Trying To Mend Fences
"Oh man they are still in there," Pietro had his ear next to the door. The Misfits were listening in on the conversation from another room in the Power house.
"At least the mom stopped screaming," Angelica said.
"That's because they gave her a sedative," Wanda said. "She's out like a light."
"Thank god we were able to come up with a cover story about Power inventing some new aircraft for the military," Althea groaned. "And the Press bought it." She looked outside and saw several military police protecting the house, keeping it cordoned off from the reporters.
"Too bad we couldn't do anything for the kids, I mean keep their secret from the military," Pietro said.
"What a way to get outed," Lance sighed. "I feel awful for those poor kids."
"They were only trying to protect their folks," Todd looked sad. "Do you think they'll throw 'em out?"
"They wouldn't do that! Would they?" Angelica was shocked.
"It's happened before," Lina replied sadly.
"So what's going to happen to them?" Todd asked.
"Spirit got on the horn to Hawk and he's talking with some big wigs," Althea said. "It could go any way now."
"Well at least we saved the planet," Lina said weakly.
"Then why do I feel like we lost?" Lance asked.
"HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS A SECRET FROM US?" Dr. Power could be heard screaming.
Shipwreck and Cover Girl walked into the room. "Is he still…?" Cover Girl began.
"Freaking out?" Lance asked.
"MY GOD! HOW COULD WE NOT NOTICE ALL OF THIS?" Dr. Power yelled.
"Yeah," Lance winced.
"I never should have opened up my mouth. I feel like the biggest rat in the world," Shipwreck groaned.
"Nah you're only the third or fourth biggest rat in the world," Cover Girl said. "But to be fair, I think seeing that spaceship crash into the back yard would have tipped them off anyway."
"YES, JACK YOU ARE GROUNDED!" Dr. Power opened up the door and yelled at his kids. "AND DON'T ASK ME HOW LONG!" He stormed out.
"Uh…" Shipwreck hesitated. "I think I got this one." He followed Dr. Power.
The Misfit kids peeked in. Katie was crying. Jack looked mad. Julie and Alex looked upset. "You kids okay?" Fred asked.
"We just got yelled at and grounded," Katie sobbed as she collapsed in Julie's arms. "Do we look okay to you?"
"Come on," Althea said. "It's not that bad."
"Not that bad? Are you crazy? How can you say that?" Jack exploded. "Our parents know all about our powers and it's all your fault!"
"Hey!" Pietro snapped. "I think the Snarks had quite a bit to do with that!"
"Yeah but if you guys didn't show up our folks would never have found out about all this!" Jack shouted.
"But Dad would still have been kidnapped," Alex told him. "He probably would have found out anyway. Maybe we should have told them a long time ago?"
"Does this mean Daddy doesn't love us anymore?" Katie sniffled.
"Oh no honey," Cover Girl went down to her level. "You're Daddy's just angry and upset. He still loves you."
"Are you sure?" Katie asked.
"Hey we know about yelling," Todd said. "Trust us, we're experts on the subject."
"At least he didn't call you monsters and disown you on the spot," Lina grumbled.
"Being grounded is a good sign," Pietro said. "It means they at least want you to stick around."
"Do you really believe that?" Jack looked at him.
"No I'm just grasping at straws," Pietro said.
"Freddy," Lance groaned. "It's your turn."
"Okay," Fred took a magazine from the bed, rolled it up and thwacked Pietro on the head. "Bad Quicksilver! Bad Quicksilver!"
Meanwhile downstairs in the kitchen, Dr. Power was having a beer with Shipwreck. "I must be the worst father in the history of the world…" He moaned.
"Please, " Shipwreck waved. "You're not even close to that title. Trust me, I've seen some real winners."
"It's all so obvious now," Dr. Power took off some pictures from the refrigerator. "Look at these! These are pictures Katie drew. There's Julie flying with a rainbow behind her. Jack as a cloud. A starship. Oh look, here's a weird looking horse fighting some giant lizards! If this isn't a sign I don't know what is!"
"Oh come on," Shipwreck said. "This doesn't mean anything. She's six. When my daughter was that age she was drawing pictures of herself as a ninja princess on flying unicorns. And they weren't true! Well…the flying unicorn parts anyway."
"All those times the kids were late or said they had a 'special project' to do…" Dr. Power moaned. "That they knew stuff about my inventions before even I did!"
"Kids are just naturally good with machines, mine are," Shipwreck said.
"The news reports of four kids with powers stopping crimes in the city? One of which had blonde pigtails?"
"Coincidence! A lot of girls have that very same hairstyle," Shipwreck tried to make him feel better. "That doesn't prove you were oblivious to what was going on. It just means the kids were very good at keeping secrets."
"The time the Fantastic Four showed up at our campsite when we were vacationing?" Dr. Power looked at him.
Shipwreck thought. "Okay that last one does sound a little weird," He admitted.
"And Carmody…I always thought he was a lunatic! Now he sounds saner than I am! Part of me is furious with myself," Dr. Power threw up his hands. "It's because of my invention that my children's lives are…If I had never invented the MAC my children would never have been exposed to…God…What have I done?"
"Listen," Shipwreck put his hand on Dr. Power's shoulder. "Believe me, I know exactly what you're going through. It's normal for you to freak out. When my son was born with flippers I know I did!"
"Flippers?" Dr. Power blinked.
"Yeah flippers," Shipwreck said. "And my loving wife, who was mutated already couldn't handle it either. Especially when my eldest daughter's other powers were emerging. Long story short…She left. And as much as it hurt me, it hurt my kids ten times more!"
He sat down next to him. "When my wife divorced me, it nearly destroyed us. I had to hold it together but couldn't. At first anyway. When I realized my daughter was forced to become a mother to her own sisters and brother all on her own…I felt like an even worse failure than I did before."
"My God…What did you do?"
"What I had to do. I bit the bullet and took a desk job just so I could be there for my kids more. Look pal," Shipwreck looked him in the eye. "Those kids need you now. You gotta look past their powers and see them for the kids they are. You gotta be their dad, get what I'm saying?"
"Yeah I got it," Dr. Power sighed. "And now I am going to get it. Once that sedative wears of my wife is going to kill me."
"We're gonna need some more beers," Shipwreck looked at the bottle he was holding.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Meanwhile back in the Morlock Tunnels…
"I can't believe we've been down here nearly all day and still no action," Bobby grumbled as the team of X-Men, Morlocks and Spider Man searched the sewers. "And worst of all we gotta baby sit the Morlocks."
"What did you say?" Callisto got in his face. "The Morlocks need no help from outsiders!"
"Oh really? You didn't exactly do that well back there with the Lizard," Bobby grumbled.
"We got scared! Is that okay with you?" Lucid snapped. "You know not every mutant spends all his free time fighting with everyone!"
"You better watch your mouth X-Man…" Callisto made a fist. "Before someone shuts it permanently."
"Bobby, when are you gonna learn to keep your big mouth shut?" Rogue grumbled. She turned to the Morlocks. "Ignore him. We do it all the time."
"Callisto," Jean said. "I know things haven't exactly been easy between our two teams."
"No, they haven't," She looked at her. "Considering the fact that nearly every time our two groups meet, we either end up in a firefight or someone from our group goes missing. I'm surprised there are any Morlocks left!"
"Hey! We're not the ones who keep getting into fights with the police and the entire world!" Scott snapped.
"Not exactly a good choice of words Cyclops," Kitty rolled her eyes. "But you guys are way too hard core."
"It's called survival you little piece of fluff," Scaleface snapped. "Something you soft upworlders have no idea about!"
"Are you crazy?" Rogue snapped. "Our lives aren't exactly a walk in the park you know? You try being a target for every terrorist group and maniac out there day after day!"
"Not to mention all the news media," Kitty added. "Every time something mutant related happens in the world, we get protestors at our gates!"
"And we get people with guns hunting us down!" Lucid snapped. "It's bad enough with Magneto sniffing around and trying to recruit us but…"
"What's that?" Scott asked.
"Nothing," Callisto cut Lucid silent with a look. "It's none of your business."
"Magneto is the X-Men's biggest enemy," Logan said. "Anything he does is our business!"
"Well you gotta admit he's done a hell of a lot more for us than you people," Cybelle growled.
"Cybelle…" Callisto warned.
"No, let her talk," Scott said. "I want to hear this."
"Oh the great and mighty X-Men permit me, a lowly Morlock to speak," Cybelle sneered. "How gracious of you."
"Listen you," Logan growled. "You're lucky we don't drag you to the cops for that poison you gave Spyke so he could kill Spears."
"I had no idea of what he was planning," Cybelle said sweetly. "He said he needed it to get rid of some rats."
"Oh I'll bet…" Logan snorted. "No wonder you're ready to join Magneto."
"No one is joining Magneto," Callisto said.
"But you are in contact with him," Scott said.
"It's no big deal," Scaleface said. "Scatty comes down every now and then bringing food and medical supplies. That's all."
"Gifts from Magneto?" Logan folded his arms. "I thought Morlocks didn't take charity."
"It's not charity if you're willing to give something in return," Callisto told him. "The supplies are merely Magneto's way of opening talks."
"Are you saying Magneto's been trying to recruit the Morlocks and you're letting him?" Scott asked.
"What I am doing is negotiating the best deal I can make for my people!" Callisto got in his face. "Who the hell are you to pass judgement on us you prissy little…"
"WILL ALL OF YOU SHUT UP?" Spider Man shouted. Everyone stopped. "In case you've all forgotten there's a mutated lizard man running wild in the tunnels. Sooner or later he'll hurt either one of you Morlocks or someone in the city. And if you thought mutants had image problems before…Do I really need to draw you a picture here?"
"He's right," Callisto said. "This bickering is pointless."
"Taking the Lizard down should be our top priority," Scott admitted. "We need to forget our differences and work together. You Morlocks know these tunnels better than anyone, where do you think the Lizard will go next?"
"Pick a tunnel, any tunnel," Caliban grunted as he pointed to three tunnels ahead of him.
"Can't you track him down?" Kitty asked. "Isn't that like your power?"
"My power only extends to mutants," Caliban informed her. "Those with an X-Gene. I can sense if someone is a mutant or not close by, but artificial mutations…Not exactly my specialty."
"But my tracking skills are," Callisto looked at the ground. "This one."
"She's right," Logan said. "I can tell by the stench. Wait…Someone else is here too."
They didn't get far when they came to a large opening in the tunnels. To their shock they saw the Lizard going toe to toe with a large man with a black beard, wavy black hair and wearing an outfit made out of animal skins. "Now what's going on?" Lucid groaned. "Who is that nut?"
"Oh goody," Spider Man groaned. "Kraven the Hunter. "This just makes my day complete."
"Who?" Logan asked.
"Sorry guys, another one of my villains just popped in," Spider Man explained. "Kraven is this big time game hunter on super steroids. His favorite target is your local friendly neighborhood Spider Man."
"So why is he down here fighting the Lizard?" Jean asked.
"He's probably hunting mutants," Callisto snapped. "Like everyone else that comes down here!"
"What is this?" Lucid groaned. "It seems like every super powered maniac in the city is coming down into the sewers to bother us!"
"Well you never know who you'll run into in this business," Spider Man groaned.
Next: Both story lines conclude with a bang! Really. I promise.