Second Best
AN. Thanks every one for reviewing! I am ill right now, so that gives me time to write. Keep on reviewing and telling me what you think!
Love to all reviewers,
Bry
Sumerstormes@aol.com
Chapter 2
Choices
Bobby Drake wasn't as different from Ronny as his brother thought. He sat alone in his room at Xavier's School for Gifted Children pondering a choice. In his hands he fiddled with the com-link that every member of the X-Men team carried. On the desk in front of him were a collection of school books. The books belonged in the dorm room more so then the com-link. He ran his finger over the X forged out of the silver like metal.
His choice involved the very institution he lived at. Not long after his fifteenth birthday, he received a letter congratulating him on his efforts in his first year in high school. The writer, Professor Charles Xavier, offered him the chance to study in his boarding school in upper New York State. In the brochure included in the packet, it talked about all the opportunities available at his school including almost one-on-one teacher interaction, excelled classes, and numerous field trips across the state. It terrified him to think about moving out of his home, but after talking about it with his parents; they agreed to setup an interview with the professor. His parents had always been extra concerned with his college education, and they would permit anything that would allow him the chance to enter an Ivy-League school.
The professor came one day to their house since he had business in Boston, and accompanying him was the school's doctor, Dr. Jean Grey. While the professor talked with his parents about all their concerns, Dr. Grey sat him down for an interview. He remembered sitting there, being scared about his first interview ever, tugging on his shirt collar since it felt like it was choking him. She asked him a few questions, her steady green eyes staring at him, and then took a pamphlet out of her bag. "Read this when you are alone." She said softly, and motioned him to put it away. They both got up and met with his parents.
Later when he read the pamphlet, he realized he was not alone. It spoke about the one thing he feared. That he was alone. Recently, he always felt cold, sometimes so cold his own breathe condensed when he breathed. He didn't think to terribly about it except he always wore heavy sweaters, even though it was summer. He became concerned when one day he woke up and realized his hand was frozen to his pillow. In fact the pillow was a block of ice. The pamphlet spoke about how Xavier's school was a place for mutants to learn how to control their powers, and to be protected from the world which was becoming more hostile to them. It barely took some encouraging for his parents to send him to an ultra academic school, although Bobby himself was terrified. He had never left home before, and he didn't know what he would do without his parents and his thirteen year old brother Ronny. They had always been close, and now he had to leave him because he was different. After he left, that's when things changed between Ronny and him.
Ronny started to become hostile, and many times Bobby received emails and letters from him talking about how there were mutants in his schools, and how freakish they were. Bobby always joked them off, but it scared him that his own brother wouldn't have been able to accept him. So he didn't tell his family for two years.
Then one day it all changed. The school had been attacked by the US Army because of the organization that hid below the school's floors. Though the school was genuine, it also proved as a wonderful front for the X-Men. Every teacher in the school was a member of this team set up to protect the human and mutant race from the attacks from humans and mutants alike. He was fortunate to get out of the building alive along with his best friend and enemy John, his new girlfriend Rogue, and the very hostile Logan, who wasn't exactly a teacher or an X-Man then.
They took a car and retreated to Boston where Dr. Grey and another teacher, Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm, were searching for the mutant who attacked the president. They stopped at his house, and changed from their PJ's, when his parents came home. They were scared to see their son with these strangers, and demanded an explanation immediately. So he told them what he had been hiding for two years. He was a mutant.
They flipped out, not understanding how this could happen to them. Rogue tried to show the positive effects of his mutation, but they didn't understand. He had lied to them about who he really was. Ronny was the most upset, judging from the fact he called the cops on them. John didn't appreciate the sentiment, and used his fire wielding power to torch Bobby's house pretty well. Eventually Rogue stopped him with her mutant ability, she stole his power, and then Dr. Grey and Storm came with the highly advanced jet, the Blackbird. Before he boarded the jet, he looked up and saw his parents hugging Ronny, watching Bobby make a choice. He thought he saw Ronny mouth, "I hate you."
And then Bobby left. The events that happened afterward were extraordinary. The Air Force followed the Black bird and shot them down before becoming victims of Storm's tornados. He almost lost Rogue since her seat belt didn't fasten, but the mutant who attacked the president saved her. Before they crashed, they were saved by their most notorious enemy Magneto and his accomplice Mystique. They then went to a base called Alkali Lake because a military doctor was planning on killing all the mutants in the world using the professor, who had the ability to connect his mind with everyone else's in the world using a device called Cerebro. Before the X-Men saved the day, John left the jet despite what Storm told them, and he went off with Magneto, who abandoned them. Rogue and him were attacked by the professor and almost died from the pain, the dam exploded, and Dr. Jean Grey was killed saving them launching the disabled jet into the sky using her powers.
That day took all of Bobby's innocence away. That very day he was given a suit, and was named a member of the X-Men.
And that brought him back to present day. He had a choice to make again. He stared at the college applications sitting on his desk. He could leave the nest that he had made his home, or he could continue his education like he always dreamt of. He toyed with the link on his desk, not knowing what he could do.
Bobby had already done the most challenging thing. He had phoned his parents. He had thought of doing so during that year, but he couldn't bring himself up to it. He was afraid of what they would say. But the week before, he phoned his mother, and she all but started crying on the phone. She wanted him to visit home. His family wanted him back. He made plans of going during Thanksgiving vacation, and decide his choice then.
Setting the link down, he stood up from his desk chair. He stretched and walked down out of his room, one of hundreds in this lavish Victorian mansion. Walking down the hallway, he shot glances into the doors he past. Students were doing there homework, or fooling around. He saw some of their faces, and wondered if he had ever been that young.
Bobby walked down the grand staircase to the first floor. He ran a hand through his brown hair and sighed. His hair was a tad longer then usual, but he had been too worried about college to even think about getting a hair cut. There were bags under his piercing blue eyes that were usually filled with laughter and good humor.
He walked into the main Rec. room and glanced at the kids watching TV or fooling around with the foosball table. He almost felt like he didn't belong. He felt old. Even though he was eighteen years old, the last year really aged him. Being a junior member of the X-Men meant long hours of training and doing the heavy load of homework. Only a select few of other kids his age were even considering doing what he did in a day.
In the corner, he saw one of the only people actually doing what he was doing. Her dark brown hair was cut shorter then normal with two long wisps of hair framing her face. She fondly called them her skunk strips. She sat with a younger student, tutoring him which looked to be a math problem. Math wasn't Rogue's strong point, but considering this student was almost ten years younger then him, Bobby thought she could handle it.
He went over to the couch, and without ceremony squished between to flirting teens. Tracie gave him the evil eye, her Scottish temper brewing. He just smiled at her as he promptly stole the remote off her.
"That isn't very nice, Bobby." her words blurred in her anger. "We were watching that!"
Bobby channeled surfed looking for the baseball game. "Sure you were. That's why Jaime is red as a beat." He smiled when he saw the Red Sox fill the widescreen. "Go cuddle somewhere else; I just know the Sox are going to make it."
Jamie diplomatically remained quiet, even though his fair skin did burn brighter. Tracie had other ideas. "Bobby Drake, I can just scream." If anyone else had made the threat he wouldn't have been worried, but Tracie's codename was Syrin, and with one peep, he could be withering on the ground in pain. She looked over at Jaime. Tracie stood up and shook her blonde hair. "Come on Jaime. Let's leave this waste of particles alone." she paused to give him a death stare. "I bet no one will be by the fountain."
He barely glanced as the teens left, though he felt a smile form on his face. Dating in the mutant world wasn't tough when you lived with your crush every day. He watched the game, and cursed the score. He was so involved he didn't notice when someone sat down next to him.
"…I never really noticed how cute Scott was before."
Bobby's head turned sharply. "What?"
Rogue's green eyes sparkled back at him. "Gotcha!"
"Very funny." he muttered. "How is your day going?"
She leaned against him, one of her gloved hands sat on his knee. "For a Saturday? Not bad. I finally think little Sammie knows how to multiply." She looked him over. "Are you ok, Bobby?"
He looked down at her. Even though they were sitting, he still towered over her frame. "I'm just dandy. Couldn't ask for more. Well, maybe if the Sox could win…"
She leaned up. "I know you Drake. What's eating you?"
He looked around the room, and noticed almost everybody had cleared out. "Well maybe since I haven't kissed you in a while." He bent down quickly before she could protest, and he slid his mouth onto hers. He wrapped his arms around her and enjoyed the sensation, even though in the back of his mind he was counting. 5 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi… When he hit one, he felt the pull of her power. Before his heart was jumpstarted literally, he pulled back and smiled at her.
She gave him a stern look, even though there was pleasure in her eyes. "You know," she exhaled a stream of ice, "I could really hurt you."
He shook his head cockily. "Only if you broke my heart."
She hit his arm, but her eyes were still filled with concerned. "Just keep on being careful." She cuddled into his arms.
They sat there for a bit, while they watched the game. The one thing Bobby would miss about the school would be Rogue. When she came almost a year and half ago, she was frightened all the time. She had been on the run ever since her powers manifested. With one touch, if you held on to her, she could suck life force, or if you were a mutant, your power. She was the only other person he knew that covered up as much as he usually did. And after a year of dating, she still wasn't comfortable with his touching her, although he would like to think that he was building up and immunity to her power. She would rather say she was barely controlling it better. Even though she considered her mutation a curse, he considered it a gift since it brought her to him.
She stirred in his arms. "What's that vibrating?"
Bobby gave her a smile, "Well my dear, when a guy and…Oh!" He rubbed his shoulder. "What was that for?"
"For being a male, but seriously, is that your phone going off?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his newly earned cell phone. He had forgotten he put it on vibrate. "Oh. Hold on." He pressed the on button and placed it to his ears. "Hello? City morgue, you stab them, we slab them. Oh!" he sent Rogue a look. She smiled innocently. "Mom? Sorry. Yes, I know my humor is morbid. How are you? It's nice for you to call me." There was a longing in his voice.
Rogue leaned in and tried to listen, but stopped when his face paled.
"Ronny? Are you sure? No, it's not a problem. I'll be on the next train. Yes mom, it won't be like last time. What did you find? I'll be there soon." He hung up the phone and stared ahead for a moment.
"Bobby, what's wrong?"
"Ronny. My brother ran away yesterday."
"Ran away, could he have… become a mutant?"
He shook his head. "I don't think so. My mom found something in his room. I think he left because of me. I think he…" He couldn't speak. "I need to get a ride to the station. I need to help my family look for him."
She stood up. "I'll go with you."
Bobby shook his head. "No, I need to go on my own. My family isn't over our last visit. I think it would be better if it was just me." He looked at her. Even though she tried to always be tough, he knew she was hurt. "Don't worry. I will be back soon. I'll call you every chance I can get." He hugged her with all his might.
"I'll drive you."
"But you don't have a car."
She smiled sweetly. "I can always convince Logan to lend me his bike."
He envisioned them flying down the windy roads, and he laughed. He laughed harder then he had in awhile.
HIT THE PURPLE/BLUE BUTTON! PLEASE!