Hi, its me again, I'm really glad all you guys likes this. Just to answer
some questions;
Telaka: Yes, I'm planning on giving some of the x-men an appearance, but sadly, Gambit and Nightcrawler will not be in this one. Mmmm ... Gambit ... Nightcrawler .... *drools on table* Ok, back to reality. Please don't be disappointed if it takes a couple of chapters for them to appear. Oh, and I'm really sorry it was so short, but I wasn't sure if you guys would like it.
Ice Lynx: Well I'm glad you liked it so much. I'll warn you again though; it gets worse before it gets better.
Brazos: Well, someone has finally asked the question I was dreading. But at the same time I thank you for bringing it up. This person is an original character. An original character with no identity. Heh heh heh . . . . . sorry, but if you want to know more then you need to read on.
Also, thank you ZilentZombie, James L and Silken Shadow for reviewing!
Only Human
Chapter Two
(Five years later)
The bartender looked up, annoyed. That kid had been here for three nights now. Just sitting there, all night until it was time to close, and then he would just sit out side and wait for it to open again. What was even more annoying was the fact that the kid never bought a drink. Then again, he was probably too young to drink, but all the same, the bartender was sick of him. He decided it was time to get rid of him.
He left the space behind the bar and tapped the boy on the shoulder. The boy looked up, and the bartender shrank back, stunned. The boy's eyes . . . they were so old looking! Like this boy had seen so much suffering, that he just didn't care any more. He remembered that his father had returned from the Second World War with similar eyes. So full of pain . . .
"Yes?" The boy asked. The bartender shivered. The boy's voice was so hollow, so expressionless . . .
"Er . . . nothing" The bartender retreated back to the bar. This kid seriously needed to be left alone.
* * * *
"Hey, kid" The boy swivelled around in his chair to see a short, burly man with a hat pulled over his face.
"Yes?" The boy asked in that same emotionless, empty voice.
"Shouldn't ya be at home with your ma?" The boy barely blinked.
"I don't have a mother" The man frowned. This boy talked way too advanced for his years.
"How old are ya?"
"14" The man's frown deepened. Maybe, just maybe . . .
"What happened to yer family?"
"My mother abandoned me when I was 9"
"Why?" Now it was the boy's turn to frown. This made him look even older.
"That is no business of yours" This remark made the man laugh.
"Yer right, it ain't" The man leaned closer.
"Was it because yer a mutant?" He whispered. This made the boy stand up, his face twisted with rage.
"Do you know how many people made that claim when they heard that I had been abandoned?!" He whispered back furiously.
"Do you know the pain I went through?! The suffering?! The agony you humans inflict on people you don't understand?!" The boy realised the mistake he had made to late.
"What do ya mean 'you humans'?" The man grinned.
"It was just a figure of speech."
"Sure it was. So what can you do?" The boy looked down, defeated, his expressionless mask back in place.
"I don't know. I was tested positive for the mutant gene when I was 9."
"Same year your mother abandoned you?"
"Same day" The man could hear the unhappiness in the kid's voice. No kid, no matter how old, should have that amount of sorrow locked away.
"Kid . . . . I think I might know someone who can help you." The boy gave a hollow laugh. Not a pleasant laugh, no, this laugh didn't have any happiness in it at all.
"No one can help me now." He croaked, his mouth twitching into a colourless, despairing smile.
"Maybe not, but that won't stop me from tryin'"
* * * *
Logan studied the kid closely. Ever since they had left the bar he'd been silent. As if hoping . . . no, that wasn't right. It was more like he was waiting for something promised to him along time ago. Love? No, defiantly not. Acceptance? Maybe, he didn't know. The professor would, though. Logan sneezed; the kid reeked of sorrow. It was like someone had sprayed him with it. There were some pretty depressed people at the mansion, but compared to this guy, they probably woke up every morning whistling 'I'm walking on sunshine.' Wait a second, what if the professor couldn't help him? Logan frowned as the thought occurred to him. Of course he would! He was telepathic, after all.
"You all right, kid?" The boy didn't answer him.
"Kid?"
"Hello? Kid?" Ok, maybe not. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"What's yer name?" Silence. Logan gave up. The kid obviously wasn't going to answer him. He turned a corner, and there it was. The mansion. Looming over them . . . Logan looked over at the boy to see his reaction. The boy just sat there with his eyes on the road. Logan wasn't even sure he'd seen it yet. Logan cleared his throat.
"There it is" He said, pointing. The boy didn't even acknowledge him. Logan started to get angry then. Opening the glove box, he grabbed a cigar, and thrust it between his teeth. He pulled into the drive way and stopped the car.
"Out" He grunted. The boy looked at him, surprised. Suddenly, he nodded, more to himself then to Logan, and stepped carefully out of the car. He then quietly followed Logan out to the front door. It opened to reveal . . .
"Ah, Logan, forgive me if I wonder why you are back from the bar so early? And who is your friend?" The boy looked up at the word 'friend'.
"I dunno Chuck; I was hopin' you'd tell me" Suddenly, Logan's nose twitched. Was that fear he smelt on the boy?
"Logan, I need you to take him to one of the spare rooms up stairs . . . and hurry!" Xavier said urgently. Logan scooped up the trembling boy and sprinted up the stairs.
* * * *
The boy looked around the room they had put him in. They had imprisoned him. Not surprising really. He cursed himself for trusting the short man; he should have known that no one would take that much of an interest in him. After all, if his own mother had abandoned him, then there would have to be something wrong with him, something no one could love . . . and he had accepted it. And then the short man had come and put dangerous ideas in his head, which had caused him to hope . . . A single tear slid down his cheek. Suddenly, he shook himself violently. No! Emotion was weakness. He couldn't afford to show any Weakness, not now! If there was one thing that the streets had taught him, it was that in a crisis, you couldn't afford to let emotion cloud your brain.
The boy's thoughts drifted to the man in the wheel chair, and he shivered. The man had tried to probe his mind . . . and how it had hurt him to stand there, helpless, while the man delved into his privet history; his very essence; all the things that made him who he was! He started to shake again. And then the short man had swooped down on him, knowing that he'd be too scared to move. He should have known. But when the man in the wheel chair had uttered that word . . . what was it again? Companion? Peer? Oh yes, friend. The boy sighed. Friend. Oh how he ached for one . . .
* * * *
Sigh. Well, hoped you liked it. I'm sorry *sniff* but this is very heavy stuff. *multiple sniffs* Well, review and tell me what you think!
Telaka: Yes, I'm planning on giving some of the x-men an appearance, but sadly, Gambit and Nightcrawler will not be in this one. Mmmm ... Gambit ... Nightcrawler .... *drools on table* Ok, back to reality. Please don't be disappointed if it takes a couple of chapters for them to appear. Oh, and I'm really sorry it was so short, but I wasn't sure if you guys would like it.
Ice Lynx: Well I'm glad you liked it so much. I'll warn you again though; it gets worse before it gets better.
Brazos: Well, someone has finally asked the question I was dreading. But at the same time I thank you for bringing it up. This person is an original character. An original character with no identity. Heh heh heh . . . . . sorry, but if you want to know more then you need to read on.
Also, thank you ZilentZombie, James L and Silken Shadow for reviewing!
Only Human
Chapter Two
(Five years later)
The bartender looked up, annoyed. That kid had been here for three nights now. Just sitting there, all night until it was time to close, and then he would just sit out side and wait for it to open again. What was even more annoying was the fact that the kid never bought a drink. Then again, he was probably too young to drink, but all the same, the bartender was sick of him. He decided it was time to get rid of him.
He left the space behind the bar and tapped the boy on the shoulder. The boy looked up, and the bartender shrank back, stunned. The boy's eyes . . . they were so old looking! Like this boy had seen so much suffering, that he just didn't care any more. He remembered that his father had returned from the Second World War with similar eyes. So full of pain . . .
"Yes?" The boy asked. The bartender shivered. The boy's voice was so hollow, so expressionless . . .
"Er . . . nothing" The bartender retreated back to the bar. This kid seriously needed to be left alone.
* * * *
"Hey, kid" The boy swivelled around in his chair to see a short, burly man with a hat pulled over his face.
"Yes?" The boy asked in that same emotionless, empty voice.
"Shouldn't ya be at home with your ma?" The boy barely blinked.
"I don't have a mother" The man frowned. This boy talked way too advanced for his years.
"How old are ya?"
"14" The man's frown deepened. Maybe, just maybe . . .
"What happened to yer family?"
"My mother abandoned me when I was 9"
"Why?" Now it was the boy's turn to frown. This made him look even older.
"That is no business of yours" This remark made the man laugh.
"Yer right, it ain't" The man leaned closer.
"Was it because yer a mutant?" He whispered. This made the boy stand up, his face twisted with rage.
"Do you know how many people made that claim when they heard that I had been abandoned?!" He whispered back furiously.
"Do you know the pain I went through?! The suffering?! The agony you humans inflict on people you don't understand?!" The boy realised the mistake he had made to late.
"What do ya mean 'you humans'?" The man grinned.
"It was just a figure of speech."
"Sure it was. So what can you do?" The boy looked down, defeated, his expressionless mask back in place.
"I don't know. I was tested positive for the mutant gene when I was 9."
"Same year your mother abandoned you?"
"Same day" The man could hear the unhappiness in the kid's voice. No kid, no matter how old, should have that amount of sorrow locked away.
"Kid . . . . I think I might know someone who can help you." The boy gave a hollow laugh. Not a pleasant laugh, no, this laugh didn't have any happiness in it at all.
"No one can help me now." He croaked, his mouth twitching into a colourless, despairing smile.
"Maybe not, but that won't stop me from tryin'"
* * * *
Logan studied the kid closely. Ever since they had left the bar he'd been silent. As if hoping . . . no, that wasn't right. It was more like he was waiting for something promised to him along time ago. Love? No, defiantly not. Acceptance? Maybe, he didn't know. The professor would, though. Logan sneezed; the kid reeked of sorrow. It was like someone had sprayed him with it. There were some pretty depressed people at the mansion, but compared to this guy, they probably woke up every morning whistling 'I'm walking on sunshine.' Wait a second, what if the professor couldn't help him? Logan frowned as the thought occurred to him. Of course he would! He was telepathic, after all.
"You all right, kid?" The boy didn't answer him.
"Kid?"
"Hello? Kid?" Ok, maybe not. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"What's yer name?" Silence. Logan gave up. The kid obviously wasn't going to answer him. He turned a corner, and there it was. The mansion. Looming over them . . . Logan looked over at the boy to see his reaction. The boy just sat there with his eyes on the road. Logan wasn't even sure he'd seen it yet. Logan cleared his throat.
"There it is" He said, pointing. The boy didn't even acknowledge him. Logan started to get angry then. Opening the glove box, he grabbed a cigar, and thrust it between his teeth. He pulled into the drive way and stopped the car.
"Out" He grunted. The boy looked at him, surprised. Suddenly, he nodded, more to himself then to Logan, and stepped carefully out of the car. He then quietly followed Logan out to the front door. It opened to reveal . . .
"Ah, Logan, forgive me if I wonder why you are back from the bar so early? And who is your friend?" The boy looked up at the word 'friend'.
"I dunno Chuck; I was hopin' you'd tell me" Suddenly, Logan's nose twitched. Was that fear he smelt on the boy?
"Logan, I need you to take him to one of the spare rooms up stairs . . . and hurry!" Xavier said urgently. Logan scooped up the trembling boy and sprinted up the stairs.
* * * *
The boy looked around the room they had put him in. They had imprisoned him. Not surprising really. He cursed himself for trusting the short man; he should have known that no one would take that much of an interest in him. After all, if his own mother had abandoned him, then there would have to be something wrong with him, something no one could love . . . and he had accepted it. And then the short man had come and put dangerous ideas in his head, which had caused him to hope . . . A single tear slid down his cheek. Suddenly, he shook himself violently. No! Emotion was weakness. He couldn't afford to show any Weakness, not now! If there was one thing that the streets had taught him, it was that in a crisis, you couldn't afford to let emotion cloud your brain.
The boy's thoughts drifted to the man in the wheel chair, and he shivered. The man had tried to probe his mind . . . and how it had hurt him to stand there, helpless, while the man delved into his privet history; his very essence; all the things that made him who he was! He started to shake again. And then the short man had swooped down on him, knowing that he'd be too scared to move. He should have known. But when the man in the wheel chair had uttered that word . . . what was it again? Companion? Peer? Oh yes, friend. The boy sighed. Friend. Oh how he ached for one . . .
* * * *
Sigh. Well, hoped you liked it. I'm sorry *sniff* but this is very heavy stuff. *multiple sniffs* Well, review and tell me what you think!