Chapter 10
Normal POV
Everyone in the room gaped as the innocent words came from the boy's mouth, what was going on? The professor was the first to recover from the shock, "If you are not Todd who are you?"
The small figure on the table shrugged his shoulders sitting up pert and straight backed, "I have many names; my Master left me with you so I am what you name me Sir."
The professor shook his head vigorously, "No, you do not belong to me, I am a friend, and what do most people call you if not Todd?" Genuine curiosity colored the professor's tone, he was intrigued by what was going on with the small mutant.
The unnamed teen sitting on the table hesitated and the professor thought that perhaps he wasn't used to be asked about anything where he had to make a decision so he lowered his voice to a commanding level before talking to him again, "Tell me what others call you."
The command seemed to do the trick as he straightened again his eyes shining, obviously wanting to please, "Master always called me Kirei, but I am also whore, slave, freak....." The professor cut him off by waving his hand, he didn't want to hear anymore, "So where is Todd? I want to talk to him."
A glazed expression came over Kirei's face as he seemed to be holding a conversation in his head, when he returned he lowered his eyes to the floor and clasped his hands in front of his knees; "Todd doesn't want to come out, I'm sorry Master I really tried." He tenses as if expecting a blow or some sort of punishment.
Gesturing, the professor tries to reassure him that he won't get punished for this; "It's okay Kirei, I understand that he may not want to come out, but why not?"
Again that not quite there expression slides across his face and suddenly it is as if we are looking at a new person, his face tightens darkly and the his eyes go flat and hard, much to old in a soft face, "Todd doesn't want to come the fuck out, he's safe and all of you can leave him the hell alone."
Lance jumps in quickly his eyes large, "Who are you? You're definitely not Todd."
Laughing coldly the boy turned man on the table looks at us, "Ya got that right Rocky, the names Protector, how do you think Todd managed to survive on the streets, his own thieving skills? Hell no, especially when he was still that pretty boy from the mansion. I'm the one who leaks out when he is in a real fight not the pathetic one-upmanship that you and these X- holes seem to engage in. Now I am warning you, ALL of you to leave Todd alone, or there will be hell to pay for I am a part of him, just hidden to him, and I will be watching."
With that his face softened back into the gentle features of Kirei, who quickly had a slightly fearful expression on his face; he jumped quickly off the table and basically collapsed on his knees next to the Professor. "I'm sorry Sir, he usually only comes out when we are on the streets, never when I am with someone, I am deeply sorry Sir."
Kirei remained bowed on the floor, his shoulders tensed as if expecting something crashing down on him, he flinched when the professor rested a single hand on his shoulder, "It is no issue Kirei, now, you will be needing new clothes and perhaps we can get rid of that ...thing... around your neck, hmmmm?
Saying this the professor reached for the leather around Kirei's neck; Lance and Pietro immediately tensed, they had warned Xavier, but if he didn't listen they wouldn't be responsible for the results.
Kirei's hands immediately flew to his neck and he clutched it like a lifeline, "but..but Master gave it to me, he would be mad if I took it off, my..my powers, I need it."
He backed away into a corner of the room curling up, wrapping his arms around himself in a hug and rocking back and forth; the professor stopped what he had been attempting and instead asked a question, "Will you show us your power Kirei, the ones we don't know about?"
Logan remembered who they were talking to when he saw the hesitance to answer the question, and instead changed it to an order, his voice a near growl and very commanding; "Show us your powers."
First Kirei opened his mouth and the others watched as he purposefully removed two caps that were covering his canines. The party watched stunned as the two teeth grew to about 6 inches, very long, very slender fangs, indicating the fangs he spoke, "Thessssse are my fangsssss, they contain a powerful neurotoxin which can kill or ssssstun depending on what I want." Leaving them out he waited for the reactions of the group.
Logan spoke again, a rough curiosity coloring his voice, "Is that the extent of your other powers?"
Shaking his head Kirei stood and walked closer to them holding out his arm retracting his fangs as he walked; those around him watched as he slowly grasped his arm at the wrist. Tabby nearly screamed in surprise as he very quickly and neatly pulled his wrist back until it snapped, breaking the bone instantly; everyone in the room could hear the bone nearly shatter and he pulled it with all his weight. He barely winced through what must have been a hell of a lot of pain.
Beast jumped forward, intent on stopping whatever it was he was doing, instead Logan held him back instead talking to Kirei, "What did you just do?"
Kirei pointed to his wrist and simply said, "Watch."
Everyone gaped as they literally watched the bone knit itself back together, after about 20 minutes Kirei rotated it and nodded in satisfaction.
Beast immediately walked to the smaller mutant, "So you can heal yourself? Very interesting, can you heal anything?"
"I cannot heal bruises or strained muscles, anything but full breaks."
Ignoring Beast for the moment, Kirei shook his head moving over to a small counter area, "Did you want to see my other power? You told me to show you, right Sir?" He said this addressing Logan since he was the one who had first asked about it.
Logan nodded, not as assuredly as he had before, after seeing the kid break his own wrist he wasn't sure he wanted to see what else he could do, it was disturbing even to him to watch someone purposely break their own bone with such severity.
Kirei took a deep breath as he picked up a small scalpel that had been lying on the counter, before anyone could stop him he very neatly pushed down with all his weight on the scalpel, going through his finger.
Tabby let out a sob and turned into Lance's chest clutching his shirt in her fists; Lance and Pietro just stood in shock as they watched the boy they thought of as a younger brother slice off his own finger. (I know, I know, very icky, but wait and see!! Utterly cool!)
Even the adults in the room were shell shocked at the violence of the action, not fully comprehending what he had just done. They watched calmly as Kirei lifted up his hand and they watched amazed as it had already started to heal and reknit the bone. "It will probably not be fully regrown until tomorrow afternoon, but I assume you can tell what is happening, like some reptiles/amphibians I can regrow any lost appendage, as long as it is not my head."
Kirei giggled lightly at the statement, much like a child who had just made a joke, it was not what should have been coming out of a mouth that had just done what he had. Silence permeated the room as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, waiting for something.
Suddenly Xavier spoke, "Ororo said she is bringing down some clothes and then we need to tell the other X-men that you four," he gestured at the three brotherhood members and Tabby, "Will be staying."
Lance laid his head down on Tabby's with a quiet and heavily sarcastic, "Shit, that sure will be fun, don't you agree 'Tro?"
Pietro leaned against a wall his eyes clouding over slightly, "Father isn't going to be happy, he really isn't...." His eyes clouded further as he started to slip down the wall.
Lance immediately straightened up, "Oh Fuck, Not now! Tabby , the hypodermic and the bottle are in the inside pocket of my jacket, hurry, Todd if you are in there get the fuck out now!"
Tabby immediately went to get them, it was obvious this had happened before; Lance hurried over to the boy on collapsed against the wall grabbing him he sank to the floor cradling him like a small child against his chest; it was at this point you could have mistaken him for the 40 year old father of a troubled teen, rather then an 18 year old boy holding someone only two years younger then him. Pietro's hands wrapped around his shirt grounding him somewhat.
"C'mon Tro, you're stronger then this, hold on Tabby is getting it, just breathe okay? That's right deep breaths c'mon breathe, ya gotta slow down, slow breaths, in, out, in, out, in, out; that's good..."
The three X-men watched as suddenly Todd joined Lance on the floor; Lance looked up at him, and recognized Todd, not Kirei was in control, "Welcome back, Tabby is grabbing it."
Todd nodded and grabbed one of Pietro's hands, his hazy eyes moved over to the smaller teen, "T..T..o..dd.dd" he tried to speak.
Todd shook his head, "Pietro shut up, you know I'd come out to help, you both suck, seriously."
Lance cracked a small smile as he held Pietro, "Ya better just stick around for now."
Todd nodded knowing that he could retreat at any time he wanted, but he might as well agree for the moment.
Just then Tabby came racing back in holding a small bottle and a long hypodermic needle, she looked at Lance and when he nodded handed both of them to Todd, "Lance take off his shirt and grab his arms, I fuckin' hate doing this" Todd quickly filled the needle with a clear liquid from the bottle, he then tapped it to make sure that there were no air bubbles to kill Pietro.
Kneeling over Pietro Todd took the needle and carefully positioned it over his heart, "Okay, Tro deep breath on one, two, three...." Saying this he plunged the needle quickly into Pietro's heart pushing down the plunger to get all the medication out.
After this the teen stepped back, immediately removing the hypodermic and disposing it in the corner. He grabbed the shirt he saw in the corner and threw it on moving back next to Lance and the others.
The Professor and the other X-men immediately looked to the three teens for an explanation of what was going on, and both Tabby and Todd looked over at Lance, waiting for his word.
Lance stood lifting Pietro with him as if he were nothing, obviously more was hidden in his slender form then they could see, he let out a sigh, "I'll explain as best I can, but first I need a bed to put Pietro in, he'll sleep for at least a few hours, Todd you look exhausted as well, lay down with him."
The smaller teen nodded, much too tired to even care, though he did look to the older teen, "Lance can you pick this lock first?" he asked gesturing at the thing around his neck.
He nodded and handed Pietro to Tabby for a moment as he pulled a small case from one of the numerous pockets within his coat. Opening it a bunch of locksmiths and picking tools were revealed. He pulled out a small one and immediately set to work.
The adults watched as skillful fingers immediately plied the lock open and removed the collar handing it to Todd who tucked it in his pocket. Lance picked Pietro back up, cradling him against his chest as he looked at the Professor.
Xavier nodded at Beast who walked further down the long hall to a set of doors, opening them he gestured Lance to set Pietro on one of the beds inside.
Tabby was right behind him and she drew back the sheets on the bed. Todd immediately hopped onto one side of the bed settling down immediately. Lance gently set Pietro down on the bed, removing his shoes and Tabby drew up the soft blankets around the two teens
Walking out Lance closed the door softly behind him, swinging one arm over Tabby's shoulder and using other to massage his face tiredly. "I suppose we owe you an explanation, I'll try to explain what I know."
Normal POV
Everyone in the room gaped as the innocent words came from the boy's mouth, what was going on? The professor was the first to recover from the shock, "If you are not Todd who are you?"
The small figure on the table shrugged his shoulders sitting up pert and straight backed, "I have many names; my Master left me with you so I am what you name me Sir."
The professor shook his head vigorously, "No, you do not belong to me, I am a friend, and what do most people call you if not Todd?" Genuine curiosity colored the professor's tone, he was intrigued by what was going on with the small mutant.
The unnamed teen sitting on the table hesitated and the professor thought that perhaps he wasn't used to be asked about anything where he had to make a decision so he lowered his voice to a commanding level before talking to him again, "Tell me what others call you."
The command seemed to do the trick as he straightened again his eyes shining, obviously wanting to please, "Master always called me Kirei, but I am also whore, slave, freak....." The professor cut him off by waving his hand, he didn't want to hear anymore, "So where is Todd? I want to talk to him."
A glazed expression came over Kirei's face as he seemed to be holding a conversation in his head, when he returned he lowered his eyes to the floor and clasped his hands in front of his knees; "Todd doesn't want to come out, I'm sorry Master I really tried." He tenses as if expecting a blow or some sort of punishment.
Gesturing, the professor tries to reassure him that he won't get punished for this; "It's okay Kirei, I understand that he may not want to come out, but why not?"
Again that not quite there expression slides across his face and suddenly it is as if we are looking at a new person, his face tightens darkly and the his eyes go flat and hard, much to old in a soft face, "Todd doesn't want to come the fuck out, he's safe and all of you can leave him the hell alone."
Lance jumps in quickly his eyes large, "Who are you? You're definitely not Todd."
Laughing coldly the boy turned man on the table looks at us, "Ya got that right Rocky, the names Protector, how do you think Todd managed to survive on the streets, his own thieving skills? Hell no, especially when he was still that pretty boy from the mansion. I'm the one who leaks out when he is in a real fight not the pathetic one-upmanship that you and these X- holes seem to engage in. Now I am warning you, ALL of you to leave Todd alone, or there will be hell to pay for I am a part of him, just hidden to him, and I will be watching."
With that his face softened back into the gentle features of Kirei, who quickly had a slightly fearful expression on his face; he jumped quickly off the table and basically collapsed on his knees next to the Professor. "I'm sorry Sir, he usually only comes out when we are on the streets, never when I am with someone, I am deeply sorry Sir."
Kirei remained bowed on the floor, his shoulders tensed as if expecting something crashing down on him, he flinched when the professor rested a single hand on his shoulder, "It is no issue Kirei, now, you will be needing new clothes and perhaps we can get rid of that ...thing... around your neck, hmmmm?
Saying this the professor reached for the leather around Kirei's neck; Lance and Pietro immediately tensed, they had warned Xavier, but if he didn't listen they wouldn't be responsible for the results.
Kirei's hands immediately flew to his neck and he clutched it like a lifeline, "but..but Master gave it to me, he would be mad if I took it off, my..my powers, I need it."
He backed away into a corner of the room curling up, wrapping his arms around himself in a hug and rocking back and forth; the professor stopped what he had been attempting and instead asked a question, "Will you show us your power Kirei, the ones we don't know about?"
Logan remembered who they were talking to when he saw the hesitance to answer the question, and instead changed it to an order, his voice a near growl and very commanding; "Show us your powers."
First Kirei opened his mouth and the others watched as he purposefully removed two caps that were covering his canines. The party watched stunned as the two teeth grew to about 6 inches, very long, very slender fangs, indicating the fangs he spoke, "Thessssse are my fangsssss, they contain a powerful neurotoxin which can kill or ssssstun depending on what I want." Leaving them out he waited for the reactions of the group.
Logan spoke again, a rough curiosity coloring his voice, "Is that the extent of your other powers?"
Shaking his head Kirei stood and walked closer to them holding out his arm retracting his fangs as he walked; those around him watched as he slowly grasped his arm at the wrist. Tabby nearly screamed in surprise as he very quickly and neatly pulled his wrist back until it snapped, breaking the bone instantly; everyone in the room could hear the bone nearly shatter and he pulled it with all his weight. He barely winced through what must have been a hell of a lot of pain.
Beast jumped forward, intent on stopping whatever it was he was doing, instead Logan held him back instead talking to Kirei, "What did you just do?"
Kirei pointed to his wrist and simply said, "Watch."
Everyone gaped as they literally watched the bone knit itself back together, after about 20 minutes Kirei rotated it and nodded in satisfaction.
Beast immediately walked to the smaller mutant, "So you can heal yourself? Very interesting, can you heal anything?"
"I cannot heal bruises or strained muscles, anything but full breaks."
Ignoring Beast for the moment, Kirei shook his head moving over to a small counter area, "Did you want to see my other power? You told me to show you, right Sir?" He said this addressing Logan since he was the one who had first asked about it.
Logan nodded, not as assuredly as he had before, after seeing the kid break his own wrist he wasn't sure he wanted to see what else he could do, it was disturbing even to him to watch someone purposely break their own bone with such severity.
Kirei took a deep breath as he picked up a small scalpel that had been lying on the counter, before anyone could stop him he very neatly pushed down with all his weight on the scalpel, going through his finger.
Tabby let out a sob and turned into Lance's chest clutching his shirt in her fists; Lance and Pietro just stood in shock as they watched the boy they thought of as a younger brother slice off his own finger. (I know, I know, very icky, but wait and see!! Utterly cool!)
Even the adults in the room were shell shocked at the violence of the action, not fully comprehending what he had just done. They watched calmly as Kirei lifted up his hand and they watched amazed as it had already started to heal and reknit the bone. "It will probably not be fully regrown until tomorrow afternoon, but I assume you can tell what is happening, like some reptiles/amphibians I can regrow any lost appendage, as long as it is not my head."
Kirei giggled lightly at the statement, much like a child who had just made a joke, it was not what should have been coming out of a mouth that had just done what he had. Silence permeated the room as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, waiting for something.
Suddenly Xavier spoke, "Ororo said she is bringing down some clothes and then we need to tell the other X-men that you four," he gestured at the three brotherhood members and Tabby, "Will be staying."
Lance laid his head down on Tabby's with a quiet and heavily sarcastic, "Shit, that sure will be fun, don't you agree 'Tro?"
Pietro leaned against a wall his eyes clouding over slightly, "Father isn't going to be happy, he really isn't...." His eyes clouded further as he started to slip down the wall.
Lance immediately straightened up, "Oh Fuck, Not now! Tabby , the hypodermic and the bottle are in the inside pocket of my jacket, hurry, Todd if you are in there get the fuck out now!"
Tabby immediately went to get them, it was obvious this had happened before; Lance hurried over to the boy on collapsed against the wall grabbing him he sank to the floor cradling him like a small child against his chest; it was at this point you could have mistaken him for the 40 year old father of a troubled teen, rather then an 18 year old boy holding someone only two years younger then him. Pietro's hands wrapped around his shirt grounding him somewhat.
"C'mon Tro, you're stronger then this, hold on Tabby is getting it, just breathe okay? That's right deep breaths c'mon breathe, ya gotta slow down, slow breaths, in, out, in, out, in, out; that's good..."
The three X-men watched as suddenly Todd joined Lance on the floor; Lance looked up at him, and recognized Todd, not Kirei was in control, "Welcome back, Tabby is grabbing it."
Todd nodded and grabbed one of Pietro's hands, his hazy eyes moved over to the smaller teen, "T..T..o..dd.dd" he tried to speak.
Todd shook his head, "Pietro shut up, you know I'd come out to help, you both suck, seriously."
Lance cracked a small smile as he held Pietro, "Ya better just stick around for now."
Todd nodded knowing that he could retreat at any time he wanted, but he might as well agree for the moment.
Just then Tabby came racing back in holding a small bottle and a long hypodermic needle, she looked at Lance and when he nodded handed both of them to Todd, "Lance take off his shirt and grab his arms, I fuckin' hate doing this" Todd quickly filled the needle with a clear liquid from the bottle, he then tapped it to make sure that there were no air bubbles to kill Pietro.
Kneeling over Pietro Todd took the needle and carefully positioned it over his heart, "Okay, Tro deep breath on one, two, three...." Saying this he plunged the needle quickly into Pietro's heart pushing down the plunger to get all the medication out.
After this the teen stepped back, immediately removing the hypodermic and disposing it in the corner. He grabbed the shirt he saw in the corner and threw it on moving back next to Lance and the others.
The Professor and the other X-men immediately looked to the three teens for an explanation of what was going on, and both Tabby and Todd looked over at Lance, waiting for his word.
Lance stood lifting Pietro with him as if he were nothing, obviously more was hidden in his slender form then they could see, he let out a sigh, "I'll explain as best I can, but first I need a bed to put Pietro in, he'll sleep for at least a few hours, Todd you look exhausted as well, lay down with him."
The smaller teen nodded, much too tired to even care, though he did look to the older teen, "Lance can you pick this lock first?" he asked gesturing at the thing around his neck.
He nodded and handed Pietro to Tabby for a moment as he pulled a small case from one of the numerous pockets within his coat. Opening it a bunch of locksmiths and picking tools were revealed. He pulled out a small one and immediately set to work.
The adults watched as skillful fingers immediately plied the lock open and removed the collar handing it to Todd who tucked it in his pocket. Lance picked Pietro back up, cradling him against his chest as he looked at the Professor.
Xavier nodded at Beast who walked further down the long hall to a set of doors, opening them he gestured Lance to set Pietro on one of the beds inside.
Tabby was right behind him and she drew back the sheets on the bed. Todd immediately hopped onto one side of the bed settling down immediately. Lance gently set Pietro down on the bed, removing his shoes and Tabby drew up the soft blankets around the two teens
Walking out Lance closed the door softly behind him, swinging one arm over Tabby's shoulder and using other to massage his face tiredly. "I suppose we owe you an explanation, I'll try to explain what I know."