Title: Hiding Away
Rating: PG13/R
Category: Angst/Drama
Summary: As the public's hatred of mutants begins to seep its way into every aspect of society, the X-Men, Brotherhood in tow, are forced into hiding. No more school, no more institute. Just fear, pain, unity, and a shimmer of hope. AU (though not extremely, story does go in diff. direction). All characters!
Warnings: This is a dark fic, and though I will try and add light spots here and there, it does deal mostly with hate, ignorance, as well as very angsty themes. There will be character death (though most will be only mentioned), mentions of torture and inhumane acts, as well as hints of sexual abuse. If you don't *like* or can't *tolerate* any of these, don't blame me...just don't read the fic. Got it? Good. It's not my fault if you ignore the warnings and find things within that aren't to your tastes. Actual pairings will include Scott/Jean and Kitty/Lance, though there will be hints (often one-sided) of Kurt/Kitty, Todd/Wanda and some other random couplings that may or may not be mentioned. I'm too lazy to list all of them.
A/N: I've been thinking about doing something like this for a long time. I tried to make it unique in some aspect to other fics, but I apologize for the redid theme of "normal humans turn on mutants". Hey, what can I say... it makes for good reading. n__n There will be lots of Kurt in this fic, with hints (*just* hints) of one sided Kurtty, as well as Pietro and the Brotherhood boys. I like Pietro, and I love Kurt... All the characters (Scott, Logan, Jean, etc) , however, will be included, though I can't promise that all of the minor/young institute kids will be involved. Don't worry, you should be able to get your fix *somewhere* in the fic... So, with that, enjoy.
Please leave comments and reviews guys, they help me out! If you need to see more of something, don't hesitate to say so. I am open to suggestions. Constructive criticism is good, but not flames!
Italics will usually mean a train of thought, though I also use it for emphasis.
* Blah * is telepathic speaking, ie Xavier or Jean.
I'll do my best with Kurt and Rogue's accents.
----
The house stood precariously on the edge of a hill at the edge of a town at the very edge of the city, though, when asked about its existence, no one could give a straight address and very rarely directions. It was old and in places falling apart, with a great oak door adorning the front and two windows on every side and story. In fact, it stood two stories high, with a flat roof that panned out a few feet from the edge of the walls. The gutters were all filled with leaves, and the windows were boarded haphazardly with two-by-fours. Spider webs hung about the porch like Halloween decorations, and the once white paint of the building was now more of a gray. It was ominous and slightly frightening and yet it still, somehow, held a mysterious beauty to it.
To Kitty, it was a nightmare.
She wrinkled her nose in disgust as the other students let out small noises of excitement and wonder. The younger institute kids were already babbling about horror movies and ghosts, whispering in hushed voices about legends of crazy widows and murderous fiends whom had all supposedly inhabited the home. The older, more mature students were pulling moss and ivy off its tall sides and planning the repainting of the place.
Jamie ran up its front steps and promptly fell onto his behind. Copies spread across the porch and yard.
Kitty had known she would hate the place before even setting eyes upon it. Just the idea and reason behind having to move into it was enough to cause her stomach to knot and twist, and her eyes to darken. She hated that they were hated, that they were being forced out of the life they had once known and into a life of segregation merely because of genes and science. The valley girl found nothing enchanting about the home. In fact, she loathed its every corner and stair. The house stood for everything wrong in her mind - everything immoral.
"Vhat do you zhink, Kätzchen?"
Kitty was mildly surprised that she hadn't jumped when Kurt had bamfed next to her, though she attributed that fact to her deep train of thought. She turned to face him, forcing a smile onto her face as best she could.
"It's...well..." She fought for a word. Tempted to describe to Kurt her true feelings, she said instead ,"...it's kinda dumpy."
Kurt grinned, canines contrasting brightly against his dark fur. He was a bit disheveled looking, having traveled for hours crammed into a vehicle with no air conditioning. His fur matted in places and stuck to his sweaty skin, but he smiled all the same at his Kätzchen's disgust.
"Ja," he agreed, glancing briefly at the residence before them and chuckling to himself. "Herr Hank and Logan say that ve're going to fix it up though...Maybe ve can paint it blue like mein fur! Zat vould be sehr gut..."
This time, Kitty genuinely smiled. It wasn't a smile for the house, but for the blue, fuzzy elf posed beside her. Out of all the students, he was the one that seemed the most optimistic about the arrangements. He stood, tail waving anxiously and eyes twinkling. The funny and perplexing thing to Kitty was that he had nothing to be optimistic about. The other students, if the need arose, could easily hide their mutancy. But Kurt...well, his hiding was a little harder. Even with the image inducer there was always a danger that someone would touch him and discover the fur underneath, or even that the inducer's batteries would run low or go "on the fritz". Then he would be forced, like Hank, to live a life locked behind doors, unable to show his face...
Or, even worse, taken into custody and away. The mutants weren't exactly sure what away meant, though many of the students suspected that the professor, Ororo, Hank and Logan all knew. Before moving from the institute, the four would often gather secretly in Xavier's office for meetings. The kids knew it was something serious because the whole corridor would be locked off. Any student stupid enough to eavesdrop was promised proper and swift punishment.
All they knew was that away was bad. Though none of Xavier's children had been taken (some had merely gone home to their parents), parts of the Brotherhood had. Freddy and Wanda had both disappeared at the same time. Pietro had gone next, though no one was sure if he had taken off or been captured. One day Lance and Todd had simply appeared at the institute's front gates, fear hidden in the depths of their eyes. They had asked indignantly to stay, hoping to take cover inside the mansion's security systems. Xavier had agreed.
Soon, though, not even the institute was safe. Authorities began showing up, asking to have files on all the mutants residing there. Then they began asking to see each student, lining them up in the front room like criminals. They even took pictures. Kurt, terrified of being seen blue and fuzzy, had taken refuge with Todd below the main rooms during these sessions. Each child often came out of them with tears in their eyes.
The Mutant Registration Act was soon passed. The kids were no longer allowed to attend the public school, and instead a "mutant education facility" was proposed by the government. Stores began to post signs forbidding mutants from entering. All with mutancy were required to show cards upon entering public places, detailing their name and power.
After that, the adults agreed it was time to move.
And so they came to the house. It was located far enough from the main city that police and the FBI would have to make an effort to find it, but it was close enough to civilization to obtain food and other supplies. Hank had visited it beforehand and had been pleased that it was in the middle of a forest, with enough rooms for students to bunk and caves nearby in case of emergency. The plan was that they would stay there, while the professor busied himself trying to tackle the government about the situation. Hank, Logan, and Ororo would watch over the children. They would wait out the storm, or at least wait until a final decision had been reached on what to do about the mutant populace.
"I don't think any amount of fixing up will, like, make this place any better," Kitty said at last, her smile disappearing.
"Not even ze blue paint?"
"No Kurt..." A heartbeat, and Kitty flashed him another reassuring smile. Her eyes were still soft and sad, but she poked him playfully. "Besides," she snorted, "blue paint isn't exactly stealthy."
The blue mutant laughed, bamfing away and leaving Kitty alone, once again, with her thoughts.
-----
"Oh Scott...I think it's kind of romantic..."
Scott's cheeks turned a slight shade of red as Jean played with the edges of his shirt, running her hand along the skin underneath. Both were standing in front of the home, taking in its details. Fall leaves fell about them in reds and oranges with the breeze. Children laughed nearby, birds sang. It really was, despite the circumstances, romantic.
"I think it will be more romantic once all the dirt and cobwebs are gone," he responded, taking her arm and leading her toward the front steps, past the Jamies. With one, swift motion, he pushed the door open and swept Jean into his arms.
"Scott!" she yelped, playfully swatting him upside the head. He just grinned.
"What? I'm carrying my lady over the...er...threshold."
The said threshold was draped with broken spider webs, all left dangling from the movement of the door. He frowned, but Jean merely moved them aside with a swipe of her mind.
Before he could move in, however, a blue, German mutant appeared before them in a cloud of dark smoke.
"Kurt --"
"Guten tag Scott und Jean! Checking out ze house?"
Scott glared. "Yes, Kurt, we are checking out the house." Annoyance was apparent in his voice.
"Und vhat do you zhink?"
Scott sighed, setting Jean back on her feet and rolling his eyes beneath his glasses. Under normal circumstances he would have yelled at Kurt, or scolded him, or at least forced the boy aside. But now...well, now it was different. Life was different.
Besides, Jean had told him he needed to be more patient.
"I like the house, Kurt," Jean piped up suddenly, smiling broadly. She elbowed Scott.
"Erm...I like it too. It's...homey..."
Satisfied with the answers given to him, Kurt disappeared with an implosion of air. Scott threw his hands up in exasperation.
"So much for romance..."
Jean smiled at her boyfriend's annoyance. "Scott, he was just trying to be cheerful. I think he senses the tenseness of the whole thing..."
It was true. Most of them, in fact, sensed that the air was tainted with fear and a foreboding sense of dread. Kurt wasn't used to that. He had spent life trying to make the best of every situation, and in this one he just wasn't sure how to. So instead he spent his time bamfing about, making sure that each student was okay emotionally. He liked to be cheerful, and hoped that through his cheerfulness others would become happier themselves. The German was positive that things would work themselves out in one way or another.
God would never let the situation go downhill. At least, that's what Kurt kept telling himself.
-----
"Kids! Students, staff, everybody come on in..." Hank waved wildly about for the mutants to gather inside the home. The smell of mold and dust met each of their senses as they entered, causing a simultaneous wrinkling of noses.
The house wasn't any better inside than it was outside.
"I know it looks very...unwelcoming now," Dr. McCoy began, eyeing each student as he did so. "But soon it'll be just like home."
Off in the far corner, Lance snorted.
Ignoring the disapproving noise, Ororo picked up where her colleague left off. "Of course, kids, in order to make it look like a home, we're going to need help from each and everyone one of you. We'll need paint, for one --"
"What colors?" Bobby interrupted, stepping forward. "What color are we gonna paint the place?"
All of a sudden, the room was buzzing with ideas.
Jean, eyes sparkling with visions of a summer home, declared that white should be the color. Jamie liked the color yellow. Amara and Tabitha agreed that the color should be bright. Kitty wanted it soft.
Suddenly, Rogue was in the center of all the commotion.
"Gahs!" she yelled, putting up a gloved hand. "We can't just go and paint this place anythin' we want!" The goth paused, sighing deeply. "Ah think we need ta considah paintin' it brown..."
Her suggestion was met with dead silence.
"Kids," Ororo's soft voice filled the room. "Rogue is right - we need to blend in..."
"I know you want to have fun guys, but...we're in hiding. We can't afford to be discovered, not with what's going on. Therefore, there's going to be a few rules..."
Hank cleared his throat, taking a deep and shaky breath.
"The house doesn't have a great water heating system, so first off - showering is going to be hard. Logan, Ms. Munroe and I still need to discuss it, but you'll probably all end up having only having a short amount of time to wash yourselves. Girls, I understand you have hair issues, but you're going to need to speed it up, understand?" Audible groans rose from the group. "We all want hot water, so we're each going to have to make a few sacrifices along the way." He looked pointedly at Kurt, who had a worried glitter in his eye. "I understand your predicament Kurt, so we'll have to create a special schedule for you. I myself don't mind cold water, and Logan has expressed that he can find other places with access to a shower. We'll work it out though."
Logan, who had been silent thus far, spoke up. His voice was deep and concerned, hating what had to be done.
"Going to the movies, or to the mall, and anything like that isn't going to happen, kids. It's too risky. Remember that the cops have our pictures, so being spotted walking around ain't a good idea. They're probably looking for us even now."
Kitty frowned deeply as a few of the younger kids looked to the floor, their eyes misting over. Logan was right - the police were probably searching the mansion at the moment. Now that the "act" was passed, unregistered mutants were cause for panic. The sudden disappearance of a school of mutants had definitely caught the authority's attention.
"You'll all need to stay in or around this place," Logan continued. "Don't worry about food or clothes, we'll take care of that. Myself and Scott will be picking up supplies for fixing this place up tomorrow afternoon." Across the room, Scott nodded solemnly.
Ororo swallowed. "Trips outside the house need to be confirmed with an adult first. We don't mind if you want to explore the surrounding area, or play nearby, but please make sure that an adult or one of the older kids is with you first."
"Each room will hold six or more of you. We've got bunks coming in, so there will be two to a bed. We should all be able to fit, but there are extra cots just in case." Hank smiled. "You may choose who you want to room with, but please try not to leave anyone out..."
-----
Todd and Lance both grimaced as the meeting came to a close. The room was dim from lack of lighting and the quickly disappearing sun, but Todd could see perfectly through the crowd of mutant children around him. They were all whispering amongst each other, or grabbing friends and pointing from across the room. All were choosing their bunk and roommates for the next...well, for all they knew it could be forever.
No one in the room even glanced at Lance and Todd. The two Brotherhood mutants stood side by side, invisible to everyone.
"So uh..." Todd's long, green tongue rolled lazily out of his mouth, before disappearing again. "I guess it's you and me, yo..."
"Yeah." Lance's eyes searched the room, finally landing on target. Kitty turned just in time, locking eyes with his before giggling at something another girl had said and turning away. "Hold up Todd, I'm gonna go talk to someone..."
"Ah man! Not that valley girl again, yo!"
Ignoring his friend's whining, Lance pushed his way over to Kitty. She smiled softly as soon as she saw him, her eyes bright and hopeful.
"Ummm...hey Lance," she said quietly, her posture and mannerisms immediately changing. "Some situation huh? It's like, totally creeping me out..."
"Yeah, it's kind of nerve wracking..."
Kitty just nodded, suddenly serious again. "I really hate this place, Lance. It's...I dunno, there's something bad about it. Maybe it's just that we're being forced to live here but...I like, really hope this isn't going to last..."
"Don't worry, Pretty Kitty." Lance put a strong arm around her small shoulders, drawing her closer to his warm body. To her, everyone and everything around them seemed to disappear. She could feel his heart beating strongly against her...
Kurt watched with sad eyes as Lance whispered into her ear.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to us," the rock tumbler murmured. "Everything's gonna be just fine."
TBC...
Next chappie will be more interesting and character oriented. I promise! Angst, drama, death, ickiness...I promise. This one was just to start things off. I will be answering reviews in the beginning of the next one.