Chapter Three: Blood Bonds
"Yes, I very much appreciate that, Ms. Vasquez. I wish you a good day."
Professor Xavier ended his call and placed the phone back on its stand. Ororo, who was standing next to him quietly during the call, spoke up.
"I take it Ms. Vasquez asked about Kurt's whereabouts."
"Of course. When he did not return to class, Ms. Vasquez became worried. But once I explained how Kurt had fallen ill, she completely understood."
"While I do appreciate that, Principal Kelly may not be so lenient about Kurt's absence. Even if it is due to an illness."
"Well, Ms. Vasquez has agreed not to inform Principal Kelly of this matter. It is clear to her and the other teachers that Principal Kelly would not believe that Kurt's sudden absence was due to being unwell. He already thinks of my students as troublemakers."
Ororo sighed and crossed her arms.
"We have tried everything to assure Principal Kelly that mutants are not a threat. At least, not all of us. But even rogue mutants such as the Brotherhood should be given a chance to prove themselves. We have seen firsthand that they are capable of good."
"That is true. Speaking of the Brotherhood, they have been out of trouble for some time now. With Magnes' help, they have each gotten decent jobs."
At this, Ororo chuckled, and Professor X smirked at her.
"And what is so humorous about that?"
"Oh, nothing. I just thought about Lance."
"Lance Alvers?"
"Yes. You see, I was passing by the Big Chicken the other day, and I happened to get a good look at Lance at the counter. He looked so adorable with his chicken hat on."
Ororo's chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh and the professor soon joined her. They stopped and Professor Xavier sighed with a smile on his face.
"Well, a job is a job. I am truly happy for Lance and his friends. They deserve to live a life free of crime."
"They are good kids. They were just led down a bad path."
Speaking of kids, the professor and Ororo were surprised when a group of students came busting through the doors of his office. Kitty was the first to come up to his desk.
"Professor! We heard about Kurt! Is he okay!?"
Professor X gave the girl a reassuring smile.
"Kurt is just fine. I would have informed you all if something was terribly wrong. He is sleeping in the infirmary right now, but he will be fine. It seems that Kurt was suffering from insomnia."
Bobby, who was standing behind Kitty, suddenly frowned and scratched his head.
"Insomnia? Is that a disease? Kurt really is dying, isn't he!?"
Bobby began to panic, but Ray quickly slapped the back of his head to make the boy stop.
"No, you idiot! Insomnia is when a person can't sleep. Kurt's not dying!"
"…Oh. Yeah, I…I knew that. I was just messing with you."
Bobby let out an awkward chuckle, embarrassed that he did not know what insomnia meant, but too proud to admit it in front of his friends. Ray shook his head.
"Sorry, Professor. So, Kurt has insomnia?"
"Yes, Ray. Due to his lack of sleep, Kurt's body began to shut down and he fell unconscious. All he needs is some rest and then I am sure he will be back to his normal self."
"Is there anything we can do to help, Professor?"
The professor turned to Amara, whose hands were beginning to ignite in response to her anxiety. He gently grabbed Amara's shoulder to comfort her.
"Just give Kurt some space. Allow him time to relax."
Amara nodded and the magma within her hands disappeared.
"Okay. We can do that. Right guys?"
Kitty, Bobby, and Ray all nodded their heads in agreement. Professor X was happy that everyone was cooperating.
"Good. Now then, why don't you all prepare for today's lesson? Scott and Jean are waiting for you in the Danger Room."
Bobby groaned.
"Ugh. But why?"
"Well, you got two choices."
Bobby whipped his head around and shocked to find Logan leaning against the doorframe. He smirked at the boy.
"You can go to Syke and Red's class or—"
Logan began to crack his knuckles.
"I can give you a very, VERY special lesson. I gotta warn you though, kid. You might get some broken bones by the end of it."
Bobby's eyes grew wide, and he turned back to the professor.
"Danger Room, you said?"
Professor Xavier chuckled.
"Yes, Bobby. I suggest you hurry."
"G-Good idea."
With that, Bobby ran past Logan and headed to his class. Logan laughed.
"I still got it."
In the infirmary, Rogue stood at the entrance and watched Kurt sleep. She wanted to talk to him, but she knew her brother needed his rest. Rogue sighed and turned around to leave.
"Rogue?"
Rogue stopped and looked over her shoulder. Kurt, now wide awake, stared back at her.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Would it be weird if I said that I smelled you?"
"Yeah, kinda."
Rogue laughed and she took a seat next to Kurt's bed.
"How are you feelin'?"
"Okay, I guess. Still a little tired, but I'm okay."
"If you want to go back to sleep, I can leave—"
"No, no! It's fine. I'm tired, but not that tired."
Rogue nodded.
"Good. Because…I honestly wanted to talk to you, Kurt."
"About what?"
"Well of course, I want to talk about what happened to you. I know you've been haven't been sleepin' lately. Is that why you're like this?"
"It's a part of it, yeah."
"Oh, Kurt…why didn't you say something?"
"I know I was wrong, okay? I'm sorry. I just didn't think it was a big deal."
Rogue shook her head, but she could not stay mad at Kurt.
"Just promise me you'll tell us if somethin's wrong next time. No more secrets, okay?"
"…Okay, Sis. No more secrets."
Rogue smiled briefly before thoughts of the events that transpired after school entered her mind. She sighed.
"Here I am talkin' about secrets, and I kinda got one of my own."
"What do you mean, Rogue?"
"I haven't talked about this to anyone. Not yet anyway. Can we…keep this between us?"
"Uh…okay."
Rogue nodded and then she pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Kurt.
"Take a look."
Kurt nodded and took the paper from Rogue's hand. He unfolded it and read what was written on the paper to himself.
"Jay's Café, huh? I heard about this place. Is this the big secret?"
Rogue glared at her brother and snatched the paper out of his hands.
"No, ya big dork!"
"Ha, ha! Okay, sorry. Then what is it you want to tell me?"
"It's not about the restaurant. It's about one of its employees. Mystique."
Kurt's eyes widened and he sat in silence for a moment. Rogue sighed as she already knew that the elf's reaction would be something like this.
"Look, Kurt. I know that your feelings towards Mystique are…complicated. Trust me, I'm not exactly sure where I stand on this either."
"But…I thought you hated her."
"No…I mean, yes, but…I don't know. I just…don't know."
Rogue leaned back against the chair and groaned.
"Why does that woman have to make everythin' difficult!?"
Kurt shrugged.
"She is our mother. I guess that's her job."
"No way! If a mama's this annoyin', then I think we're better off without one."
"You don't mean that, do you?"
"…No."
Kurt smiled and grabbed Rogue's hand. While the action was meant to be comforting, Rogue still yearned to feel the elf's fur against her skin without nearly killing him. It just was not the same with her gloves on.
"Look, Sis. If you don't want to go see Mother, then I won't go either. We're in this together, you know."
"Hey, I'm not goin' to stop you from seein' her. That's your decision. But…I don't know if I want to see her."
"I know. Even after all she has done, I…I still want to try to make a relationship with Mother. Is that bad?"
Rogue shook her head and laid her free hand on top of Kurt's.
"Of course not. She's your mama. And now that she's here, of course you'd want to talk to her. I understand that, and I'm sure the others would understand too."
"Yeah, I guess. That actually reminds me—"
Kurt looked down at the flyer that Rogue had taken from him, his smile fading as he did so.
"While I know Mystique is my mother, I…still don't know anything about my father. Do you think…you know, if we decide to meet with her…do you think she would tell me about my dad?"
Rogue frowned.
"Yeah, it is kinda weird that she hasn't mentioned him at all. Maybe it slipped her mind?"
"How could the identity of my father have "slipped her mind"? I mean, Mystique tried so hard to tell me I was her son, so why not tell me who my father is?"
"I don't know. What brought that up anyway?"
"Well…I was talking on the phone with my parents from Germany the other day. I told them about Mystique and how she was my birth mother. They started telling me about the day they found me and adopted me. But then, they…told me something weird that happened a few days after that."
"Weird how? What happened?"
"…My parents told me that a mysterious man showed up and asked about me."
"A man?"
"Yeah. I have a feeling that that man was my father. I don't know why, but I just…know. Mom and Dad said that the man asked them to raise me as their own and that he would even pay for my care. My parents didn't accept the money because they didn't know anything about the man, but they said that they were going to take care of me anyway. They already loved me from the moment they saw me, despite…this."
Kurt waved his hand over his body. He did not need to say it out loud because Rogue already knew what he was talking about. She smiled.
"Who wouldn't love an adorable, fuzzy, blue elf that appeared out of nowhere?"
"Everyone digs the fuzzy dude."
Rogue laughed.
"Exactly."
"But seriously, Rogue. They're the best parents I could've ever asked for. Yet, I…I need to know, you know? I need to know who that man was. I need to know who my father is."
"I get it, but are you sure? I hope that's he's a good person, but what if he's like Mystique? Like Mystique was before, I mean?"
Kurt sighed and looked down at his hands.
"I still want to know, Sis. I really do."
Rogue nodded and stood up from her chair, folding the flyer back up as she did so.
"Is this what's been botherin' you all this time?"
"Again, it's only part of it. There's just…a lot going on with me right now. I just need a little time to think."
"Promise to talk to me about it once you figure things out?"
"…Yeah. I promise."
Tokyo, Japan – Midnight
Despite New York being known as the city that never sleeps, Tokyo was also a metropolis bustling with activity, especially tonight. A woman's scream could be heard from the distance and citizens rushed in the direction of the sound. They turned into a dark alley where a black-haired woman was shaking in fear against the wall. The source of her fear was crouched in front of her, kneeling beside something that the crowd could not clearly see at first. But the woman was able to clear that up for them with a whisper.
"He…killed my…husband."
Hearing the woman's voice, the one responsible for this terrible deed finally turned around and stared at the onlookers. From behind, everyone believed him to be nothing but an ordinary boy. But once he turned around, the citizens realized that this…thing that was sitting in front of them was not a boy. It was not even human.
"It's…the demon."
One of the people hissed, but the creature only laughed at the man as he wiped the blood from around his mouth. His red eyes narrowed at the crowd, who quickly backed away when the demon got ready to pounce. But to their surprise, no attack came. Instead, the creature vanished in a cloud of red smoke, leaving the citizens confused. Why did it just disappear like that?
Reappearing on a skyscraper nearby, the demon looked down at the city below and spread his arms out wide. His pale skin glistened under the moonlight, and he breathed in the night air with a big smile on his face.
"The Demon of Tokyo!"
The creature's smile instantly faded and was replaced a sneer as he turned around to face the newcomer. Who dared to approach him in such a manner? But his guest was not at all intimidated by him, and they simply laughed at his attempt.
"There is no need for hostility, my boy. I only wished to express how proud I am of what you have become. After all, we are gods among these pitiful humans."
"Gods, huh?"
The boy smirked and crossed his arms, eying the newcomer.
"I like the sound of that. But what's with the "we"? Do I know you?"
"I believe deep down that you do."
The stranger was then swallowed by red smoke. and he disappeared from the boy's line of sight. The demon was shocked that the newcomer had teleportation abilities much like his own.
"Well, you are of my blood, Kenji."
The demon, Kenji, spun around and stumbled back when he saw the mysterious man had teleported behind him.
"Can he…read my thoughts?"
"In a way, yes."
"I don't like that. My thoughts are my business."
"My apologies. But it cannot be helped. Our bond is responsible for that."
"Bond? What bond? And what did you mean by saying I'm of your blood?"
The stranger chuckled and started toying with the cufflinks on his black suit.
"Is it not obvious? Of course, you do take more after your mother. But your eyes, your teleportation power…those you were gifted by me."
Kenji's eyes widened when he realized what the man was implying.
"You're…you're saying that you're…my father?"
The stranger clapped at his son's question.
"Well done, my son. It took you a moment, but you understand now, yes?"
"Understand? I understand that my father was a deadbeat who left me and my mother to die!"
"Well, it is a bit more complicated than that."
"Then explain it to me! Tell me why you left us to rot! Tell me why you decided to come back after all these years!"
Kenji's father took a deep breath and leaned back against the railing of the roof.
"Circumstances would not allow me to be there with you and your mother. As we speak, my time in this realm is slowly coming to an end. It will be a while before I can speak with you again."
"What are you talking about?"
"Kenji, please. If you are going to ask me questions, ask me more relevant ones."
"I did. Why did you leave and why are you here now!?"
Chuckling, the man stroked his goatee as he thought about his next words carefully.
"I am afraid…I cannot explain that. Even if I tired, you could not understand."
"Then leave."
Kenji turned around and began to walk away.
"It would be better to show you, my son."
Kenji stopped and glanced over his shoulder to the man.
"Show me?"
"Yes. But I cannot do that without your help."
"So what? You've only come back to use me? Sorry, but I'm nobody's tool."
"You misunderstand me, Kenji. I only want to bring you home, but at the moment, that is not an option. Not without your assistance."
"I am home."
The man laughed at his son's statement.
"Are you, now? I suppose even this cesspool of a planet can become a home for…lesser beings. But you are certainly not a lesser being like the humans you have been forced to live upon."
Kenji finally turned back to his father, which pleased the older man. The father stepped forward and placed a hand on Kenji's shoulder.
"You are strong, my son. But you can become even stronger with my help. Along with the abilities you gained from your vampiric mother…you also have the blood of a demon running through your veins."
"A…demon?"
Kenji let out a chuckle.
"That's funny. All this time, people were calling me a demon as an insult. But to think that I really am a demon—"
"It is quite ironic, is it not?"
"…Yeah, I guess. Wow."
But Kenji suddenly frowned and pulled his father's hand away.
"But that doesn't change anything. How do I know that you're telling the truth anyway? Sure, you can teleport and all. But that's nothing special. You're just another mutant."
Kenji's father smirked and under the rim of his black fedora, Kenji could see two glowing, crimson eyes staring back at him. It was as if they were peering right through him, right into his very soul. Kenji was beginning to feel uncomfortable, and even a little afraid, under his father's menacing gaze.
"Hey, old man. You're kinda freaking me out—"
"Another mutant, huh? Is that what you really think?"
"If not that then…what are you exactly? You said you're a demon but…"
"No—"
The ground beneath the man began to crumble around him and Kenji took a few steps back to avoid falling through the roof.
"I am no mere mutant or demon, Kenji."
Kenji's eyes grew wide, and his mouth hung open in awe as his father started to transform before his very eyes. He was no longer a man.
"Unlike those pitiful humans, you need not fear no man nor beast. Because you, Kenji, are the spawn of Satan himself!"