X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall

Chapter One Hundred Ninety One

Author's Word: Hi, fam! I'm sorry this is late, but I had some inner battles of sorts to conquer first. As for you, MissMarvelGirl, of course you're in the fam! Don't ever doubt that. Having all of you guys read and follow Rise or Fall, new and those who have been here since 2011, means so much to me and gets me through many hard times. Now, please read and review!

Yellow and black sock covered feet swaying, the stomach down teen kept the receiver as close to her ear as possible. The luxury of a phone in her bedroom seemed all but forgotten. She tried not to move due to Beauty having found a nestling spot at the small of her back.

"What no-man territory did my sister drag you to exactly?"

Unzipping and removing her boots, Angel replied, "Spain, chica. Madrid, Pamplona, and about half a dozen other places I'm not going to strain my tongue trying to pronounce."

Cordelia giggled, flipping another page in the magazine before her. "You're illegally caliente in these pictures. Please tell me you still have the goldenrod skirt, saved for the divine purpose of letting me borrow it."

"Don't even worry about that," Angel assured. "I put aside a whole bag of free samples for you. But enough about me. What's happening with the X-Men?"

Cordelia advised, "You should probably put on a pot of coffee or six for this."

IIIIIII

With the glow brought about by the sunshine of first thing in the morning, everything from the pool of water to the thriving creatures in the trees remained under a silent veil.

Maya finally spoke again to the one on the stone across from hers. "Are you mad at me?"

"I don't get it." Cody stared darkened brown eyes into hers. "Why do you have to go with her?"

"I told you," Maya reminded gently. "My mom is really sick. She needs someone to take care of her and watch over her."

Cody shook his head to that. "Kids ain't supposed to take care of grown folk. They're supposed to take care of us."

"You're right," Maya completely agreed. "I know you're right. But sometimes they need help, too. My mother isn't like yours. Her sickness won't just heal or go away."

Cody stated, "My mother's better to you than yours."

Maya moved from the stone and crouched on her knees to take him by the wrists. "My father was taken away so suddenly before anyone could do anything. I never want to go through that again, Cody. When he was alive… things were so different. I hope I can use this to help us get back on track." Her eyes shined a little. "But I promise that nothing will change between us. I'll just be a phone call away." She leaned in to hug him.

Though he accepted the embrace, Cody remained stiff and unconvinced.

IIIIIII

The tranquility he normally experienced after a shower became harshly interrupted by the intruding and unmistakable scent of smoke. Not wasting time slipping on a shirt, Erik dashed out of his quarters solely in his slacks. He did not come to a halt until he reached the kitchen, where his eldest fought the billowing grayness with an oven mitt and dish towel.

"Alex," Erik walked over to open a window, "what are you doing? Or killing?"

Showing him the pan containing charred food remains, Alex put forth, "Do you think the kids'll go for sunnyside eggs with an eclipse?"
"An eclipse? They greater resemble a black hole." Erik went over to him. "What did perfectly good food ever do to you for you to mistreat it so?"

Alex placed the pot in the sink. "I just wanted to help…" He then inwardly groaned at how juvenile that sounded.

Erik placed a kind grip on his shoulders. "You mean atone. Which is also the reason you spent all of yesterday taking over everyone else's chores."

The blonde dipped his head. "I want to make things right again."

Erik used the opportunity to kiss the top of his hair. "You were punished, you learned, and you're regretful. Most importantly, you and Leon are safe and sound. Here with me. Things are more than right, boychick."

Alex relaxed under his touch and words. "Thanks, Dad."

"But I would like your help this morning. I promised Scott a fishing trip, so make sure the others get some cereal into them."

Alex nodded then asked, "You sure that's all you want me to do? Because I could probably whip up—"

"Alex," Erik pointedly cut in, "cereal. Cold, no stove involvement cereal."

"Gotcha." Glancing towards the sink, Alex marveled over how he had no need of his mutation to cause incineration.

For Erik's part, he knew well that he still had one remaining area that could not be described as remotely right.

IIIIIII

"I got it!" Taking hold of the receiver again, Joey answered, "Hello?" then registered the voice on the other end. "Hi, Uncle Erik! Yeah, I'm okay."

Erik noted, "I'm hardly convinced of that. Are you sure, Kangaroo?"

"Well…" Joey let off a little sigh. "The truth is, Grandpa's is great, but… I wish our house would hurry and rebuild, you know?"

"Yes, I do. I've missed you a great deal. So have the others."

"Becky, too? I haven't talked to her much."

"Yes, Becky, too," Erik confirmed. "It's due to what happened that's made her so distant. It certainly has nothing to do with you."

"I thought so, but it's still nice to hear," Joey said.

Erik then asked, "Is your father about?"

"They're at the airport," Joey told him. "Angel's coming to visit."

"Ah, yes. She has been away. Well," Erik went on, "I'll have to speak with him later. Scott and I are going fishing."

Joey's eyes expanded a little. "You fish, Uncle Erik? But you can't wear a suit or anything."

"I know. I'm terribly excited. I'll talk to you soon, Kangaroo. Behave yourself."

"Yes, Uncle Erik," the boy recited before they said goodbye.

Joey returned to the living room, where his grandfather played with Brian in an arm chair and his mother read a section of the paper.

"Who were you talking to for so long?" Emma inquired when he came to join her on the sofa.

"Laci. She hates waiting around in the doctor's office," Joey explained. "It takes forever."

"Ah, yes, your lady friend," Winston recalled with a jovial smile.

Joey nodded. "I tried to call Cody, but they must be outside or something."

Emma offered out, "They're all probably overseeing the construction."

"Then Uncle Erik—"

The highly enthused girlish parade caused everyone's attention to go towards the foyer.

Cordelia stepped in first, giving a ballerina spin to their guest. "Look who's here!"

"Angel." Emma placed the paper down to get up and share a small hug with the girl. "It's so good to see you."

"Hi, Angel," Joey piped up.

"Hi," Angel smiled, looking to Winston. "Thanks so much for having me, Mr. Frost."

"The pleasure is all mine, dear," the man responded.

"And ours," Chris tacked on, staggering in with a hefty overnight bag. "We delight in playing bellhop."

One suitcase in each hand, Charles added, "He means it's our honor as gentlemen."

Smiling at her husband, Emma said to Angel, "You must be famished after all of this travel."

"You have no idea," Angel replied gratefully.

"We'll take these things upstairs," Charles said, heading that direction.

"Don't touch my stuff!" Cordelia called after them.

"Rifle through your diary," Chris sent back dryly, "understood."

IIIIIII

After finishing off the carton of chocolate milk that complimented his peanut butter and banana sandwich so well, Scott fingered through the contents of his tackle box. He made sure to keep one hand on his rod. Sparing a glance out of the corner of his eye, he observed Erik with hands folded behind his head while his powers maintained control over the metal bits made onto his rod. The boy could not help finding it strange to see the normally polished man currently clad in a plain t-shirt, overalls, and rubber boots. Scott himself had on a near matching ensemble except that his shirt was gray and sported the spelling of Batman's name on the front.

It took another moment for Erik to realize they had spent nearly ten minutes in absolutely companionable silence. Something about Scott's presence brought out the rare combination of the joy of company and the comfort of quiet.

The metal wielder sparked the conversation again with, "This was a fine idea. It's a shame Frank considers this sort of thing to be far too "country-fied" as he put it."

Scott laughed a little. "I've been ice fishing before. We tried it out at this day camp I went to back in Alaska. It was nothing like this, though. We had to put on like five layers."

"I can imagine, though I've never tried the ice variety myself," Erik told him. "I've fished several times throughout my travels when trekking to the nearest town proved too inconvenient." His countenance shifted a tad. "My father often took me in the summer."

"You're lucky." Scott then promptly clarified, "I mean that you can still remember the things you did with him. Before all the bad."

Erik bobbed his head. "You certainly have a point there." One he himself knew he could stand to remember.

"But I guess I can't call myself unlucky exactly," Scott brought up next. "I have you, Charles, Vic, Hank, and my brother to show me all kinds of stuff. I'll never forget everything we've done together. For as long as I live."

Erik left an arm around him as he said, "That goes for both of us."

IIIIIII

Maneuvering through the first floor of the lovely estate on sandals that matched her cotton candy pink swimsuit, Angel gazed upon the décor from underneath her brown tinted shades.

"Girl, your house is the living end," she raved to the one in bumblebee striped swimwear.

"Thanks. But the best part?" Cordelia paused briefly, forming a smile. "It actually feels like home again."

As soon as they reached the backyard, the sun offered them a kind greeting by wafting across their bare shoulders. The radiance brought with it a leisurely breeze that made their ponytails come to life. Getting a hold of two inflatable recliners, the female pair padded out to the center of the wide swimming pool.

Kicking lightly at the water, Angel wanted to know, "So what are they exactly going to do about monster man who caused all this? And did he actually kill his sister?"

Cordelia nodded grimly. "After he was done experimenting on her, he put her remains on ice. That alone has moved my brother up to shining knight status."

Angel threw out with a smirk, "He's certainly built like one."

"Gross, Ang!" Cordelia protested, making the other girl laugh. "His trial is coming up soon. We'll see how it goes. I hope they throw a dozen or so encyclopedias at him. Maybe even a few of those thick medical books Hank keeps in the lab."

Angel pushed her shades up to prop on her head. "How's Becky doing?"

"We haven't really talked," Cordelia admitted. "As well as can be expected I'm assuming. But she's Becky- she always seems to have it more together than us big girls."

"I noticed," Angel concurred. "The X-Men dodged a bullet there."

Cordelia lifted her own sunglasses to peer out at her. "What do you mean?"

Angel clarified solemnly, "That they got her instead of me."

Dipping her toes into the water, Cordelia splashed at her. "You cut that out. No one thinks of you that way anymore. If anyone should be on that list it's me after that whole Acolytes ordeal. But that's the thing about the X-Men. Our pasts don't get to define us."

"Storm watch, lassies!"

Before either girl could react, Chris unleased a mini wave upon them with his dive. They had to work to hold onto their chairs.

"Chris!" Cordelia screeched then leaned over to Angel. "Your knight, my gnat."

IIIIIII

Breath heavy and pulse skyrocketing, the long legs maneuvered back and forth against the padded targets. Staying firmly in place with arms outstretched, Victor kept his focus on the blatantly overheated youth.

In a move unexpected, he grabbed Sean's foot. The redhead jerked and flipped out and over free. When Victor went to seize hold of him again, the relentless scream that echoed next made him use his mitt covered hands to protect his sensitive ears. After causing a few cracks in the plaster along with several pieces of gym equipment to fall apart, Sean silenced again. He drooped against his knees to gain control over his breathing.

"So," Victor lowered his hands, "any better?"

Standing straight, Sean appeared as if to consider the possibility then came back with, "No." He walked over to where he'd left his water bottle.

Victor started removing the padded mitts. "You know this ain't her fault, pal."
Sean whipped around to face him. "You think Maya's the one I'm mad at? Not even close."

IIIIIII

"Just a minute." Making her way from the rear of the house to the front door, Lauren opened it to discover a far more irate woman on the other side.

"You're actually home? Color me astounded." Kayla moved by her.

"Do come on in," Lauren invited sardonically, shutting the door. "And I'm on leave against my own will." She received a proper view of the older female then. "Aren't you just aglow? You look like you could burst tomorrow."

Ignoring that, Kayla fumed, "It's enough that it's taken this monumental medical scare to have you halfway care about your health. Now you've dragged Maya into this. She finally gained some stability and this is what you do?"

Taking hold of a nearby dust rag, Lauren began working it over her living room décor. "You can let yourself out."

Kayla only demanded, "Do you even comprehend how lucky you are to have her?"

"Lucky." A wry smile appeared on Lauren's face as the word tasted sour in her mouth. "Yes, that describes me to the letter. Lucky to be born the daughter of a woman who died too young and a gambler who left us hungry most nights. Never thought I'd ever be able to trust a man. But somehow I did and, to my surprise, I actually landed a good one. We had a life together; a child together. Not just any child," Lauren worked on polishing a few items on the mantle, "the most perfect daughter anyone could ask for. For the first time, I had everything. Until one day I lost him and very nearly our car, this house, everything we'd ever worked for. Because of some damn fool on the road who got away."

Steadying herself, Kayla slowly walked up behind her. "What you've gone through is more than what anyone should have to. But if you don't learn to release this self-pity and focus on Maya, you really will have lost everything. That's something I've had to remind myself."

"She's found the best catch in Sean," Lauren stated. "They're going to have an incredible life together one day. Probably better yet if I'm out of the picture."

Kayla shook her head. "Maya doesn't believe that." She touched a hand to her shoulder. "That's why she wants to help you before you become worse off. But you have to be willing to help yourself along the way." Taking her hand back, Kayla told her, "I have to get back," and started back for the door.

"Congratulations," Lauren turned to watch her go, "on the baby."

Leaving a hand at her stomach, Kayla smiled with a dip of her head before taking her leave of the house.

IIIIIII

Adjusting the tyke to be comfortable on her right leg, Angel handed him his lion head rattle. Brian shook it for a second before slipping the hand grip into his mouth.

Charles chuckled. "Hopefully, someday he'll learn that not all things are meant to be eaten."

Sitting next to Angel, Joey made amusing faces at his brother which eventually turned into peek-a-boo.

Emma recalled, "We used to do that with you."

"Really?" Cordelia reacted.

"Yes," Chris piped up from his chair, "except you would have bopped me with the rattle by now."

"So, Angel," Charles addressed the visiting girl, "how are things with you? Anything further exciting in the world of modeling?"

Angel shrugged, holding onto Brian at his middle. "Adrienne's talking about arranging a coast-to-coast shoot and some more magazine interviews. And Spain was great, but really? I'd like a minute to just stand still and stare at a wall."

"That's understandable," Emma sympathized.

Remembering something, Joey brought up, "Dad, Uncle Erik called while you were at the airport."

"Oh? Well," Charles started to stand, "I'd best get back to him."

Joey added, "But he was going fishing with Scott. I don't know if they're home yet."

"Oh," Charles repeated, lowering down again. "Well, I'll try him later."

Emma reached over to let a hand linger on her husband's knee.

IIIIIII

Stretched out over the bench with long hair spilling out onto the floor, the girl's focus remained on nothing in particular within the small space. Soon enough, she picked up on approaching footsteps but did not bother to look up. She had a good guess as to who they belonged to.

"Smiley," Cody came to her first, "are you okay?"

Gaze settling on him, Maya informed, "I know you hate me."

"I do not," Cody protested. "It's like when Sean left. I don't want ya to go, but I don't hate you. I could never hate you, Smiley."

Logan, standing over the two children, asked, "What're you doin' in here by yourself?"

"This is my favorite room in the whole house." Sitting up, Maya looked around the range. "I'm so glad it's all the way down here. A place they couldn't wreck or block off."

Logan followed her gaze and concurred, "Tell me about it," then returned his attention to her as he sat. "You're not havin' too easy a time, are you?"

Maya shook her head, burying her face against his side. "I feel like I have to leave behind all I ever wanted. Sean, the X-Men…"

"Hey, you might have to take a side trip," both Logan's arms went around her, "but we'll still be here. No matter how long it takes you to get back. And I mean that in every way, miss lady. Buffalo, Wildebeest, wherever you end up, the same rules still apply. Don't forget that."

Maya felt a small smile return at his words. "I won't. Thanks, Wolverine."

He kissed the top of her head. "You talk to Red?"

"No," she admitted. "I've been spacing myself from him all day," a new resolve developed in her, "but enough of that."

IIIIIII

The slow sunset created a golden effect across the property, only highlighted by the crackling fire that heated the fish and marshmallows. Alex, Frank, and Scott sat around the flames awaiting their food to finish cooking. Erik observed them from where he sat with Leon at the picnic table, both enjoying bottles of cola.

After some of the trout was ready, Alex loaded up two plates worth for Becky. Once she had s'mores prepared as well, the girl brought them over for the pair at the table.

"Thank you, Sweet Imp," Erik accepted while Leon said, "Thanks, Pretty Eyes."

"No problem." She then returned to the campfire to ready a plate for herself. Taking the spot next to Scott, Becky remarked, "This is fun."

"Sure is," Scott concurred, beaming at their tranquil surroundings.

Frank commented, "I can't believe this haul you guys caught."

Scott told them, "It was mostly Erik."

"You landed five of these entirely on your own," Erik reminded him. "Which brings to mind that old saying. Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish…."

"And you'll feed him for life," Leon filled in.

Erik nodded his approval.

Catching Scott's sudden excited expression, Becky saw what captivated him so. Both became aglow by the fireflies passing through just above their heads.

IIIIIII

Nearly colliding into each other inside the well-stocked kitchen, youthful feminine laughter filled the eatery.

Cordelia called out into the dining room, "Just another moment, please!"

"Thank you, loves," Charles returned then set his glance back on the others around the table. "I must admit, I'm fairly excited for whatever they've dreamed up in there."

"I still say this was unnecessary," Winston reasoned. "Angel only just arrived. She shouldn't be serving us."

Emma brought up, "They insisted. Let them enjoy themselves."

Winston then said, "I must admit that it is nice for one of my girls to acknowledge the kitchen as more than the dwelling place of the Haagen-Dazs."

Charles muffled a laugh at his wife's indignant yet somehow endearing expression that resulted from that remark.

"Alright," Cordelia announced them as the rolled out the silver cart containing various covered platters, "here we are."

At his son popping into the room, Winston commented, "There you are."

"Oh, sorry if I've kept you," Chris apologized. "I'm afraid I'll have to catch a bite later. I have too much work ahead of me."

"Wait!" Cordelia beckoned after her brother then had to smile cutely to cover the urgent tone she unintentionally used.

"Yeah, don't rush off," Angel piped up. "We made this special for you."

Letting off a small breath, Chris took his usual chair. "Alright."

Transferring the trays onto the table, the teenagers took off the lids to reveal the different dishes underneath. They had prepared an assortment of skinless chicken breasts, whole-grain pasta with a variety of cheeses and sauces on the side, wheat rolls, and two types of salad with three choices of dressing to choose from.

"Ladies, this looks phenomenal," Charles praised them.

"I'll say," Chris happily seconded.

"Divine," commented Emma.

"Ooh, ranch," Joey said, picking up his ideal dressing.

"Beautiful and resourceful in the kitchen," Winston stated. "Your future husbands will have to bid for you."

With giddiness about them, the girls removed their aprons before sitting with the others. Cordelia brushed a hand across Chris' shoulder and he in turn applied a grateful squeeze to her wrist.

IIIIIII

Though the overhead had yet to fully darken, the street lamps had been on for more than two hours. They seemed to provide something of an illuminated well-designed path for the couple walking beneath. Despite their great contrast in height, they moved so in step and close to each other that one had trouble seeing where one ended and the other began. Sean had on gray slacks and a blue polo and Maya wore a green dress with white waist belt. A turquoise headband allowed her hair to flow but her eyes to remain unbothered by irritating loose strands.

"This reminds me of our first date," Maya held tightly to his arm, "We must have stayed out all night talking."

"At least until curfew," Sean mentioned. "Then I got home…"

"And we stayed up all night talking," they recalled in unison, producing an airy smile on both their parts.

"I can't believe we've been together for almost two years," Maya spoke again. "We've probably seen a lot more than most couples. I mean, obviously not nearly as much as Wolverine and Kayla."

"We still have time to beat their record," Sean stated optimistically.

"Yes, we do." When he stopped walking, Maya only leaned further into him.

Finding seating on a bench, Sean peered up at her. "You have something to tell me."

With a nod, Maya bent to situate herself on top of his legs. Though the sensation did not occur often, Sean wholeheartedly welcomed her near non-existent weight into his lap. His blue eyes stared steadfast into her brown.

Maya used her fingers to caress his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Sean gathered a section of her hair into his hand. "Now, tell me something I don't know."

"… I have to go," she said at last. "I have to help my mom, Sean. It's the only way she'll see this through."

After a few seconds of silence, Sean came back with, "I said something I don't know."

"Sean—"

The redhead raised his hand to quiet her. "I remember when I went to visit my folks. Gran and I were talking about everything she and Grandpa had to endure. And how it only made them stronger in the end. Maya, demons aren't powerful enough to penetrate us. I don't think a long drive can so much as scratch the surface."

Unable to respond, the girl nearly fell forward to fling her arms around his neck. Sean held onto her around her waist and bowed his head so that his closed eyes relaxed in the space between her shoulder and neck.

IIIIIII

"What?" Charles' mouth went from a taut circle to firm line. "Darling, why didn't you telephone before now? I could have- never mind that. Do you need anything? Leave the rent to me, including first and last's month. Oh?" He listened for another moment. "Well, I'm satisfied to know they have housing available. I only hope it's adequate. Don't worry. I'll talk to Erik and the others. You take care and tell Sean I'll phone him later. Alright, love."

Looking up from where she, Angel, and Joey sat on cushions around the coffee table playing cards, Cordelia inquired, "What's wrong, Charles?"

The Professor explained, "It seems Maya's mother's health has taken a drastic turn. She needs to go to a wellness center in Buffalo for proper treatment. Maya will be accompanying her."

A surprise countenance came over Joey's face. "Maya's leaving?"

"For a time," Charles promptly tacked on. "We'll discuss this more later. Excuse me." He turned and walked out of the living room to inform Emma of the abrupt development.

"I don't believe this," said Angel with concern. "I hope her mom will be alright."

"I hope Sean will be alright," stated Cordelia. "I'll tell you one thing. Living with him is going to be insane now."

Unsure of what to say, Joey only studied his cards.

IIIIIII

A gruff, "Yeah?" acted as Victor's response to the ringing telephone while the bulk of his attention remained on the screens before him.

"You insufferable, inconsiderate oaf of a man."

Recognizing the voice instantly, Victor replied, "Can the sweet talk, baby. I'm workin'."

"How dare you not tell me you were thrown off a building?" the woman only went on. "That members of my family were comatose. I go away for a few weeks and hell not only breaks loose but rampages full-throttle."

"Adrienne," Victor broke into her tirade, "I barely know what sleep is anymore, I'm dealin' with an incompetent crew probably not qualified to glue together a bird house, I have to fly one of my girls across the state in the mornin', and this is all after comin' back from havin' half this house along with my body mangled. By the way, thanks a hell of a lot for tellin' me you were goin' out of town."

"… A small oversight."

"You got no idea how lucky you are to be a woman," Victor informed her and left it at that. "Now, where's Samantha?"

"She's fine," Adrienne reassured. "We took a private plane and stayed inside in secluded areas. Believe me, the Spanish locals were none-the-wiser." She heard an audible sigh on Victor's end that carried traces of a growl. "And it's abundantly clear to me that you and I have a communication issue to work through."

"You ain't lyin." Softening, Victor told her, "It's good to hear from you. And you don't know how much."

A certain coy smile in her voice, she said in turn, "Neither do you."

IIIIIII

With a light kiss to his daughter's forehead, the wizard of metal left her to her much needed serene slumber. Once in the hall, he peered into the next door. With the boys sleeping soundly in their bunks, he better adjusted the covers over them before moving on for the end of the hall. He helped Alex into a more comfortable position on his bed and carefully smoothed Leon's hair away from his face. All accounted for, the man made tracks towards the den.

XXXXX

"Well," bringing them to the gates of the messianic temple, he gestured at it grandly, "here we are."

"Your sanctuary," proclaimed the woman beside him.

"At least until they finally see fit to toss me out head first." Erik moved to glance down at her. "Perhaps when the time is right you could attend a service with me."

"I'd like that." Vanessa reached up to grip his shoulders. She then watched as he leaned in only to arch his head back suddenly. "What is it?"

"No, it's not you, believe me. It's only that this whole thing still leaves me feeling like an awkward teenage boy," Erik had to work hard to suppress full-blown laughter. "With how long it's been since I've done this regularly, I know I'm only disappointing you."

Vanessa shook her head with a resoluteness about her eyes. "You could never even try such a thing."

No longer caring about perfecting his technique, Erik dipped his head to unify their lips.

IIIIIII

With the bellowing of the telephone snatching him away from his own thoughts, the tense individual snatched it up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Brother?"

"Charles? Why are you calling so?..." Worry instantly filled the older man. "Is everything alright?"

"We're all fine," Charles said right away. "I'm sorry to call so late, but we seem to be missing each other left and right."

"Yes, we do," Erik knew. "Charles, I can't tell you how sor—"

"There will be time for that later," the telepath cut in as politely as he could. "For now, I believe the time has come for the X-Men to return home."

Without so much as a syllable of disagreement within him, Erik added, "Immediately."