X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall
Chapter One Hundred Fifty Five
Author's Word: Hi, fam. Why am I posting so soon? Besides the fact that you guys are great, I'm feeling loads better. Now, let's see how well this feedback does to determine my speed on the next one. Please enjoy and review!
On sock covered feet, the small one in lime green overalls and bubblegum pink turtleneck made her way into the library. She saw Sean, Leon, and Frank seated at one of the front tables nearest the entry. Alex and Joey shared one right behind them. All had different learning aides before them.
"Keep breathing in," Frank encouraged. "Try it now. Say anything."
Upon seeing the one who had just walked in, Sean tried to speak her name but remained inaudible.
Frank's shoulder's drooped. "Aw, man."
Alex glanced over his shoulder at them. "Quit forcing it. Hank already went over vocal exercises with him before he and Raven took off."
"I know." Frank folded his arms and slouched. "Just hoped I could help."
Sean sent him an encouraging smile and gave him a playful sock to the shoulder, making Frank brighten a bit.
"Hi, Kiki," Joey grinned at the toddler.
She waved at him before tugging on the arm of the redhead.
Sean looked at her and made grand gestures with his pencil and notebook.
Alex set his gaze their way. "Kiki, Seanie can't play right now. He's behind on his schoolwork."
Sean regarded Kiki apologetically.
"I can play!" Joey started to rise.
Alex gave him a sharp look. "Butt in chair, Eel."
"Aww!" Joey moaned but complied.
Leon tilted his head, observing Kiki. "How can anyone possess eyes so… shiny?"
Kiki imitated his gesture, one pigtail flopping across her face.
Alex laughed softly, shaking his head. "Come here, Kiki." He held an arm out. "Want to look at Uncle Alex's textbook with him?"
As if able to sense the boredom in that proposal, she declined with a serious, "No!"
Now Frank laughed.
"Okay, baby, go find Uncle Charles or Auntie Emmie," Alex directed.
Kiki bobbed her head and skipped on her way. When she reached the middle of the hall, she fell forward. Not losing momentum, she continued on by crawling until she made it to the stairs. Standing again, she gripped the banister with both hands as she made her way down.
Proceeding on towards the kitchen, she found the eatery empty. Her bright eyes immediately honed in on the cookie jar left out on the island. Climbing up onto a stool then to the counter top, she removed the lid and made fast work of devouring the chocolate chip contents within.
"Hungry, are we?" Charles voice sounded. He marched from the doorway right over to the now sheepish three-year-old. "Did we ask if we could eat those cookies, Kyra?"
Handing him one, the crumb covered face said, "Here, Unca Charles."
Charles could not help a smile. "Thank you." He returned it to the jar. "I think that's enough cookies for one day." He carried the container over to place on top of the refrigerator then looked back at her. "Bored?"
Kiki touched her pointer fingers together. "I want Becca."
"She's at the market with Uncle Erik." Charles came back over, gathering the small girl into his arms. "Do you want Uncle Charles to play with you?"
Kiki nodded then noticed the gold piece on his arm and touched the face. "Pwetty."
"Do you like that?" Charles lowered into a kitchen chair with her. "I've had it for a very long time. It used to belong to my daddy- mine and your mummy's daddy. Your grandfather."
Kiki asked curiously, "Where is he?"
Charles explained carefully, "I lost him when I was a bit older than you are now."
"Like Daddy's daddy?"
Charles nodded solemnly. "Yes, like your daddy's daddy. But enough of this talk." He bounced her on his lap, making her laugh. "Don't you want to play?"
Kiki gripped his wrists as she bobbled up and down. "Hide and seek, Unca Charles."
"Alright," Charles agreed. "Do you want me to hide?"
"I go hide," Kiki declared.
"Well then, I'd best start counting." He placed her on her feet. "You remember the rooms you're not allowed in, yes?" Kiki nodded and hurried out. Keeping track of her with his mind, Charles put his hands over his eyes. "One, two, three…"
Kiki toddled into the parlor. Spotting Charles' chess chair, she crawled along her belly to get underneath it.
After giving her sufficient enough time to cloak herself, Charles sprang from his chair to begin the search. "Hmm, let's see here. Where on earth could that little baby be?" Kiki tried to stifle a giggle as he approached. "Kiki, are you over here, darling?" Charles peered over one sofa then the other. "No? My, this is a tough one. I'll have to sit down and think about it for a while." He sat gingerly in his chair without applying pressure to it.
Kiki slid right out from under his feet. "Peeky-boo!"
"Kiki, there you are." Charles swept her up, tossed her lightly into the air, and caught her in a strong hug. "I must say, you are one excellent hider." She smiled and snuggled against his shirt. Charles could sense her winding down. "Are you ready for a nap?"
She shook her head in protest. "No, Unca Charles!"
"No?" The Professor then proposed, "Well, will you lay down with Uncle Charles while he has a nap?"
She responded, "'Kay," to this.
Charles carried her over to the right-hand sofa. He stretched out across it with Kiki's head on his chest. Tugging down the folded up green blanket from off the top of the couch, Charles brought it around them to mostly cover the already drifting toddler. Rubbing her back to further lull her, his eyes soon closed as well.
IIIIIII
"Trav, stop messing around with that." Scott removed the box of cheddar cheese crackers from the six-year-old's grasp. "We have to buy them first."
"But I want to see if the stickers are inside." Trav pointed out the colorful Bugs Bunny advertisement.
Scott said to that, "Well, you'll just have to wait and see when we get home."
Trav huffed. "If Frankie was here he could look and see straight through the box."
"Trav," Scott glanced about briefly, seeing they had not caught anyone's attention. "Watch it. Don't talk about that stuff when we're out here."
Erik returned from the frozen section with Becky in time to see the little tongue extend. "Keep it out. I'll put some vinegar on it."
Trav instantly retracted his tongue, brown eyes growing apologetic. "I'm sorry, Scottie." He leaned over his seat in the cart to hug the older boy's head.
"It's okay," Scott dismissed, giving his ribs a little tickle, "you pain."
"Look what we got." Becky helped her father deposit the various ice creams into the cart.
"Mmm," both boys reacted favorably.
"Now that it seems we have our fill of sweets," Erik reviewed the cart before looking to the children, "who would like to help me select some vegetables for us?"
As if right in the classroom, Trav's hand shot up with its usual eagerness. "I'll help, Uncle Erik!"
"Very good." Erik took control of the cart and wheeled them over to produce.
While Trav made a show of picking out the proper ears of corns from the insufficient ones, Erik's attention went to Becky who lingered near the fruit section. When a light haired, middle-aged man inched near her, Erik left Trav with Scott and made purposeful shark-on-land tracks over. He stilled his pace when the man handed her an oversized orange bright in color, tipped his hat at her, and continued on with his own shopping.
Looking over, the smile Becky wore faded slightly at her father's countenance. "What's wrong, Papa?"
Forming a more pleasant expression, Erik assured, "Not a thing, ladybug." He then called over, "Scott," promptly getting the young teen's shades covered eyes over, "come help Becky pick out some fruit. Trav and I will see to the vegetables."
Scott nodded happily and tore off a few of the offered clear bags to carry the fruit in.
Once they had everything they needed, for a few days at least, they checked out and proceeded for the parking lot. Scott assisted Erik in loading up the back of the X-Van with the numerous bags while Becky helped Trav into his booster situated in the passenger seat. The little boy had wanted very much to sit near to Erik and Becky certainly carried no qualms about sharing the second row with Scott. They all finished shortly and with the three mutant fledglings munching away on individual treats, Erik started them back for home.
IIIIIII
Though I know it's a waste of time, I sometimes think about if things were different.
The four of us together; happy, safe, secluded.
If any single thing could be changed, where and who would we be?
Would your hair brush across my face as you leaned in to kiss me good night?
Long, soft, golden strands as beautiful as you are.
Would your beard tickle my chin every time I curled up in your lap?
Listening to the stories heard a thousand times already, never growing old in my ears.
Maybe it is a waste of time.
But still, what if things were different?
The four of us together; happy, safe secluded.
The moment the recitation came to an end, the hands of the gathered raised in collective applause. Raven dipped in a brief curtsy and stepped down from the short outdoor stage. She returned to where Hank held down their blue and white checkered blanket under a tree.
Hank brought his arm around her and kissed the side of the blonde head. "That was lovely, Raven."
"Thanks," she stroked fingers against his chest, "but it has nothing on the way you speak."
"Simple memorization," he scoffed at. "I can only dream of writing so beautifully. Though," he laid his palm over her right cheek, "the proper inspiration can do wonders."
Raven smiled and moved to kiss him, but the thunder sounding overhead startled all present in the park.
"Sorry, folks," the MC announced over the microphone, "looks like mother nature has other plans. We'll pick this up next Saturday; same time, same place."
That said, everyone scattered to find shelter as the clouds only darkened.
IIIIIII
Entire mouth thoroughly coated by the brown substance, Trav held out the fudge bar for the one who carried him. Erik took a bite out of the offered treat and with the little boy on his hip, entered the parlor. He snickered at the zonked out professor on one sofa.
"Shh!" Trav raised a free finger to his lips. "Uncle Charles is sleeping."
"Mm, not anymore." Charles stirred with a yawn. The moment he sat up, a small rush of alarm hit him. "Have you seen Kiki?"
Erik looked around at the furniture pieces. "I didn't see her coming out of my den."
Becky's sudden shriek caused both men to make haste for the kitchen. Trav clutched his fudge bar protectively.
"Princess?" Charles spoke, rushing in alongside Erik.
Becky pointed towards the floor. "She pulled it down. I thought it was going to hit her."
There on the formerly clean tile sat a very content Kiki, practically coated head to toe in Neapolitan ice cream from the pail that lay beside her. Scott tried making use of a dish towel to wipe her as well as the mess.
Charles slapped a hand across the top of his head. "Kyra Elizabeth McCoy." He dropped down to where she continued licking away at her own limbs. Charles waved a finger near her nose. "No, no, no, no."
"It's my fault, Charles," Scott piped up. "I should've been paying closer attention."
"Ooh, I'm telling Mommy, Kikiko," said Trav. "And Daddy that you ate too much sweet."
"Travis," Erik applied taps to his bottom, "that isn't tattling I hear, is it?"
Trav responded by whimpering against the man's neck. "No, Uncle Erik."
Charles released a calm sigh. "First thing's first, you need a bath, Miss."
Kiki hummed as she ate some strawberry off her wrist.
IIIIIII
Blue eyes wandering away from the tedium of arithmetic and over to the water droplets outside the library's windows, Joey wished for Cody or Cordy to return home. Of course, he also wished for Merlin to glide through with Peter Pan to poof him away to fun times in Never Land. As the rain continued, Joey imagining them to be paint splatters of various colors.
"Quit day dreaming, Joe."
The big brother tone made him look away without delay. "Sorry, Al."
Alex softened a bit. "I know this is no way to spend a Saturday but you know you have to make up for Hank's math test. If you don't go over this with me, it's either him or Charles. And you know how your dad gets about schoolwork."
Joey nodded hard. "Yeah, I know." He could not help pouting. "I just wish it wasn't so hard. And boring."
"Tell you what," Alex bargained, "if you go from a D to a B on your makeup test, I'll take you to a movie after art class on Monday. I'm sure Cody will want to come and maybe someone a little prettier…" He smiled secretively at him. "Like Laci."
"Alright! Thanks, Al." Suddenly finding the exercises that much more interesting, Joey focused on the workbook.
Leon leaned back in his chair to speak with Alex covertly. "And this is why students make the best instructors."
Alex returned, "The not being old part helps, too."
IIIIIII
Gripping one hand on the child to ensure she did not get swept away inside the massive Jacuzzi tub, Charles washed the excess stickiness off as best he could. The wriggling on the part of the toddler did not help his cause.
"Kiki," Charles urged, "settle down now, love." A wave of water brutalizing his shirt acted as her response. "Gah! Kyra, no. Do not splash me." He retrieved a spare towel to dab out the extra moisture. She giggled at him and he set her with a mock reproving glare. "Oh, of course you think it's funny. Are you a mermaid?" He tickled her nose with the tip of the wash cloth. "Are you?"
Kiki twirled in place and Charles had to laugh. It had been a great many years since his last experience bathing a little bitty girl and the entire thing, splashes and all, created fond recollections within him. Knowing that the child before him was the daughter of his Baby Blue made it that much more wonderful.
Between the melt worthy smile and eyes that shined with mischief and innocence at the same time, Charles knew it mattered not from who or where she came. Kiki carried an enormous amount of Raven within her.
After he at long last got her clean to squeaky proportions, Charles unplugged the tub. He used his large navy blue towel to scoop out the small babe and dried her along with her hair.
Growing serious, and hating it, Charles looked into her face. "Kyra, do you remember what Uncle Charles said about the cookies earlier? That you should ask first, yes?" She appeared thoughtful then bobbed her head to reply. "You shouldn't have gotten into the ice cream without asking, should you?"
Kiki shook her head. "No." She tugged on the towel. "I sowwy, Unca Charles."
"And I forgive you, but I still have to punish you I'm afraid." Charles brought her in close to his front. Raising the back of her towel, he swatted her bare bottom three times.
"Owwww!" Despite the howl, only a few tears came out of her eyes. "That hurt…"
"Yes, I know." Charles clean away the salty drops and kissed both her cheeks. "I'm sorry, baby, but when you're naughty with Uncle Charles, I have to spank you the same as your daddy would. But it doesn't mean that I don't love you. Because I do." He squeezed her tightly. "More than you know, my girl."
Kiki pecked his forehead. "I love you my Unca Charles."
"Then I'm a very lucky man." Picking her up, Charles carried her out to where his wife awaited.
Looking up at them, she raised an eyebrow. "Who was bathing whom exactly?"
"That's what I would like to know." Charles laid Kiki on the bed beside her neatly folded clothes. "Please get her dressed while I change shirts."
"Of course." Moving the towel out of the way, Emma lifted Kiki's wiggling feet to kiss the bottom of each one. "Did you have Uncle Charles take a bath with you? Did you?" She started working a pair of goldfish themed underwear up on the giggling mess. "Just think, dear. In a few weeks," she indicated her stomach, "we'll be going through this constantly."
Fresh shirt on and buttoned, Charles fell out beside them on the bed. "Oh yes, I know." He touched Emma's arm with pleading eyes. "Help me."
She laughed and finished getting Kiki into her yellow, black polka dotted dress.
When she sensed the approaching mind, Emma invited, "Come in, sweetheart."
Becky entered and walked up to the edge of the bed to peer down at Kiki, who reached up for her. "May we have a tea party now?" She looked at Emma. "With you and Prince Charles, too."
The reclining one chimed in, "I'm afraid the Prince has to decline due to extreme delirium. Please forgive me, Princess."
Emma patted his hand. "I'll be along soon, darling."
"Okay. Let's go set up in the rec room, Baby Bear." Becky raised Kiki into a hug and departed back through the French doors of the master suite with her.
Dipping her head, Emma offered Charles a comforting kiss.
IIIIIII
Sweat cascading down his back even more so than the rain against the windows of the Lincoln, Hank arched his head back with a pleasured huff. He lowered to cherish the blue lips shielded by his frame.
An annoyed groan echoed when his foot bumped the roof again. "Why must I have this wretched height?"
Raven hushed him and said, "I like playing climb-to-kiss."
Hank went in for her neck. "I like you."
Raven's hand worked down the back of his jacket. "Just like?"
"You're beginning to grow on me."
"Oh yeah? Well, who else can you con into the backseat of a car?"
"One should always make the best out of a rainy day." Hank pulled on her blouse. "Besides, the budding poets cleared out before the storm even hit."
Raven stilled, practically ready to rocket through under his skilled tongue. "Desertion- very good." She gasped sharply. "Hank!"
He informed her, "Oh I've only just begun."
"No Hank," Raven changed over to her blonde guise, panic as evident in her hazel eyes as it was in the yellow, "there's someone out there."
"What?" Grabbing his glasses, he glanced back.
"I swear I saw something," Raven insisted. "A shadow across the window."
They both reacted to a thud on the roof.
"Stay here." Hank worked the door open with his foot and wormed out, rain instantly coating him as he demanded, "Who's out there?"
"Use your eyes," a deep tone signaled.
Gazing up high into the nearby tree, Hank exhaled in astonishment at the one who lingered above them. A stout brown fur covered leonine creature in tattered crimson clothing and gold belt stared back. He leapt down suddenly and Hank stood ready to go at him, following its movements to where it landed on the trunk of the car.
Facing forward, he addressed the young man again with, "I am Puma, leader of the power plant's mutants. I don't expect you to remember me, Hank. I only worked under your father for a short time. My name then was Thomas Fireheart."
"Thomas Fireheart?" Hank echoed. "Yes, when I was six or seven. Mother invited you to take supper with us a few times. What happened to you?"
"I left work a few years ago after I started," he raised one altered appendage, "changing. Mine developed slower than the others. When I learned about them, I returned and helped to free many of the Plant's other children. As many as I could. We now call ourselves the Edge Pack."
"You sent Tim and Aria to attack us," Hank accused.
"No," Puma shook his head, "to enlist you. While Vipera and the others failed to carry through, I know too well of your potential, Hank- Beast. You belong with us. So I tracked you myself."
"You sent your entire team out and now you believe you can perform a more thorough brain-washing?" Hank cocked an eyebrow. "In case you failed to notice, I'm no longer an impressionable first-grader."
"You are a man," Puma concurred. "Now I can do this." He jumped at him, fangs bared.
Hank retaliated by rolling back and kicking him off against a tree. Puma literally bounced back, knocking over and pinning him down
"Do not make this harder than it has to be, Hank." Puma pressed down firmer. "I will beat the truth into you if you force me." He growled at the forceful kick to his side.
An entirely blue Raven stood over him. "The truth is I'm going to beat you if you don't get away from my husband."
Rushing back to his feet, Puma took in the unusual female with intrigue. "So it is true, Hank. You married one of our own. Both of you will be perfect for our fold."
Hank got up, standing before Raven. "We have heard it all before. Now it's time you get it through your head, Thomas, we will never join you."
Yellow-gold eyes settling on them for an extended moment, Puma leapt straight over their heads in an abrupt motion. The McCoys veered around to him landing on the Lincoln's roof.
Puma jabbed a claw their direction. "Your refusal is unacceptable. You've brought this all upon yourselves." He flipped over and upward, springing through the tree limbs.
"They actually followed us," Raven stated with both disdain and disbelief, returning to her civilian guise. "What if they're all here?"
"We have to get back to Charles and Erik," Hank determined. "Have the Triad locate their whereabouts."
Raven agreed and the couple hurried for the inside of their car.
IIIIIII
Another literature chapter with page and a half of notes to accompany it out of the way, Maya moved on to their current unit for history class. As she swapped out books, she could not help pausing to admire the silver band on her finger yet again. So lost in it, only the knock on her doorway made her look up towards the one who had given it to her.
"Hey, how's it going with Frank?" She laughed softly at the so-so motion he made with his hand as he dropped down by the foot of her bed. "Well, would the great American writer mind looking over my paper for Emma?" She handed it to him along with a pencil. "Frownies for what you dislike, smilies for what you like with little notes at the bottom- or declarations of love, whichever."
Sean formed a thumbs-up and went to work on her first paragraph.
II
Stirring her plastic cup of invisible piping hot tea, Kiki shuddered when the lights overhead flickered.
"It's okay, Kiki." Becky glanced up briefly at the fixtures. "It does that sometimes when it rains too hard." She rubbed her own arms. "But it is cold in here. Why don't you see if our guests want some more tea?"
Kiki's attention went to serving the teddy bears while the older girl headed for the open window.
As soon as she got near enough, Becky's hands froze in place at the presence that seemed to attack her mind. When the snarling face popped up outside the window, she screamed in terror and had to catch herself before she fell. Running back, she knocked over everything in her way as she barreled through. She grabbed up Kiki and rushed at the door.
Puma slithered inside and dove through the air to block their path. However, their shrieks became drowned out by his sudden torment filled cry. Clutching his head, he went to his knees.
Lowering her hand from her temple, Emma ran right for the girls
"Auntie!" Becky shouted when Puma regained his footing all too quickly.
The invader seized Emma by the middle and swiped out a full hand of claws, causing her to writhe from the pain produced. He started to repeat the act but had to let go of her entirely to shield his own ears.
As if a gust of wind had burst through the room, Puma's reflexes abandoned him and he flew back. He crashed straight through the center window, demolishing the glass along with a corner of the wall.
Unable to catch his breath as his scream faded, Sean did not waste time going to Emma. An equally breathless Maya went to Becky and Kiki.
"Mom?" The redhead gathered the woman into his arms, his chest pounding the moment he saw the deep oozing gashes across her abdomen. He cried out towards the hallway, "Dad!"