CHAPTER 17: FAMILY PART 1
It had been a few days and Peter and Rogue were let out of the medical ward. Rogue was still a bit worried what was going on with her but so far nothing had happened. She and Peter did stay in their next date, just cuddled up on the couch to watch one of the monster movies that she liked. Paul and Taryn were also being seen more and also Amanda got to know the older students as well making them feel a bit better at ease with it all.
It was later in the day and Peter was debating should he go out tonight on a small patrol of the city. Last night he went out for just a few hours, nothing major happened thankfully. No evil villains trying to kick his ass, just the regular kind of criminals. That night he found just a purse snatcher, a couple of guys trashing someone's car who had stopped, plus at the end of it all a cat burglar.
Thankfully not the sexy female kind with a skin tight black body suit, just some guy that had tried to steal from a high rise. He left him hanging from a street light for the cops. Then there was the fact he had seen two criminals tied up as the police were arresting them. He knew it had to be that Prowler guy again.
He still wasn't too sure about that guy.
But even as he was closing his books after finishing his home work there was a knock on his door. "Yeah come on in."
Bobby Drake poked his head into the door, "Dude you got a phone call, think fast." He grinned and threw him one of the cordless phones. Peter instantly jumped out to get it and then gave Bobby a glare, he only just grinned back at him and left.
'I swear you're really going to piss off the wrong guy one day,' He thought then put up the phone. "Hello."
"Peter…"
"Harry? That you?" Peter asked on the other line hearing the familiar voice. It had been too long since he had seen his two friends. He missed seeing them everyday but he still kept in touch. Although at the moment his voice sounded stressed.
"Peter…Something happened to my dad…"
Peter felt a cold chill run through him, "Harry what happened?"
There was silence for a moment as Peter sat down on his bed, "I don't know they won't tell me they won't even let me see him! I'm his son and they won't let me see him!"
"Harry calm down, please take a breath and tell me what's wrong," Peter said to him calmly hoping to get him to take a moment to collect himself. He waited a moment before Harry spoke again.
"I don't know what happened…They told me there was an attack, then…Then my dad got hurt. I was told he was exposed to something and they're running tests and they won't even let me see him." There was a moment when Harry just stopped and Peter wished he was there for him for his best friend for the past few years of high school.
"They said he's doing well but Peter I'm worried sick about my dad…What if…"
"Harry it will be okay, trust me on this," he said to him over the phone. He knew what it was like to lose someone in your family and he prayed to God that Harry wouldn't have to go through with this. "Hey how about I swing by to the city on the weekend? I'm sure my Aunt wouldn't mind if I tell her and it sounds like you could use a friend at the moment."
"You sure, I mean…"
"Harry, you're one of my best friends I'll be there as soon as I can to help things out okay?"
Harry was silent a moment, he felt very alone at the moment. He was in his room at his family's top floor of a tower his dad own and turned the top levels into a home. Harry was sitting on his bed worried sick about all of this. Hearing Peter's voice was just comforting, Mary Jane was coming over later to check on him and he really would like all three of them together again. He really needed the support of the only friends he ever had.
"Thanks Peter…You're a good friend."
"Hey come one what are friends for? You and MJ were there for me when my Uncle died it's the least I could do," Peter told him. That night he just stayed up with Harry just talking, sometimes it was over old times other times about what was happening in their lives. They just talked and Harry felt better, he hadn't talked with Peter like this in a long time and it really did him good to talk with his best friend.
Meanwhile Rogue was getting used to being out of the infirmary for once although at the moment she was in the library with Kitty and Kurt as they were helping her finish up all the homework she missed out on. Thankfully it wasn't much and it went by fast enough.
Although she was still a bit scared with what was going on with her body, Hank had said that she most likely was stabilized now but it was still scary to think that something could happen. But she did smile when she remembered how Peter had been there for her, how he held her in her sleep.
She had woken up after that night to find her face buried in his chest her hands gripping his shirt and one of his arms wrapped protectively around her. She had never felt so safe in her life that night, and it was almost like she could feel how much he cared for her in his arms. She had just rested her head against his chest for an hour just enjoying the moment.
"Hey Rogue you like paying attention?" Kitty's voice and hand waved in front of her face snapping the goth out of her thoughts.
"What?"
Kitty giggled seeing the look on the older girl's face, "Welcome back."
Rogue just felt a bit embarrassed from drifting off like that but tried to hide it. "Sorry about that."
"Vell ve're nearly done, at least now you'll be back vith us in school." Kurt offered her.
"Yeah and you'll see the new Brotherhood members, I swear it's like they always have to have at least one goth," Kitty said shaking her head. "I mean first you, then Wanda and now that Sandra girl."
Rogue had heard about the new people and she wasn't sure she liked the idea of even more members. So far they had behaved but lately the others had said that the Brotherhood had a slight change in attitude. "I really don't zhink that girl likes me," Kurt said remembering Sandra and the way she looked at him all the time.
"I have no idea why but she does, she keeps giving me zhese nastly looks all zhe time and I don't know vhy." It was kind of unsettling too, he hadn't even talked to the girl but it was like she knew him and she didn't like him for some strange reason.
The other girls looked at him wondering why she was singling him out. It didn't make much sense but then again the Brotherhood had always issues with the X-Men. It was then that Scott walked in seeing everyone, "Hey guys."
They replied and he walked over to Rogue, "Hey how you doing?"
She rolled her eyes, "Do ya have any idea how many times ah've been asked that?"
"Oh, sorry," Scott rubbed the back of his head, "Just got worried about you there for a bit. You were really out of it after you absorbed that Venom guy."
Rogue gave a small smile, Scott was her first real friend. He had never given up on her when she was with the Brotherhood and if it wasn't for him she would most likely still be there. He had always reached out to her, and okay he was her first major crush too. But he had Jean and thankfully she had Peter and that was perfect for her. "Thanks for worryin' but ah'm fahne."
"So how are things going with Paul and Taryn?" Kitty asked changing the topic.
"Well…They're adjusting, it's not exactly an easy thing for mutants to find out so with humans I'm not surprised." Scott said and everyone in the room knew what it was like. Kurt when he realized he wasn't normal took it kind of hard and he had worried his parents. Rogue had been scared out of her mind and confused. She ran away when that happened. Kitty also didn't take it too well either and it took her months to finally come to terms with her being a mutant.
"But things are going well," Scott amended, "It's just nice being able to talk to them about this, it's kind of a relief."
Both he and Jean were feeling better about being more open to their friends as well it sure was a weight of their shoulders that was for sure.
-The Next Day-
Sandra 'Shriek' Dean was walking through the high school just seeing some of the looks. She liked her new look, she was sexy now and not the fat kid that others ignored or teased. She brushed her long raven hair over one of her shoulders and she smiled seeing a few heads turn.
She loved her new life, she was beautiful, desirable, powerful and for the first time she found a place she belonged. She had already got a friendship going with Delilah but being the only two women in the team that was easy. But she did like the older girl, she was fun to be around and like her reveled in her new looks and powers.
Todd smelled but was kind of funny, in a comic relief type of way at least. Fred was kind of a nice guy although he sure had a temper. But she could relate to his sensitivity about his weight and looks, she knew all too well. Pietro was kind of jerk with an ego although he kept on hitting on Delilah, she kept on leading him on after telling her that it was the best way to control a man.
Max was…well he was different. There was a lot of anger in him and he was kind of a loner, although from what he said about his girl running off to the X-Men she could see why he was. Morrie was okay she guessed although kind of juvenile though.
Then of course there was Raven her new mother. But there was something else that she hadn't figure out and looking over there she saw him. Kurt Wagner her foster brother as it were. When Raven told her about him she instantly was jealous of him, because he would always be her biological son and what's worst he hated their mother.
She could see the pain in her eyes when she talked about him this was the woman that had saved her. Sandra most likely would have died a junkie if not for her and the fact this boy just didn't care about her really angered her. She wanted to punish him for the pain he caused mother and she so wanted to. But Raven made her promise not to do anything about it, at least not off the battlefield.
So for days she hadn't done anything but she couldn't stand it anymore, she had to confront him. He was talking to that dark skinned girl he was seeing. Just some human girl as she found out nothing special about her. She walked over to him and both of them who had been smiling and talking about something stopped to look at the dark goth girl.
"I need to talk to you Wagner," She said in a cold tone, then looked at Amanda. "Alone."
Amanda wasn't sure what to do but Kurt knew that she wouldn't try something at school so he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay."
She gave him one last look and he nodded so she did leave but not too far just far enough to keep an eye on him. So now Kurt turned to this pale skinned girl in all black and wondered what this was all about. Sandra looked him up and down, "I guess the family resemblance must be only with the hologram off."
Kurt was taken aback by this not sure what she was getting at. "Let me break it down to you," She said leaning a bit closer to him, "Raven or Mystique to you lot…She saved my life, she took me out of hell and gave me a future. And you know what else she did?"
Kurt shook his head not knowing where this was going.
"She took me in, she adopted me." She let that hang there and she saw him put the pieces together. Kurt's mouth fell open at what that meant. She was his sister, well foster sister but still…He never thought of Mystique as the type of woman to do that. She abandoned him and the thought of her taking in a child was a surprise.
Even since he had found out she was his mother certain questions had been flooding his mind. Like why? Why did she never come for him? Although he loved the Wagners and nothing would change that he needed to know why. Was it because of his looks? Looking at the girl across from him he wondered if she only wanted a daughter and not a son? He wasn't sure which was harder to take.
"So 'brother' let me tell you that unlike you I love out mother, she cares for me and if you can't see the kind of person she is then so be it." Sandra said angrily and turned away and stormed off before Kurt could say anything or defend himself or even give his side of the story.
This whole thing just sent him off balance, first he finds his biological mother who was their enemy and now he finds out that she took in a girl and adopted her. Now he had both his mother and sister as enemies. All Kurt could do was just lean back against the lockers lost in thought.
Now at least some things were making sense to him about that girl. But this wasn't one of them, he honestly was just shocked to his core. Amanda walked over and was instantly worried by the look on his face and how his body was a bit disturbing. "Kurt? Kurt are you okay?"
There was no response so she shook him gently, "Kurt!"
That got him out of things and he looked at her with a strange look in his eyes that she couldn't name. "Kurt what is it? What did she say to you?"
Kurt's mouth worked a few times and it took him to say the words. "She's my sister…"
"What?" That was the reaction out of everyone at the table in the cafeteria. Currently Kurt was once more going through it all. Amanda was there holding his hand as he told Jean, Scott, Peter, Rogue, Kitty and Lance. It was pretty easy to say that everyone was just blown away from that.
"Damn…I never saw Mystique as the caring type," Lance admitted out loud, "I mean hell I've spent more time with her then you and she's not exactly miss personality. Never once did I think she could just adopt a kid."
Kurt had to admit that was one of the things that hurt him, sure he wasn't close to his biological mother but still, it really hurt and he couldn't figure out why.
"This is just so…" Kitty said trying to figure out something that went with it.
"Messed up?" Scott offered looking over to see the dark goth with the Brotherhood was just strange knowing she was Kurt's sister. It was like learning their old principal was Mystique all over again. "No offence buddy but you're family tree is getting stranger and stranger."
"Jah, tell me about it," Kurt sighed not sure what to do with this.
Peter had to admit this had to be hard, how do you deal with finding out you got a new sister in your life? "Wish I could say I could relate to you Kurt but…I don't think anyone could."
"Ya know ah just can't figure her out." Rogue said.
"Who? Sandra?" Jean asked her and Rogue shook her head.
"No Mystique, ah mean it's like she's got this warped sense of family. Remember how she tried to tell Kurt who she was to him but then the Brotherhood stopped her?"
Lance winced at that, she had been furious with them after that for months. Everyone was afraid she was going to murder them in their sleep when she started screaming at them for what they had done. They had just been following orders by Magneto but still Mystique angry wasn't a pretty sight.
"Plus how she manipulated meh not once but twice," Rogue sighed in how she had tricked her into joining the Brotherhood and then as her supposedly best friend. That still really hurt that she had turned out to have been Mystique the entire time.
"Yeah you think she's got a thing for goth girls?" Peter asked them all joking about that.
Rogue rolled her eyes, "Kitty already made that joke."
Peter gave a mock glare to the brunette, "Hey quit stepping on my turf, Bubbles I'm the one that makes the wise cracks."
"Bubbles?" Kitty asked.
"You know the blond Power Puff girl." He said with a grin getting a few laughs at that. Kitty was kind of like that character all sweet and kind and bubbly. Lance tried to hide his grin but she saw it giving him a pout then looked at Peter sticking her tongue out at him.
Even Kurt had to smile at that point seeing Peter and Kitty two of the smartest people he knew acting like children. It was pretty funny seeing them start to go at it and he felt a bit better, he noticed the shaking next to him and looked to see Amanda with a hand over her mouth. She looked like she was trying to hold off on the giggles.
-Later that day-
"Ah!" Scott cried out hitting the small rubber ball. He was playing a game with Rogue in a squash court both of them in training clothing. Rogue was back to wearing her gloves in her green sweat pants and tank top since she didn't have on the nullifier.
In fact Scott had to be wearing his shades as well in his shorts and t-shirt. Both of them didn't want to wreck their nullifiers since they were hard to make and replace. This was a weekly game that he got into playing with Rogue shortly after she joined them.
At first it was a friendly competition on the first time but that ended in a tie, so they agreed to another set next week. Rogue won by one game so he asked for a rematch, next week he was the winner. By now it had just became a weekly thing that they shared together. He liked it honestly she was a very good player and matched him perfectly.
Jean even though very athletic was better at basketball and soccer then this. She was good but Scott was much better then her, Evan, Kurt and Kitty didn't play and he was never that comfortable around the New Recruits because of the how much older he was around them. He felt a few years older when he tried hanging out with them. He tried Peter once and got his ass handed to him.
Apparently he should have figured that Peter's hand eye coordination, speed and agility would make this the perfect game for him. But with Rogue things were more even and they really pushed each other to win, and it was fun.
Rogue herself liked these times very much as well, it really was a nice way to relax and she looked forward to these games. Being the goth on the team there wasn't much she had in common with most of the others, although she and Wanda were going okay. At least the both of them liked the same books and movies so they were a bit at ease. Although there was a slight tension because both weren't as unique anymore being on the same team.
Rogue ran to the ball and gave it a hard hit with her paddle seeing it pounce off the wall. She was sweating like Scott but she was having fun. Sometimes they would try and trash talk the other or make jokes too. It was one of the few times that both of them could just let themselves loose a bit. She found that Scott wasn't as 'uptight' as he seemed he just acted that way because he had to set an example to the others.
Sure there were a few times she let herself loose too, a bit more now thanks to the nullifiers. Despite Kitty's insistence that when she had Peter help her in the dark room they used it as their personal make out spot. Okay so maybe a few times they had a little of that type of fun on the side but he really was making her like photography. It was fun and she was already making her own little album of photos she took herself and with Peter's help make in the darkroom.
Scott hit the ball once more and Rogue instantly saw she had over corrected. 'Damn it!' She tried to reach it but it went too far out of reach.
"Well that's game," Scott said with a smile on his face. Beating Rogue really was a challenge and boy it was sure satisfying when he did. He walked over to their bags and pulled out two water bottles and threw one to her. He took a gulp for his thirst, "Well that was a great game."
She nodded her head as she took a sip, "Want another one?"
Scott shook his head, "Sorry Jean and me are meeting Paul and Taryn for a movie later and I need to shower up first."
Rogue just shrugged her shoulders it was fine with her.
"Oh yeah are you going to that concert playing with Peter?" Scott asked as he picked up his stuff. There was this huge rock concert that everyone was hoping to go to. He was really looking forward to taking Jean to it.
Rogue nodded, "Yeah, after what happened with Venom he wanted to make it up to meh."
"Wasn't his fault."
She sighed, "Ah know but ya know how he gets with guilt." Scott thought about that and he saw her point, Peter had a nasty way of letting guilt eat him up inside. "Anyways it's not lahke somethin' bad can happen there at least."
"Yeah well see ya later," he called out to her and left.
Rogue was going for the ball when her head suddenly flared up in pain. She clutched her head thinking back to what happened in the bathroom, she felt strange for a moment it was like she was outside of her body or something. She felt really weird and didn't know what was going on. It felt like a floodgate in her mind was open and all these bits and pieces of memories and feelings were suddenly let out.
When it stopped she was on her knees as the pain left. 'Oh god no…Not again…'
She was breathing heavily and decided to get her stuff and see Beast for a check up later on that he had that night. If anything was wrong she needed to know. Although when she left what she didn't notice was that during that episode she had flung her racket into the wall where it had been thrown with such force it was imbedded into the wall.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 18: FAMILY PART 2