanted humanity to fall.
And besides – he had wasted a good six months without being able to pull pranks with Adrian, and it would be a long time before he could make up for it.
;)
********
Yeah! It's the end!!!!!! Yeah! Yippie! Ouch (shakes wrists violently). Well, tell me what you thought of this chapter – and let me know what your favorite parts were of the fic as a whole.
All of you guys have been so nice! Bravo to you! And thanx for staying with this one.
Keep that positive outlook.
Deke
I'm also going to be doing a couple of X-Men Evolution fanfics, one revolving around Jamie and another about Bobby – so keep yer eyes open for that. Also, during the duration of writing this chapter, I ate about 5 mangos…. Go mangos!
Without further ado – here's the last chapter
Chapter 21
********
It had begun to snow.
Todd was kneeling upon the slush on the road – by this time, just about all traffic had come to a stand still and he was dully aware that someone was calling out to him. He hardly noticed the world around him, except for the silence that had gripped the night. The snowflakes caught reflections of light, and they danced to the road – adding a surreal appearance to the scene.
He was clutching his brother. He had been there when Rob was fading. He had been there to catch him when he fell. He had been there.
The world had stood still for that moment – as Todd looked down at his brother, his hands were dripping with his blood. He attempted to say words, but no matter how hard he tried, they got lost in his throat.
The words were lost on the way to his throat, but they found their way to his eyes – he couldn't help himself. He knew guys weren't supposed to cry, but he was in tears. They were the only words he could say.
He had spent so much time over the past few months being angry – hating his brother for the fact that Rob had joined up with the Brotherhood – but now he hated himself. How could he have wasted time like that? How could he have wasted the time left? Why hadn't he tried to get in contact with Rob instead of just being angry and upset.
But there was no time for that now. He had lost the time.
He held Rob in his arms, clutching his brother as if he was afraid that letting go would be the end of him. He held onto him desperately – sobbing in his terror. He watched as the tears dropped off his cheek and melted in with the snow that was slowly gathering on Rob's face. It wasn't going to end like this. It couldn't.
" Don't move him!," Todd heard a voice say. It shook him out of his state, and he looked up. It was a woman – the same woman who had hit Rob with her SUV. Todd didn't say anything, but he looked up at her with a tear streaked face.
" Don't move him!," the woman repeated, the panic in her voice giving her a tremble in her voice, and knelt down beside Todd, " I'm a nurse, it's okay. You can't move him, he's got a compound fracture. Moving him can kill him. Just lay him back down on the ground."
" He's dead already!," Todd shouted at her, his voice cracking under his sadness.
The woman placed her first two fingers at Rob's neck, checking for a pulse. Todd watched her with a disconnected air – this was not real, he kept telling himself. Rob's lips were already turning blue.
The woman took her fingers away, and said nothing. Instead, she grabbed Todd's arms and tried to pry him away from his brother.
" What are you doing?!," Adrian finally finding his own voice, though it was chocked in terror as well.
" You have to keep him still," the woman explained, coaxing Todd into letting go of his brother, " That's the only way he's going to live."
Todd's heart leaped in his throat, " You mean… he's alive." It wasn't a question – it was a statement.
Before the woman could say anything else, a group of nearly 15 police officers ran up, guns drawn and pointed at Rob.
" Everyone, back away! Don't trust this kid," one of the cops shouted, inching closer to Rob. Todd looked up at him in a bizarre confusion.
Adrian didn't like the feeling of being surrounded, especially by people who had guns pointed at him – and he especially didn't like the fact that everyone was shouting. He was surrounded by cars – cars with engines roaring, people pointing and whispering on the sidewalks, the snow crunching under everyone's feet, the snow melting and dripping down into the sewers. And now he had to endure these officers – shouting and pointing guns.
He looked past them, to where Pyro was still kneeling on the ground with a look on his face that clearly showed that he hardly had any clue what was going on. Pryo was being pulled to his feet by the cops that surrounded him – it made Adrian smile within.
But Adrian wasn't about to let Rob fall into their hands. He reached down and grabbed Todd's shoulder – Todd already understood, and hardly a few seconds after the cops had first appeared before them, Todd, Rob, and Adrian teleported out of sight.
The cops were used to tricks being played on them, they were used to Rob's power. They stood where they were, looking around with their guns still drawn, waiting for the mutants to reappear. But they never did.
But someone else did appear. Seemingly out of thin air, a silver-haired mutant pulled himself out of his sprint and stood where Rob had only been a few seconds earlier. He had been too late. The cops that were present were too accustomed to being surprised to be caught off guard.
But Quicksilver darted his way past them before they were able to subdue him. Pietro sprinted so fast that he was merely a shadow, a wisp of wind that flashed past the officers. He made his way to where Pyro was being dragged away – those officers hardly understood what had happened. A very very very fast person merely appeared, grabbed Pyro and took off running again.
All the mutants were now gone, and the cops were left with nothing to manage except for one tremendous "directing parking" job.
**************
Adrian kept teleporting. He didn't even bother to return to his Jeep. Right now, he understood that Rob needed help – FAST – and driving would only slow him down. He didn't care how nauseous he got, he didn't care how much energy he would have to expel to make sure that they returned to the mansion – Adrian just knew that he had to get there as fast as possible.
He had never teleported so much or so fast in all his life. Their feet barely touched the ground for a half of a second before they were gone again. Adrian's head burned as if he had been holding his breath – he could feel his will power slipping ever so slowly. He kept his teeth tightly clenched, forcing himself to go onwards.
They reached the mansion in only a few sparse minutes, but even that was time that they didn't have.
Adrian, Todd, and Rob appeared in the school – Todd had already passed out from the abuse that the teleporting had cause, and Adrian was awake for a moment, long enough to shout out, " Help!" before he too lost the energy to stay awake.
All three teens collapsed to the ground.
**********
Todd woke up a few hours later with a monumental headache. He opened his eyes, forgetting what had happened for a few moments and looking about himself in confusion. Then it all came back to him – the night before, he remembered watching Rob getting hit by the SUV, he remembered his heart tore itself from his chest, so painful had that sight been. He was certain that Rob was dead.
He remembered running to side brother's side. He had shouted at him, shook him as hard as he could to get Rob to notice him – but Rob had been beyond them then.
Todd jumped out of his bed. He felt a wave of dizziness crash over him from his sudden movements, but he didn't care how terrible he felt. He had to know if Rob was okay, or if he was….
He left the room that he was in, and nearly collided with Professor Xavier – who had been on his way into the room.
" Professor!," Todd stammered out, forgot to apologize, and blurted out, " Is Rob okay?"
" Todd, please," Xavier said, making his way into the room, " Have a seat."
" Is Rob okay?!," Todd demanded, his body trembling in the terror of what he might find out. His body suddenly felt cold – he did not want to bear what news Xavier might have. Please don't let it be, Todd thought to himself so fiercely that even the Professor heard him.
" Don't worry," Xavier replied, smiling despite Todd's fear, " Rob is fine… for the moment. We can't predict what may happen, but we are doing everything we can."
Todd's racing heart slowed a moment.
" He's alive?," Todd asked, his words so fragile as if the hope that rested upon such a statement may just collapse under a louder voice.
" He's alive for the moment," Xavier said, stressing the word 'moment' to Todd's disappointment, " He's going to have to recover from quite a lot – his leg and his skull is fractured, and he broke his collar bone. He is suffering from a intense concussion. But he may well recover, and recover soon. We have an excellent doctor working on him."
" Doctor?," Todd asked – as far as he knew, Dr. Jean Gray had disappeared months ago without a sign, presumed dead. What other doctor could there be?
" When I knew what had happened –" Xavier started, Todd realized that he would have known about the accident through his telepathy, " I sent Kurt to find the best doctor that I knew – he has an exceptional skill at understanding the human body, and with circumstances being how they were, I had to hope that I could trust him."
" He's… He's a mutant, isn't he?," Todd asked, slowly calming down and wanting to know more about this person who was working at saving Rob's life.
" Yes," Xavier said, " A potentially dangerous mutant."
Xavier led Todd through the lower levels of the mansion to the room where Rob was being kept. When Todd saw his brother again, he felt as if he had walked directly into a brick wall.
Rob was certainly alive – but he was pale. Very, very pale. He looked like he couldn't last much longer. His left leg was bound perfectly in white bandages, his shoulder wrapped up tightly, and half of his face hidden under the gauze that wound over his face. Todd swallowed his apprehension and walked into the room.
There was no one else in the room save Xavier, Todd, Rob, and a stranger that Todd had never seen before – who was sitting in the corner looking over his patient.
" They have done quite a number on this little brother, yes?," the doctor muttered softly towards Xavier, his body language lacking any emotion except for that in his burning eyes.
" Have you done what you can?," Xavier asked, there was an authority on his voice that Todd hardly heard him use before.
" There is no need to fear, is there? It would be foolish of me to let one with powers like his to die, yes? A waste on my part, wouldn't it?," the mutant replied, a smirk spreading over his face. He was motionless for a moment, and then got up to leave the room.
" I shall return shortly," the mutant doctor replied, " There is little more that I can do. Being in company with his pain is torment enough."
VooDoo was gone.
Xavier turned to leave the room as well, but he stopped and turned to Todd.
" You can trust Jeff with Rob's life," Xavier offered, " Like he said, he will not let Rob die."
Xavier was gone, and Todd was at last alone with his brother.
************
It had been weeks since the accident, and Rob had still not pulled out of his coma, though his health was steadily increasing. Todd hardly left that room during that time, he hardly spoke a word to any of the other mutants at the school if he saw them. He was completely at a lose – his life at a stand still in the anticipation.
Adrian was much the same way – he was overwhelmed with anxiety over his friend, but more so at what he should expect from Rob when he woke up. Would Rob want to go back to the Brotherhood? Would he have learned anything? Would Adrian even want to have to bear witnessing his friend acting like them?
Time wore on…
*****************
A few days passed. Todd was sitting in a chair that rested next to Rob's bed. He stared forward, not really looking at anything, with an expression that was deadpan and uninterested. The time was beginning to show on his face.
For a few hours, Rob had been stirring in bed – Todd was hoping that this meant that he would be awake soon, but a few hours had passed. Now Rob was still once again.
The disappointment was definite.
Todd was finally convinced that he should expect nothing from his brother that night, and stood up to leave.
" Todd?," a small voice asked.
Todd wheeled about faster than he would have deemed possible – laying in the bed, Rob was looking at him, his eyes not exactly focusing.
" Rob?," Todd asked, " You're awake?"
" Where am I?," Rob asked, looking down at his body, noticing his leg and shoulder in bandages. He lifted his right hand to his forehead – and felt the bandages that protected his fractured skull. He had the appearance of one who couldn't remember what had happened to him – maybe he would forget that he had ever joined the Brotherhood.
" You're at the Institute," Todd ve mber?"
Rob appeared out of breath – this was probably the sort of stress that Rob did not need when he had just woken up from a coma – but he managed to stammer out, " Why are you here?"
Todd smiled, because just then he realized how he could convince Rob of the truth, and he answered, " I'm a mutant, too!"
Rob didn't say anything at all for quite a long time, then he smiled slightly, and asked, " What can you do?"
Todd took out his camera cell phone faster than he had ever done before, flipped open the phone and showed it to Rob – he was far too weak to hold anything in his hands. In a flash, Todd displayed the first memory he could think of. It was a familiar memory – when he first found out that Rob was a mutant.
" You can show memories," Rob said, squinting at the phone.
" Yeah, anyone's memories," Todd said, " All I have to do is touch them."
Rob hesitated for a moment, and then ventured to ask, " Even that day… when everyone attacked me. There's so much.. I can't remember about that."
Todd smiled – he didn't even have to ask.
Rob watched the memory with a strange look on his face – he watched from his own point of view things he could not remember. Sneaking into the school, cornering his friends, forcing the X-Men to pass out, and being attacked by Rogue.
" I don't remember any of that," Rob stated, " But why would I do that?"
The memory of Magneto flashed up on the screen – Todd replied, " It was mind control."
Rob didn't say anything for a few moments, but his breathing became heavier. Finally he said, " Todd… I can't. I…"
Rob didn't finish his thoughts – his deep weariness got the better of him and he was subdued into unconsciousness. But Todd smiled. Rob was going to be okay – and finally, he knew the truth.
************
The next few days passed, and Rob was making quite an improvement – health wise. Even Logan helped with Rob's recovery by allowing Rogue to use his powers to heal Rob. She only got as far as his fractured leg, but it was the least she could do to make up for what she had done to Rob.
But Rob was mostly silent over these days – brooding over the fact that he had been tricked into believing that he was betrayed so that he would be forced to join the Brotherhood. He felt ashamed that he could have so easily been led, and hardly spoke to anyone.
Anyone except for Todd.
Todd went to go see his brother a few days after Rogue had healed his leg, only to discover that Rob was no longer in his hospital bed. Instead, Xavier was there, as if waiting.
" Professor, where's Rob?," Todd asked.
" He's gone to Magneto," was all that Xavier said.
****************
Rob knew the way. With his leg healed, he could easily walk, but his left shoulder was still a mess and his arm was in a sling. Needless to say, he was driven enough to get to the Brotherhood quickly.
As soon as he approached their base, he used his powers so that none of the other mutants in the Brotherhood could see him. He walked quickly passed Pyro, who was tiredly amusing himself with his lighter. Rob walked past Pietro, who was sitting at a chair while nearby his twin sister, Wanda, was comforting him.
" You'll always be his son," Wanda said while Rob walked by, eavesdropping.
" What good am I?," Pietro asked her, " All Magneto cares about lately is Crimson. How can I compete with that?"
Rob walked by them, clenching his hands into fists.
Of course, his powers only worked on people whose minds were open to his suggestions. Magneto, however, was not so easily fooled.
" Crimson," Magneto said, entering the room, and the three other mutants looked up in alarm. Crimson chose to remain invisible to them.
" You have come back," Magneto said warmly.
" I only came back to say that I'm leaving," Rob spit back bitterly. Magneto's fatherly attitude was making him feel sick.
" And return to those who want to keep you ignorant of your true strength?," Magneto asked, his own temper revealing itself in his voice.
" At least they don't have to resort to using mind control to get allies," Rob shot back.
Both mutants were silent, both staring at each other. Rob turned to leave.
" Remember who gave you control," Magneto called after him.
Rob turned around to face Magneto, his eyes narrowed into slits and he whispered back, " All I have to do is touch you."
And with that, Rob left the Brotherhood. It was dark outside by the time he decided to head home. There was no doubt now about where to go. He would return to Xavier's school – over time he would get over his embarrassment at having thought that the X-Men were his enemies. He knew that they would understand, and maybe in a few years, even he would become an X-Men and help them fight against those who wanted humanity to fall.
And besides – he had wasted a good six months without being able to pull pranks with Adrian, and it would be a long time before he could make up for it.
;)
********
Yeah! It's the end!!!!!! Yeah! Yippie! Ouch (shakes wrists violently). Well, tell me what you thought of this chapter – and let me know what your favorite parts were of the fic as a whole.
All of you guys have been so nice! Bravo to you! And thanx for staying with this one.
Keep that positive outlook.
Deke
