CHAPTER 17: POWER PLAYS
Victor surveyed the damage after the youngsters departed. Toys, books, clothes and other objects not belonging to him were scattered everywhere. Only the adults were left in the living room. Victor heaved a huge sigh. It would take at least two hours of steady cleaning and straightening to set his home right again. Logan chuckled. If only his secret was really known to his various employers! Victor the mean...vicious...henchmen/grunt known as Sabretooth... was...a neat freak. Logan would just bet that this tornado scattered debris room was grating on his brother's nerves. Much to Logan surprise, Victor ignored the mess and walked over to his son.
"Not to be nosy, but why are you and your wrecking crew here?" Victor asked.
"Well, an old friend asked if I would speak at the summit about the mutant phenomenon."
"Does this old friend of yours know you are the son of mutants and the father of mutants?" Victor asked with a gleam in his eye.
"No. He doesn't. I just happened to be quite the authority on them, not just because they are numerous in my family, but because I do have a doctorate in genetics." Graydon said.
"Just which old friend invited you to speak at the summit?" Victor asked.
"George McKenna. You know, the President of the United States. I knew him in the service. We trained together. Well, when he asked I said yes. It's kinda like a getting a summons to do a command performance for the Queen and her family. So I'll be there speaking in front of all those leaders and such. I'm trying to put all my knowledge in a five page speech and to put into words that everyone can understand. Not a very easy task I can tell you that." Victor frowned. Graydon noticed.
"Ok, ok, I'll try to make it as understandable in layman terms as much as I can." Graydon said seeing his father's face.
"Good idea, Graydon." Victor sighed. His son and maybe his family will be at this summit that Magneto wanted to crash in the harshest way possible.
"You know dad, things for mutants really wouldn't be so bad if we could get Senator Kelly and his cronies just to shut the hell up." He was startled to hear a growl coming not from his father but from someone else. He hadn't really noticed anyone else except his father. Graydon looked at Bell. "Uh, do I have a sister I don't know about?" He stood up and walked over to Bell. "Did I say something to upset you?"
"Senator Kelly!" Bell said practically spitting. She growled some more.
"Jeez dad, she's just like you." Graydon said, sounding excited. "I wonder what kind of...." He trailed off lost in deep thought as he stared intently at her.
"No, she is not your sister and she's not going to become one of your experiments, either." Victor said sternly. "I'll explain later. Right now, all I want is a shower and change my clothes."
"That might be difficult at the moment. Sandra is giving Theodore a bath." Graydon said still staring at Bell in fascination.
"Theodore! Who is Theodore?" Asked Victor surprised.
"The youngest." Graydon said smiling.
"You have a new terror monger?" Victor said astonished. "What are you trying to do? Start your own race?"
"Talk to Sandra, she's insisting in all the children. Heck, I wanted to stop at Steven, but Sandra.....did not." Bell giggled, and Logan gave a hearty laugh.
"You know if you wanted to stop having kids, you should have stopped having....." Logan started.
"Daddy, daddy!" Came a gleeful shout from a very small child, he couldn't be more then three years old, if that. He went to his father and he bent down and picked him up. The child was quite active and it took no time at all for him to notice the new arrivals. "Who that, daddy?" Theodore asked.
"This big guy here is your grandfather." Graydon said to Theodore. Theodore cocked his head. "Pawpaw." A brilliant smile came over the toddler's face.
"Pawpaw!" The boy started chanting and demanded to be let down. Graydon put him down and Theodore ran to the big fellow. Without fanfare the boy started climbing up Victor's torso like he was a tree. Victor being curious to see if the child could make it all the way up to his shoulders didn't interfere with the tot's progress.
"Really Theodore, your grandfather is not a tree." A female voice said firmly. The voice belonged to a very beautiful woman in her forties. She had bright brown reddish hair and bright green eyes. She had just arrived into the room unnoticed. It was the formable mom. Theodore not being that old just yet ignored her or didn't hear her as he continued his quest to make it to the top of his 'tree'.
Having the agility of a monkey and the determination that all toddlers seem to have he made it to his desired destination. He gave his large grandfather a hug and kissed him on his cheek and called him "Pawpaw!" Victor's face got a soft look to it and he hugged the child back.
"Hey there Teddy Bear!" Victor said chuckling.
"His name is Theodore, Victor." Sandra said, making no mistake in her tone that he was not going to be called Teddy Bear. Victor was not impressed and ignored her. He grabbed the tot and held him over his head then he toss the kid up high up in the air. Victor heard the baby's mother gasp. Theodore on the other hand was laughing a squealing with delight. Victor easy caught him and started to tickle the kid with his thumbnails and Theodore giggled louder and faster then ever.
"Feisty little guy, isn't he?" Victor laughed. He liked the new addition. "Teddy Bear, ya got potential." Then what Sandra had feared.
"Teddy Bear! Teddy Bear!" Theodore said. Sandra heaved a great sigh. Now she was sure that he would not answer any other name now. Victor in a few seconds had undone several years of hard work. No one was allowed to give him a nick name and there it was; he now had one thanks to her father-in-law.
"Thanks." Sandra said with venom.
"You're welcome, dear." Victor smiled. He revenge for their invasion was now complete.
"You may put Theodore down now." Sandra ordered.
"Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear!" Theodore said. Victor put Theodore, now christen Teddy Bear, down and Sandra picked him up and stalked out of the room giving Victor a glare that would have melted adamantium. Victor always like Sandra, she was not easy intimidated and feared him not in the least.
"Dad, did you honestly have to do that?" He hooked at his father's broad grin. "Yeah, I guess you did. Lucky it wasn't worse." Graydon said meekly. He kept staring at Bell.
"Listen now that the master bedroom's bath is no long occupied, I'll take a shower and Bell, you can tell Graydon all about your experience with Senator Voided Personality." Victor said and left the room in a few strides.
"You had a bad experience with Kelly, too?" Graydon got a devious look in his eye, "Tell me all about it." He smiled engagingly.