-Early the next morning-
It was early, too early, depending on who you ask. The sun was barely peaking over the horizon, and a nice sheet of ice covered the road. That alone would deter a normal driver, but alas, there was a van racing down the street and with a sharp turn it careened into the Brotherhood driveway. After it skidded to a halt, the driver's door was immediately flung open to reveal Raven in proper snow attire.
Raven walked to the house flung open the door and with her powerful lungs yelled up the stairs, "Get you're lazy asses down here before I have you all sent to work on an oil rig in Alaska!"
At the threat of getting real jobs and freezing off vital body parts the Brotherhood descended, and in Karima's case ascended, the stairs.
Lance stared at the blue woman then to the clock, he rubbed his eyes vigorously, and peered at the clock again, "Why are you yelling at us at five o'clock in the morning?" he questioned, slightly annoyed.
Raven placed her hands on her hips and smiled, "We're going camping!" she exclaimed in excitement.
"It's got to be four degrees outside! Camping in this weather's like suicide!" Pietro exclaimed, almost breaking the sound barrier with his jaw.
Raven glared at the teen, "You have twenty minutes to go get your stuff before I start amputating body parts and begin beating you senseless with said body parts," she said through clenched teeth.
"Well, who's ready to go camping?" Pietro asked with a forced smile before darting up the stairs.
-Nineteen minutes and forty-three seconds later-
The Brotherhood was standing at Raven's van, each one holding a duffel bag. Raven instructed Freddy to throw all of their belongings into the back of the van.
Lance eyed the van, "What happened to the Lotus?" he asked.
Raven rolled her eyes, "Relax, it's just a rental until the trip is over," she clapped her hands together, "Is everyone ready?"
Her response was met by moans and groans.
"Do I have to get the hose?" she asked threateningly.
The Brotherhood responded with forced cheers and smiles.
"Good," she said, "Get in the van!" they scrambled into the van, and off they were.
-Several hours later in upstate New York-
After arguing, an old fashioned Brotherhood fist fight, and Wanda slapping every Brotherhood boy within range, the Brotherhood boys had cleaned up a small clearing, procured water, gathered firewood, started a fire, and set up the tents.
Now they sat on several logs around the roaring fire.
"So, why are we here Mystique?" Lance asked his arms crossed across his chest.
"How well would you say that we know each other?" she asked.
Lance hated when people answered a question with a question, "We know each other pretty well," he said.
"What's my middle name?" Lance looked at her in confusion, "What's the name of St. John's book? When did Wanda find out she was a lesbian? What is Todd's dream? Who's Freddy's hero? Why doesn't Pietro sleep at night?" she questioned in quick succession, "You can answer some of them, but you as well as I know that each person here is hiding something deeper and darker."
"So, we're here to share our deepest darkest secrets with the group?" Todd asked huddling into his hoodie.
Raven nodded, "I'll start. I've been in love with another woman since the middle of the last century. And to be perfectly honest I wasn't born in this or the last century," she stated crossing her legs.
"Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve to be part of the team," Todd said staring at the fire, "I mean I have all of these powers but I'm not the best at anything. Pietro's faster, Freddy's stronger, Lance is tougher, and Wanda has better projectiles."
"Come on Todd, you're our ninja guy," Freddy said with a smile.
"Yeah," Lance nodded in agreement, "None of us could even slow that Iron Fist kid down, but you put some hurt on him, and beat him."
Todd smiled, "Really?" he questioned.
"Of course," Wanda responded.
Before a pause could settle in, Lance spoke. "I hate my father," he said devoid of emotion, "I hate him more than I've hated anyone." After a few minutes of explaining, and a luck speech, the Brotherhood finally understood what was going through fearless leader's mind.
There was a small silence.
"I'm still in love with Tabby. I know I shouldn't be but I can't help it, I love her," Freddy blurted out, "Is it wrong to still hold out hope?"
Karima shook her head, "Of course not, having hope makes you human. We've all held hope for something that seemed unobtainable."
The rest of the Brotherhood nodded in agreement.
"My powers scare the hell out of me," Pietro said, a bit too slow for comfort, "If I'm not careful, I could live my entire life in the time it takes someone to tie their shoes," he smiled, "But on the other side of the coin, I couldn't stand being as slow as the rest of you," he looked up at the gathered mutants, "I could phase my hand through any of you, or incinerate you cause of the high friction," he paused, "I've lived at near light speed and slow enough to smell the roses, both experiences scare me."
"We all look for balance in our lives," Regan said, "You just have to find yours. Then you can get over your fear."
Pietro only nodded at her.
Wanda looked down at Deuce in her lap, "You're going to think I'm crazy but… I used to have children."
Regan put her hand on her shoulder, "We know."
"We've always known," Lance continued for her.
"Either Strange was trained to suck at his job," Pietro said, "Or, he let us remember so we could be there for you."
There was a small silence, before St. John cleared his throat, "Everyone thinks oih'm crazy. Oih hoihde behoihnd moih mask of insanity, cause it protects me from getting' to close to someone. Oih grew up alone, in and out of foster homes. Never knew moih mom, never knew moih dad. Didn't know if anyone cared, and foihnaly when someone does, oih can't handle it, so oih lose moihself in the fiery destruction," he let out a strained Acolyte cackle, "Not even 'Mara."
"I'm here now John, as well as the rest of the Brotherhood," Raven said in an uncharacteristically motherly voice, "And I don't ever plan on leaving."
"My sister and I were kidnapped by this government agency when we were kids. They wanted to turn us into unthinking assassins," Regan said, her voice filled with contempt, "Our father looked for us for years, and when he finally found us, he offered us an out. I took the offer, but Martinique that bitch, wouldn't leave. They opened fire on him, I watched my father die no farther that any of you are from me right now," Lance wrapped an arm around her, "She didn't even shed a tear. It took me another year to break out on my own."
"I'm glad you did," Lance lifted her chin with his hand, "Or else we wouldn't be here," he leaned for a kiss.
"Get a tent, yo!" Todd exclaimed.
"You're scaring Deuce," Wanda said covering the dog's eyes.
Raven sighed, "Lance, Regan I demand that you stop your public display of affection before Freddy vomits marshmallows," she said in a serious voice.
With that the couple decided to stop, thus allowing a slightly awkward silence to fill the void.
"The sensors in my arm… let me feel," Karima stated staring at her hands, "But it's still nothing compared to touching something with bare flesh…" she looked up with sad eyes, "You never realize that you take something as small as the sense of touch for granted," she frowned, "Is someone who can't touch still human?"
"Of course," Pietro said compellingly, "Being human is more than just being able to touch. It's about having heart, emotions, and compassion," everyone looked at him, "What? It is!" he exclaimed.
Raven smiled at her wards, her family. She finally had people in her life that she could love, care for, and maybe, even die for. And no one will ever take that away from her, she would make sure of it.
-The next morning at the Boarding House-
"I can't look at it!" Pietro exclaimed, "What heartless bastard would do this to my poor defenseless couch?" He was on his knees foam and a shredded cushion in his hands, "Why!"
"Where we robbed?" Todd asked.
Lance seethed with anger, "Looks like they just trashed the place."
Freddy rubbed the back of his head, "Who do you think did it?"
Lance shook his head, "The X-Men are too goody-goody to do something like this, this seems too beneath Fury, and we're on good terms with the Wrecking crew for now."
Wanda ran down the stairs, "Those bushwhacking bastards stole moih back scratcher!"
Wanda rolled her eyes, "Someone stole the sword."
"Who would steal something that's only useful to John?" Todd asked in a crouched position.
"Who ever did this is obviously an idiot, has no class, and is a bumbling thief," Raven ranted, "I wonder where Deadpool was last night."
"Who's Deadpool?" Freddy asked.
"Pray you never have to know," Was Raven's only replied.
"My couch!" Wanda screamed, she dropped to her knees and began stroking it, "Do you know how many good times I had on this couch? I had Cindy the Cheerleader on this couch," she said, tears threatening to escape her eyes.
"We still don't know who did this," Regan stated.
"They're called the Purifiers," everyone turned around to see Julio leaning against the door frame, "And they hate mutants."