ViciousAssassin: Yeah, I wanted a little overview on what went on during those missing months. Yes Amara will find someone soon. Yeah Jamie/Rahne are just so cute together and I had to put that Logan/Laura part it was just too good not to do it. Yeah that thing Rogue said was just great lol. You'll see if there is anything wrong with Emma. I think the younger ones will have Logan as a teacher.
Mark C: Yep it was time to give them all a break. Yep I wanted to show just how close the girls had become in all of this in how they were so open and honest with each other. Don't worry about Kurt and Wanda things will work out for them. Yep you know that the X-Men will learn a lot from Slayer.
KaliAnn: Yeah I thought it was time to take a break and give everyone a break in this chapter and to set up a few things that you'll see later.
Sean Malloy-1: Mystique is kind of hard to answer and it's same with Slayer. No plans for Laura to hook up anytime soon.
Doza: I'm pretty sure she would still have that time of the month even with healing factor, it's a biological need. No magic training in this that takes a long time and is very complicated.
KSimonT-X: Don't worry Amara will meet her new love soon. You never thought of Jamie/Rahne? Man I've seen it in a few fics lol. Wanda and Kurt will go a bit farther you know Kurt just wants to make it perfect. Well Mystique may try her hand at being the 'mother' in her family once and at least having a talk with Wanda and Gambit. Yep that pretty much summed up Slayer teaching.
GothikStrawberry: Yeah girl talk is fun to write lol. We planned out who Amara ends up with before we did the first chapter trust me you'll like it. Glad you liked the DR scene, and with Kitty's comment on Logan smiling.
Jenskott: Yep Amara will find someone else trust me on that, glad you liked the girl talk too.
The Uncanny R-Man: Yeah Logan's face would be priceless when she asked him that stuff. Mara has gotten over it in this chapter I though I explained that or did I do a bad job of that? Well I won't go into detail about Emma/Vince's sex life let's just say they keep it interesting. Kitty and Piotr will have to be a bit gentle their first time and yeah I have seen comic Kitty but she's still not in the same 'league' as the other women it seems. Yep TJ will be in the epilogue and maybe even a sibling. Nope, wrong guess on the house mate.
Thanks to: X00001, simba317, Wen1, BlazeStryker, Silver Warrior
Hellfire and Brimstone
CHAPTER 59: A NEW HOUSEMATE
Institute Backyard – Slayer and X23
After yet another rigorous training session in the Danger Room with the mutant warrior known as Slayer, most of the regulars took some time to unwind from the somewhat grueling demands he pushed upon them. Ever since he started teaching them, he made it clear that he was no pushover when it came to teaching. The man knew what he was talking about when he spoke of fighting and he had some pretty high standards when it came to what he expected from them performance-wise. Yet despite the heavy demands of such session, they did make some very impressive progress and learned quite a bit from the ever mysterious mutant warrior. And in Jack's mind, this was definitely a good thing…For they would need all the skill necessary if they were to stand a chance against the coming darkness.
And yet, even though he had spent a lot of time teaching the X-men and had developed a pretty strong teacher/student relationship with all of them…Jack Robinson still remained a walking enigma. Months had gone by since he had joined and yet they still didn't have the faintest clue as to what made this guy tick. And even though his demeanour was noticeably different as he found a great deal of solstice and comfort in teaching…There were still so many things they didn't know about him. And from the looks of it…Jack wasn't willing to talk about it just yet. Because for him…It was just too painful.
Yet at the moment, he didn't want to think about such things. Right now, he was simply sharing a special little one on one session with one of the institute residents he had grown particularly close to…Laura Logan. Like him, she was a loner who struggled a lot with a painful past. And over time, she had come to really see Jack as a valued friend who offered her a lot of advice to help her cope with this new life of hers. And at the same time, she also gave the mutant warrior a lot to think about as well…Given that she often ended up helping him as well by forcing him out of his shell.
They were both outside in the beautiful, pristine summer air…Soaking up the warmth of nature. Even though the training session was over, Laura still sought to learn more from the mysterious mutant warrior. Her thirst for knowledge in the realm of the warrior seemed appropriate given that she was born and bred for fighting. And at the same time, Jack managed to instill some of the deeply rooted ideas that so often guided him in his never ending quest. At first, teaching her about things like honor, compassion, empathy, conscious, and duty were a bit difficult…But she was a fast learner and to Jack, that made it all the more interesting whenever he taught her.
"Come on Laura…You can do it!" he encouraged her as he held her in an iron grip lock with his arms which she struggled frantically against, "Just use those techniques I taught you!"
Laura let out a grunt as she struggled against the bigger, stronger, more experienced man who currently had her at his mercy. And under normal circumstances, her animal instincts would have taken over and she would have gone into a near berserker-like rage. But thanks to some of the breathing and thought exercises Jack had taught her, she managed to keep her cool as her quick mind analyzed the situation and found a solution.
Then, using a quick counter technique, former weapon X23 used the claws in her feet and the flexibility of her young, nimble body to perform a reverse sweep kick that forced Slayer to break the grabble in order to avoid being diced. This did surprise him, but in a good way because it showed that she was definitely learning.
"Now you're going down Jack!" she said with a new confidence as she took a fighting stance and prepared to attack.
"It's better to threaten with actions instead of words, Laura…" he told her as he took a stance as well, "Now come! Try and take me down!"
Letting out another animal-like grunt, Laura lunged forth and unleashed a barrage of powerful punch combos, coupled with a few well executed kicks. At first, Jack could only counter them because of her nimble speed and that's exactly what she wanted. Then, as he began to identify her movements, he began to work a few attacks of his own, but Laura was ready for this and kept up with him every step of the way…A clear sign to the mutant warrior that she was getting better.
But despite her improvements, Slayer still saw plenty of faults in her style and eventually, he managed to exploit them as he allowed X23 to get a little overconfident in her attacks, making her vulnerable to a quick and decisive defensive counter. And when she tried to make what she hoped would be a definitive blow with a couple of roundhouse kicks, Jack managed to effectively predict her moves and hit her with a sweep kick and a few double punch combos that sent her to the ground in defeat.
"Not bad…Not bad at all," said Jack with an approving smile, "You almost had me back there."
"I'll get you one of these days…" she said as she grabbed his hand and allowed him to help her back to her feet.
"At this rate, I have few doubts that you will," said the mutant warrior, feeling a great deal of pride as he looked back at Laura and reflected upon how far she and the others had come, giving him a very strong sense of accomplishment, "You still need to work on your momentum. It's still a bit too chaotic and it makes many of your moves easy to predict, but it's slowly starting to fade. Once you learn how to make your movements more fluid, you'll be on a whole new level."
"And where do I go from there?" she asked, still a bit fuzzy on the more philosophical points Jack taught her and the others.
"Well…That's up to you," said the mutant warrior in response, "Part of this fighting style is not simply mastering a certain technique…It's about mastering your own mind and body so you can make a technique tailored to you. In some ways I'm not really teaching you…I'm actually teaching you to teach yourselves."
Laura still didn't get it completely, but Slayer was certain that she would eventually. It was only a matter of her taking it step by step, gradually working her way to a higher level of functioning both in terms of fighting skills and overall being.
"Come on…I think we've had enough for the day," he said, stretching his limbs a bit.
"Yeah…I guess so," she said, her tone sounding a little distant…Something Jack was quick to pick up on.
"Hey…Something wrong?" he asked her, knowing that look on her face all too well.
Laura just sighed, for as much as she had settled into this new life at the institute, there were still so many things she was still struggling to comprehend. While she really had come to see Logan as her father in many ways, she still hadn't gotten around to calling him that regularly. And then there was Ororo, who had taught her a lot from the female perspective. She had also grown quite close to her as well and her kind, gentle, caring aura was something she so often took comfort in. But in addition…There was a bit something else about her that she had been struggling with for a while now…Something that had been lingering in her mind for quite a while. And now…She needed advice.
"Jack…Why do Logan and Ororo look at each other in a strange way?" she found herself asking bluntly, never one to hesitate in the details, "I'm…Not sure why, but…Sometimes when I see them together…I smell these strange scents on them. And for some reason…They act, sound, and even look different around each other. And it's just that…I've seen and smelled stuff like that with the others, but I never really thought about it until I began seeing it with those two. And I guess…I just don't understand it. What's going on between them?"
That had definitely caught the mutant warrior off guard and he nearly lost his balance when she told him about the scents. Like the rest of the institute, Slayer knew that Logan and Ororo had gotten rather 'serious' with their relationship over the past few months. And thanks to his all seeing eye he could see just how much so. But explaining something like that to a girl like Laura, who by all accounts didn't even know the definition of words like love and sex, was not something he was prepared for.
"Uhh…" he found himself stammering, unable to get the right words out, "That's…A little complicated. And I don't think I'm the best person to consult on matters like this."
"Why not?" she asked curiously, "I don't want to talk to the others…I want to talk to you."
"Oh boy…" said Jack, running his hands through his messy blonde hair.
Telling this young girl who was still learning how the world worked about her 'father' having sex with Ororo was something that Jack found to be uncomfortable to say the least. But since Laura had come to trust him so much more than the others, she just didn't want to talk about this with anybody else. He was no expert…Hell, given his history, he was probably the last person to talk to about something like this. But nevertheless…He felt he owed her as much to at least try.
"Just…What is so complicated about it?" she asked him.
"Well…For one thing, it has to do with emotions," he told her, "And I know there are still a few things about emotions that you're still learning."
"But shouldn't that be all the more reason for me to know about it?" she argued, "Especially if it involves my father?"
Jack once again let out an exasperated sigh, for he knew she had a point. This was her old man she was talking about and she did have a right to know…He just wished he didn't have to work through the somewhat complicated details.
"Yeah…Can't argue with that," he conceded, "But you have to remember Laura…There are some emotions that cannot be simply explained. Things like anger, sadness, and happiness are one thing…But this is another matter all together."
"How so?" she asked, forcing Slayer to take few moments to consider how he was going to explain this.
"Well…Tell me, Laura, do you know what love is?" he asked her bluntly.
"Um…Kind of," she said, thinking back to some of the things that had been explained to her before, "I was told it was some kind of deep affection one person feels for another."
"Well, that's at least a partially right…But I'm afraid there's more to it than that…A lot more," said Jack, finding this more difficult to talk about than he had imagined, "You see…Love is…Well…Very strange. It's probably the most complicated emotion of them all."
"Why is that?" she asked him curiously, finding it odd that this was affecting Jack so much as he tried to answer her.
"It's like…" he began, still struggling, his voice actually showing signs of strain, "There are just some people you have in your life…Special people who mean a lot more to you than anybody else. These are people who you cherish…People who really embody something important…People who…Who help make your world special in a way nobody else can."
"You mean like with Logan?" she asked him, immediately thinking of her relationship with her father upon hearing him say that.
"Well…Kind of," answered Jack, "Love comes in many forms. And in your case, that love is in the form of family since Logan is your father and you're his daughter. But the kind of love I think you're referring to…The one between Logan and Ororo…It's a bit different."
Again, Jack was forced to scramble to find the right words and in the process, was becoming a bit overwhelmed because this was a very difficult subject for him. Laura didn't know…She couldn't possibly know. Yet still, he tried. This girl had come to see him as a very close friend and the least he could do was try…Even if it did affect him.
"It's like…Like a connection," he told her, managing to get what he could out, "When two people become really close and begin to really cherish one another on a uniquely profound level…That love between them grows and blossoms into something very deep and…And…I honestly don't know how to put it into words."
It was still confusing to young X23, but it did explain a few things. Nevertheless, there were some matters that she still wanted to know about…And she was still eager to learn about them.
"I think I understand…" she said, although it still left her with many questions, "But…What about the smells?"
That actually got Jack to laugh a bit, for that was a different matter altogether. And in retrospect…It probably wouldn't be a good idea for her to get the 'whole' story from him.
"That's actually a somewhat different, yet still related matter," he told her, "What you smelled on them and many of the others no doubt is just the lingering affects of what people do when they wish to express their love physically."
"Physically?" she said, sounding a bit confused by that notion.
"Yeah…But I don't think I should be the one to tell you about something like that because there's a lot more to it," he said to her, "But if you really want the FULL story…Try asking Ororo. She might be able to fill you in better than I can."
"Oh…Okay," she conceded, much to Jack's relief, for of all the things he had faced in his life…Telling this confused teenage girl about the world of sex was something even he wasn't gutsy enough to face.
Upon hearing that, Jack let out a deep sigh…Glad he could help, but also deeply distraught over this very complicated subject that brought back so much unpleasantness for him. Laura, having spent a lot of time with Jack over the past few months, had come to recognize such shifts in his demeanor and she knew just how bad they could get. And for some reason, after telling her about this it got particularly bad…More so than she had ever seen before.
She couldn't have known…There was no way she ever could have known. Talking about something like this had just hit the mutant warrior in a way he hadn't expected. It hurt a lot more than he was willing to let on, but he tried not to show that…Even if he did a pretty lousy job of it.
"Jack…Are…Are you alright?" she asked him, worried that she had done something wrong by asking him this.
Then, for some reason, Jack found himself turning away and walking back towards the gazebo…Not feeling ready to go back inside yet…Not like this.
"Yeah…I'll be okay," he told her, "I just…Need to be alone, that's all."
Knowing that this was just one of those things she couldn't fight against given Slayer's nature, Laura conceded to his words…Not pressuring him any further since she knew all too well what it was like to seek solitude during rough times.
"Okay…And Jack?" she said, stopping him in his tracks as causing him to turn around and face her once more, "Thank you…"
That actually got him to smile, even if it was only briefly. He found himself simply nodding politely in response before making his way over towards the gazebo that overlooked the lake. Having to explain something like that to Laura was a lot more difficult than he ever could have imagined, for it made him remember many things that he had been trying to forget for so many years. Even as he grew more fond of this new life at the institute…He was still holding so many things inside. And letting some of it out with Laura had been pretty difficult…But nevertheless, it was something he could never avoid. Such was the curse that was his life…And hopefully in time, he would be able to tell others about that which haunted him so. But for now…He just wanted to be alone.
-Gut Bomb-
At the local fast food joint, Kurt was walking back to the table he shared with his sister with two plates of food. His, of course, had a few burgers and fries and a large drink. No matter how many times she saw him eat, she just couldn't believe how much he could take. In fact, she half expected him to just explode from over eating at times.
"So…Vhen do you think she'll get here?" he asked before taking his first bite. They had gotten an e-mail today telling them to come here and it was signed by there mother. They had received a few e-mails from her from time to time. She had to be fast and cover her tracks ever since Gambit and Colossus left. As a result, Magneto was a bit more paranoid with security. But they also managed to talk to her a bit more, usually about simple things. Although it was still hard to overcome all the things of the past but it was a start.
Rogue just shrugged. She was a bit nervous to be honest since she knew that Kurt had told Wanda and she had told him that she let Gambit know as well, but that was it. She wanted to tell the others, especially Kitty, about all of this, but she wanted to keep this between as little of them as possible. Also she considered Kitty one of her closest friends, Kitty had a way to letting information slip by accident at times.
"Don't know, but Ah just wonder if this tahme she'll stayin' a bit longer." Although, she hadn't completely forgiven her mother for the things she had done, she still wanted to try and build a new relationship if possible.
"I think that can be arranged," came a familiar voice and both teens looked to see Mystique in her Raven Darkholme image, the same one she used as principle of their high school. She wore the same old suit with glasses and bore the familiar short dark hair. "I figured coming in here blue would be a bit much…And I know that the Ritsy form wouldn't be…Appropriate anymore," she said looking at Rogue with a hint of sorrow in her eyes.
Rogue just nodded. After using the memories of Mystique in her mind, she had gained a deeper insight to their mother. There were still things she didn't understand, but at least it made more sense to her. She sat down with her two children. "Well it took longer then I thought, but I am through with that man," she said in a cold and hard tone.
"So he knew?" Kurt asked his mother.
"He sent Mastermind in there to infiltrate the Hellfire Club and take it over from within." She looked disgusted with the idea and she was. She knew what the Hellfire Club was capable of, and from the stories she heard, she made it a point to never get involved with them. Yet still, Magneto had shown just how far he was willing to go. The incident with Apocalypse had changed them, but in different ways. She had seen and felt evil on a level she hadn't known existed. And for the first time in a very long time, she had been afraid.
She still had nightmares about it…Being trapped her in own body. It had made her to rethink her life and many of her choices. But for Magneto, it seemed as though his experience only shown him just how much more power a mutant could have. And for Magneto, who considered himself the most 'evolved' and powerful mutant on the planet, Apocalypse had just shown him how inferior he was.
Ever since then, Magneto had been obsessed with gaining more and more power. He had been researching ways to either enhance his own powers or gain the kind of power the Hellfire Club offered. He once tried to gain membership, but she remembered them turning him down. So he had Mastermind take up a false identity and infiltrate them.
Mystique scowled at the table, "That bastard knew that they were targeting mutants for their little 'program'. He even got a report that Rogue was targeted, but he didn't tell me anything. Hell, he sent me to China to look for mutants there that could be recruited. Then he kept sending me on more and more recruitment missions. If I had known he was just keeping me busy I would have heard Irene's message for me about you two sooner."
"It vasn't your fault," Kurt said seeing the painful look on he face, "It vasn't like you knew."
"If I had, I would have gone to save you," she said to her children and they both saw that she was telling the truth.
"So…What now?" Rogue asked.
Mystique was at a loss for that, "I have no idea…Magneto is just too consumed by his work now more then ever and after what he kept from me, there is no way I am working for that man ever again. But I do know that I was never there for either of you. Kurt, I had to leave you back in Germany with that family that took you in because I didn't want to drag you back into my world or have Magneto to do any more experiments on you."
She then looked at Rogue, "And Rogue…I can't begin to make up for all the lies I used on you. I left you with Irene because I knew she would keep you safe and with my life at that time, I couldn't take care of a little girl I found all alone. I've made many mistakes, but it's the ones I made with you two that I regret the most."
There was obvious strain in her voice, for it was clear that this was very hard for her to say. But neither Kurt, nor Rogue denied it for a second.
"I want to at least try and be there for you both…I know it's a bit late, but I always thought that Xavier could keep you two safe."
"No one could have known about the Hellfire Club," Rogue said looking at her food. Nothing could have prepared any of them for that. They were an enemy that they had never faced before, "But if ya want to try and be our mother…For real this tahme…Then Ah guess we could try this family thing."
"But vhere vill you live? I mean, zhe old Brotherhood place is pretty much in ruins," said Kurt.
"Well…A hotel will be just fine until I can get my own place," she said thinking about it, "I may not have access to Magneto's funds, but I still have my own."
"Vait…I have an idea," Kurt said smiling.
Rogue saw that look and groaned, "Please Kurt, tell meh you're not thinkin' what Ah think you are? You know the others will go ballistic."
Mystique got what her daughter was getting at, "Kurt, that is sweet of you, but what makes you think it will work?"
"Vell, ve von't know till we ask zhe Professor."
Rogue and Mystique looked at each other, "This won't end well will it?"
Her daughter sighed, "No, it won't and Kurt will keep at this until we crack…Trust meh on this."
She looked at her son and sighed, "Fine we'll try this but if this doesn't work Kurt then you know I'll just to go back to my own idea."
"Ja I know, but it vill be nice to have you around. I mean, ve have a lot of catching up to do…" Kurt smiled happily.
Piotr's Room
Up in the dormitories of the institute, Kitty was once again posing for another one of her boyfriend, Piotr's, pictures in his room. Over the past three months, this had become their own special little ritual of sorts and they both found a unique sense of joy in it whenever they spent time together like this. And through such times, Piotr had made many beautiful pictures of her…Pictures that she they had both come to treasure as if it was a type of manifestation of their relationships…A true portrait of their love.
In addition, things between Kitty and Piotr were getting quite serious. They already knew they were in love with each other and with all the time they spent with one another, it made them all the more certain that this was it…This was the one. Kitty's parents were already pestering her to bring him for a visit and it was definitely something she looked forward to doing, given that he was such a sweet guy and she knew her family would just love him.
But still…There were a few other things about their relationship they were still working towards…Namely sex. After having had a few discussions with her friends who were more experienced when it came to arts of sex, she had been seriously thinking about taking that step with Piotr. After all…He was a big, strong, muscular guy and Kitty couldn't deny the thoughts and feelings she had for him at times. But still…She wanted to wait for the right moment…She wanted it to be perfect.
Yet still…There were some times when she wanted to show Piotr just how much she wanted to take that step with him…There were times she wanted to really bring the world of the sensual into their love life.
"So what are we doing today, Petey?" she said as he set up his stuff, "Anything in particular you want to try?"
"Well, I wasn't planning anything in particular," he told her as he set up his easel, "I was thinking of doing some rough sketch work this time, but other than that I really haven't given much thought on what our next piece should be. Unless…There's something in particular you wish to do."
Upon hearing that, a slow smile spread across Kitty's face, for she was hoping that he would say something like that. In the spirit of moving their relationship forward…She thought it might be good to be a little…Risqué for a change. Maybe it would help them take this next step…Maybe not. But she wouldn't know until she tried.
"Actually…" she said in a tone that did not go unnoticed by Piotr, "There was something I've been wanting to try…If you're up to it that is."
"What do you mean?" he asked her, still finding the look on her face to be a bit curious.
"Well…" she said, finding herself blushing somewhat, "I was wondering…Maybe you could draw me in a more…Provocative pose."
This quickly caused Piotr's heart to jump and his eyes to widen, for he had not expected Kitty ask him something like that…Although he did have to admit, the thought of it was quite appealing.
"Um…Provocative, how?" he asked, wearily, wondering if she meant drawing her nude or something.
"I meant…In my underwear," she said, thinking it was probably a better idea to take little steps with something like this.
"Oh…I see," he said, breathing a sigh of relief while also gaining a new sense of nervousness at the same time, "Well…We can do that if you want. But if you're not comfortable doing it, then…"
"Hey…Don't worry. I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't sure, Petey," she told him with a smile, "Besides…I trust you. And I think it would be fun to make something with a little…Sensuality."
The suggestive sound in the petite woman's tone definitely struck a chord with the Russian born mutant, but he was quick to set aside such thoughts and feelings for the moment…Although that proved to be almost impossible as he watched Kitty strip right before his eyes. His throat practically went dry as he saw her remove her shirt and slide her pants down her sexy, petite legs…Leaving her only in a pair of white bra and panties.
At first Kitty felt a little shy since she didn't think her body was on the same level as some of the other girls given that she was still growing…But Piotr didn't seem to mind and she almost laughed at the look on his face when she now stood before him in such an exposed form.
"So…" she said with a sexy grin, "How do you want to do this?"
Piotr could have thought of any number of answers to that one, but he tried to remain professional even as the blood in his body was starting to shift.
"Um…Well, let's try this…" he said as he moved her into position, his hands shaking a bit as he touched the exposed skin of her beautiful body.
After getting her into a rather sexy pose on the loft, Piotr took a deep breath, set his hormones aside for the moment, and began to draw her. Kitty had made it clear that she enjoyed his strong hands upon her body, but she didn't let it go any further than that given that this was still an art session of sorts and she still wanted to take it slow…But damn it, it was still so tempting.
It was unusually quiet between them as Piotr once again fell into his focused state, diverting his eyes to and from Kitty as he drew her. And even though they had done this many times before, it now had a new feeling for the both of them…A feeling that seemed to grow with each passing moment. They still commented here and there, but for the most part, their thoughts were elsewhere.
Looking back at the beautiful work of art that was a half naked Kitty Pryde, Piotr felt a strange rush course through his mind and body as he intently captured each detail on the sketchpad with his pencil. And the more he captured, the more significant everything about her seemed. Each part of her…Every curve, every, contour, every expression…Seemed positively enchanting. Being in the presence of a half naked girl was already something…But capturing that beauty and sensuality brought it to a whole new level.
For Kitty, the feeling of his eyes upon her body brought out a maze of new sensations within her. As she watched him sketch her, she let her mind wander…Entertaining vivid thoughts of 'other' things she wanted him to do with her in this pose. The notion that he was taking her body as it was and putting it into his masterful works of art was positively…Sexy, for lack of a better word. The more he did it, the more aroused she seemed to get. The notion of taking it slow was quickly becoming lost on her as she just couldn't help but find so much of this so perfect. He wanted her…She wanted him…How much more did they need?
As the session went on, time seemed to lose all meaning to them as the beautiful image of the half naked Kitty Pryde began to take shape. The dryness in Piotr's mouth and the increasing awareness of his own human nature seemed to grow with each passing stroke of his pencil…Feeling as though he was capturing more than just beauty. The sexual tension was abundantly clear for the both of them…And it showed no signs of letting up.
Finally, Kitty couldn't take it anymore. The rational part of her brain was becoming increasingly silent the more she felt her boyfriend's eyes upon her. The air was so thick with arousal and her body was simply crying for his touch that she just couldn't stand it any longer. And so…She found herself making her move.
"So…" she said with a sexy smile, "What do you think? Was this a good idea?"
Piotr simply blushed and smiled in response.
"I think it was a great idea, Katya," he said honestly as he finished up the last few parts of the sketch.
"So…Does that mean you like my body…You know, in this way?" she said, the tone in her voice becoming increasingly suggestive but with a little shyness to it. She knew that compared to the other women she wasn't the tall beautiful and perfect body that turned heads in the street.
Piotr had to swallow the lump in his throat upon hearing that, for it definitely triggered a reaction within him.
"Of…Of course," he said somewhat bashfully, "I like it a lot. You really are a beautiful woman."
Then, what happened next caught Piotr totally off guard. Kitty suddenly stood up from her position on the loft and sauntered over towards him, sensually swaying her hips in a show of great sensuality and enticement. The smile on her face seemed to have a mesmerizing affect on the Russian born mutant as he nearly fell back in his bed…However, Kitty beat him to it.
"You are…The sweetest guy…A girl could ask for," she told him as she slowly slid her arms around his neck, got up onto his lap, and straddled his waist, "I'm the luckiest girl in the world…To have the love of a man like you, Piotr."
"Katya…" he gasped, finding the rational part of his brain shutting off almost completely as he felt the half naked woman now pressing up against his body.
"Shh…Just kiss me, Petey," she told him.
And without another word, the young couple shared a deep kiss. It was soft at first, but then quickly grew more heated as Kitty slipped her tongue into his mouth and began further rub her half naked body up against his…Loving the feeling of his hard, built muscles underneath his clothes. This definitely caused Piotr to become more aroused as he kissed back with every bit of passion as Kitty and his hands soon found their way to her hips where they slowly traced their way up the curves of her sexy body, savoring the feeling of her warm skin.
Kitty let out a slight moan in his mouth upon feeling his hands upon her, causing the heat between them to escalate as Piotr fell flat on his back, leaving Kitty right on top of him as she continued to savor the sweet sensations of his warmth. She could also feel a growing hardness in his pants forming from all the touching, causing her to become increasingly wet in her lower regions.
The passion between them grew and grew, their desires soon taking hold as Kitty began to go for his shirt…When suddenly, a voice in their heads stopped them both cold in their tracks.
Everybody…Please report to the den, sent Professor Charles Xavier to everybody in his school, I'm calling an impromptu meeting. There is something very serious that we need to discuss.
Immediately, that broke the mood as both Kitty and Piotr realized what was going on and managed to pull themselves away from each other. It took a moment for them to catch their breath, for what had just happened had been so intense. It was as if all rational control over their minds and bodies had ceased and all they could go on was their passion and emotions.
There were a few awkward moments of silence between them, for what had just happened had been quite serious…Yet nevertheless, they really did enjoy it. And now that they were back on the planet Earth, the rational part of their brains finally began to kick in.
"Uh…" said Piotr with a funny smile, still blushing furiously, "We should probably get going…It sounded important."
"Yeah…We should," said Kitty smiling back, half disappointed and half relieved that Xavier had interrupted them, "Oh, and Peter?"
"Yes, Katya?" he said, the blood once again flowing more evenly now.
"Thank you…" she said with a warm smile that once again caused the super strong Russian mutant to blush.
"Anytime…"
And even though it had all happened so fast and ended so abruptly…It was definitely something that Kitty and Piotr were going to remember. In a ways, it was kind of a good thing that Xavier's voice had kept it from getting out of hand. Because if they were going to make love…They wanted to make it meaningful and not just some spur of the moment type thing. And even though it did get quite heated…Neither Kitty nor Piotr had any regrets. Because to them, it was a clear sign of where they were going…And hopefully, it was a sign that their time was near…And it would come soon enough
-Living Room-
Everyone was gathered in the living room since it was one of the few rooms big enough for all of them. Some of them were standing around, but none of the adults were there. And in addition, Kurt and Rogue were also missing at the moment.
"Do you know what this is about Jean?" Scott asked her. They were sitting together and just like everyone else, they were wondering what was going on.
Jean shook her head, "I have no idea…But I am sensing a lot of anger and hostility in the mansion…I think it's mainly coming from Logan."
"Yeah, I'm sensing it too. Whatever it is, it's really pissing him off," Emma said in agreement. She and Vincent weren't that far and Emma heard it all. Betsy do you feel that too? Emma sent to the other telepath.
Oh yeah, boy I never felt him that angry before. That's for sure…
You think it's about the Hellfire Club? Vince asked Emma through their link, for he didn't want to voice that in the room and make everyone nervous.
I can't imagine what else it could be. And things were going so well…I guess we should have known it wouldn't last Emma sighed. So far these last few months were a blessing. No one had been trying to kidnap or kill them and it had been going to well at this point.
Not long later the adults came back in, none of them, especially Logan, looked in a good mood. Ororo had her arm linked in his and looking like she was trying to calm him a bit. Sage looked impassive, but then again they all knew she could hide her emotions, while Hank looked like he was deep in thought. Xavier came in last with Rogue and Kurt who were looking nervous.
"Well I'm glad you all are here," Xavier stated giving the room a quick look over.
"Professor," Scott stood up, "Is this about the Hellfire Club?"
Everyone's attention was now on this. Pretty much everyone wanted to know the answer to that and to be honest, they knew that the day they would face them was coming. It was like a gathering storm they could all feel inside themselves.
"No Scott…It isn't," He told him and Scott sat down, "It seems as though another member of Magneto's people wishes to leave his services like Piotr and Gambit have done." Xavier thought it might be well to mention that fact to help them understand that not everyone that worked with Magneto was all bad. He could see both boys thinking hard on who it could be. They couldn't think of anyone that the X-Men would like. Mastermind had been with the Hellfire Club in disguise and Sabertooth would never join them. That only left Pyro and both mentally groaned at what that nut was going to do. And there was also Pietro as well since he was with Magneto they just wondered what Wanda would think of that.
"She left Magneto for very good reasons and has no intention of going back," he further explained.
"So…this woman wants to join the X-Men?" Jean asked not sure she liked where this was going since she only knew of one female that still worked for Magneto.
"Well…Not exactly," Xavier knew that no matter what, this wouldn't end well. There were still many bad feelings on both sides, but he wanted to try. After all, he felt everyone deserved a second chance at life. "She wishes to stay for more personal reasons…And also, she doesn't want to get in the way."
"What kind of personal reasons?" Bobby asked him.
"Us," Kurt said to him and then everyone pretty much pieced it together.
Scott was first on his feet the anger on his face evident, "Professor you can't mean her? Rogue you're letting this happen?"
"Ah didn't make this lightly Scott," she said to him crossing her arms, "I have just as much if not more reasons to hate her…But…Ah'm willin' to at least try this out. Ah thought about it and Ah even drained her not too long ago to bh sure. She's not here for some kind of agenda or nothin', just to be here for meh and Kurt."
"Do you guys have any idea what they're talking about?" Vince asked Emma, Betsy, and Warren.
"I think I have some idea," Warren said, for he had heard a few of the stories about Mystique from after their time together with Apocalypse when he stayed at the mansion for a couple of days.
"Scott, I've thought about this. And I believe that she is sincere about her intentions," Xavier said and at that moment, Mystique walked through the doors. Her face was just as much a mask as Sage's. She didn't want to impose as threatening, but she also didn't want to be viewed as weak. She already had gone through this with the adults with Logan being the more vocal about her being here, but she expected that. He also threatened her that if she betrayed them he'd made sure that there wasn't enough of her left to bury.
Kurt had looked a bit pale at the thought, but Mystique knew that he wasn't joking. Nevertheless, he had just looked him straight in the eye and told him that she'd like to see him try it. She was here for her children and nothing else.
As soon as she walked through the door the reactions varied from anger, to hate, and fear. She noticed the new ones looking at her trying to make her out. Well at least she hoped with them she wouldn't have too much trouble since it was the other ones she was more worried about.
"Professor you know that I rarely criticize what you think, but this is nuts!" Scott said to him in a tone no one had ever expected. "You know what…This is just insane!" He stormed out of the room and Jean went with him, while casting a nasty look at Mystique. She still remembered when they found Scott all beat up in that church when she was trying to kill him.
"Well…That could have gone better," Xavier sighed to himself.
Mystique looked at Charles, "Actually, that went better then I thought. I half expected him to blast me."
The rest of the meeting pretty much went as bad with protests and people on edge. It took time, but Xavier managed (and not easily) to let everyone to give Mystique a second chance. Gambit, Colossus and even Boom-Boom couldn't argue with that, since Xavier gave them a second chance as well. Jamie and Rahne were kind of silent even though they both didn't like the idea of her here.
Jamie actually heard his girlfriend give off a low growl, but took her hand in his. She gave him a caring look and clamed down. Ray and Roberto were two of the hardest since they both didn't like the idea of the woman that blew up their home with them in here.
Jubilee was wondering why Bobby was grinning, but then she saw that look in his eye. It was the look he got when he planned to make someone's life a living hell. She guessed he was planning all sorts of things to 'welcome' Mystique into their home. Personally, she was all for it. She kind of blamed Mystique for her parents sending her home anyway. So whatever her boyfriend was planning, she was going to ask him later what he had planned and what she could do to help.
Later on in the day Scott was the library just sitting there thinking about what happened. Jean had helped him to calm down, but he still couldn't get over this completely, how could he? Mystique was one of their worst enemies next to Magneto. Well…They had been the worst but the Hellfire Club in just a short time had taken the top spot with brutal efficiency.
He just needed time to cool off, but how could he relax with that woman here? He knew Kurt always wanted to patch things up with his biological mother, but Rogue was a surprised. Hell, she tried to kill Mystique once or thought she had with that statue. He thought she of all people would want her out of their lives, she had said as much back in Egypt.
He just didn't get it. Did her experience at the Hellfire Club change her so much? She knew that many of them weren't the same. He sure had a lot to think about with Sinister buried out there. He was still worried that he would eventually crawl out of his grave and one day Scott would wake up in his bed staring at those red eyes of his looking down on him with that insidious smile of his. He had woken up to a few nightmares of that, the worst being that he woke up in a lab strapped down and in tanks were all his friends and Jean all looking like they had been dissected like frogs.
Jean, thankfully, had always been with him and he was thankful to have her in his life. The thought that his family had been watched for three generations by someone and then his whole life he was being manipulated into place…It was just overwhelming at times.
Over the last few months, he gotten a bit closer to Vincent and Remy. They both had their lives altered by Sinister and all three of them never wanted to see that monster walk the Earth again. There was just no telling how many people that man had hurt or killed in the centuries. He thought about that last part, it was like Sinister was the living incarnation of the Boogey Man. There was just no telling how many legends or myths that could be traced to Sinister.
He looked over the grounds and sighed. Just when things were starting to get simple again…This happens.
"We need to talk," a blunt and very familiar voice said from behind him.
Scott scowled, "I got nothing to say to you Mystique."
"Fine, then just listen up," she said and walked next to him looking just as displeased, "Let's be clear…I don't like you, I never have nor do I think I ever will like you."
"Well that's ONE thing we can agree on."
She ignored his comment and went on, "I don't believe in Charles' dream or pretty much anything else he preaches. I've seen too much in the world to believe otherwise. I'm just here for my kids, nothing else."
"For once you mean…" she didn't answer normally she would have hit a person for that, but she promised Xavier she would 'behave' herself. There was also the sting of pain that what he said was the truth but she didn't hide it. "I can't believe Xavier let you here…Not after everything you did."
"I make no apologies for what I did…Only to those to my children. You were the enemy and I did what I always do to my enemies. I fight them anyway I can."
"You mean like locking kids in a mansion and blowing it up?" he said angrily looked at her through his ruby glasses.
"That…Wasn't the plan. I was assured when I placed a disc in to help me sabotage the mansion that the children would be locked OUT of the mansion not in. The plan was to take away your home so you'd have no choice to join Magneto…But…Things didn't go as planned." She remembered that day and that infamous plan that was complicated, making it pretty much an inevitability that something might happen.
"Wanda wasn't supposed to interfere and I still don't understand why the mansion's computer sealed the kids in. I may have done a lot of bad things in my life, and questionable ones. I know I'm not a good person…I admit and accept that about myself. And some of those bad things that I've done I could care less about…But understand this Mr. Summers," she said sternly, staring into his eyes, "I may be a lot of things…But I do NOT murder children. That is one of the lines that I will never cross. If I had, then don't you think I could have killed you all several times by now."
Scott wasn't sure to believe her or not, "Well then what about me? Or did you forget kidnapping me, blinding me and leaving me alone in the dessert?"
"That was different…That was for revenge," she coldly told him.
"You deserved to be left behind after what you did!" he yelled at her.
"I didn't want revenge for that! That I understood!" she yelled back and now Scott was confused as to what she was going on about, "Do you have ANY idea what they did to me at Area 51?"
Truth was Scott, never considered it. He just assumed she had managed her way out of there on her own, but he was about to learn differently. "They captured me, threw me in a cage, and they experimented on me! They poked and prodded me and when I didn't cooperate they beat me. They did that anyway to get information out of me they threw me in a room with a few people who excelled at getting information out of a person. It's just good I heal fast or you'd see the scars I would have on me! Do you have ANY idea what that's like?"
This threw Scott back. A year ago, he couldn't imagine what that was like, but now…Now he knew differently, the feeling of helplessness and despair. The ability to do nothing as others just did what they wanted to you. When he was free of Sinister, he went after him. He was prepared to kill him for all that he did…For revenge. At that moment, he realized that he had done exactly what she had done to him.
She saw something in his face, it was odd at first. He was angry and now it looked like he understood. She never expected that from him, but it was just another sign of the mark the Hellfire Club made on them all. She may not like the X-Men, but no one deserved to have to endure the Hellfire Club and a part of her felt a small amount of pity to these people. She wondered just how bad things had been, but she decided knowing what happened to her children was enough for her. She didn't want to add to the horrors she had learned.
"Okay…I can understand that," Scott said after some time looking away from her and back to the view, "But I still don't trust you or like you. As far as I'm concerned, whatever there is between us is finished, but that doesn't mean we're friends."
"I never asked for that and trust me, I feel the same way…But…for the sake of me kids…I do agree that whatever thing we had between us is long gone," she said looking into the distance.
"But don't ever forget…If you hurt them…" Scott started but she cut him off.
"Please, I already got this from Logan, so don't worry about it." Without another word, she turned and left Scott alone, leaving him to wonder just how different things could get in a single moment. He may not like her, hell he may never like her…But at the moment he'd rather not have her as an enemy just yet. They still had a bigger, much darker enemy out there and if what Slayer said was true, it was a going to be a force unlike anything they had ever faced before. And if that was the case, then they would need all the allies they could gain and even though it killed him to just admit it to himself.
Mystique would make a very nice and powerful ally in what's to come.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 60: JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS