Finding a 'Mom' (13 years prior to X-Men)

The first night after arriving in Detroit the boys stayed at a shelter with the homeless man they had met in Chicago, who called himself Gus. They knew that they needed to be with an adult in order to avoid being picked up by police and child services. They also knew that Gus wasn't going to cut it for them. So they left the next morning.

They had no idea where to find an adult willing to take them in with no questions asked. Then Thomas came up with a crazy idea.

"Why don't we hire someone?"

"What? Hire a parent? Who would do that?"

"Someone who hires themselves out for other illegal activities."

"Are you sure you want to go there?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

So the brothers patrolled the sketchy parts of town at night. They had no fear of such places anymore. It seemed natural to them. Some people didn't care about them. Others tried to convince them it wasn't a place for little boys.

They saw a lot of things that they wish they hadn't. A lot of women were being mistreated, reminding the boys of what their mother had gone through. They had come to a silent consensus that this was a bad idea when they spotted a woman coming out the back of a building for a smoke.

She was wearing colorful, revealing clothing and too much makeup. The look on her face was one of weariness and disappointment. She stood next to the alley dumpster smoking her cigarette.

Matthew looked at Thomas, who in turn shrugged. They approached the lady. Before Matthew could even smell the tobacco smoke he could sense its danger. It wasn't an imminent danger, but he could still sense it. Thomas spoke first.

"Excuse me, miss, are you for hire?"

She stopped and looked at the two kids. "Not for someone as young as you two. This is no place for kids. Why don't you just go home?"

Matthew replied, "We can't. We don't have a home."

"And we are not looking to hire you for your normal work. We have something a little more unusual in mind," added Thomas.

"Nothing's unusual anymore, kid. Now get out of here."

"We want to hire you to be our mother."

The woman froze for a bit and then replied, "You want me to visit your father?"

"Our father is dead. We are on our own," Matthew explained. "We don't need anyone to take care of us. All we need is someone to pretend to be our mother on a few occasions in order to avoid the police and child services."

"We can take care of all the paperwork," Thomas supplied. "We know how to fake birth certificates, and I bet we could even get you a fake state ID."

The woman stared at them for a long while. Then finally she let out a long breath and asked in an unbelieving voice, "How old are you kids?"

"Fourteen" they answer in unison.

"What are you twins?"

"Yes"

"Okay, say I even considering this, and say I actually believe that you can do these things you claim; how do you expect to pay me?"

Matthew watched his brother scan the alley. When Thomas briefly nodded, Matthew unzipped his duffle bag and revealed the wads of cash in the bag. The woman took a shallow intake of air. Matthew knew they were getting somewhere. "Naturally we can't use it all on you, since we will need enough to survive ourselves, but there would be a large amount available to you."

She took another drag on her cigarette and paused. "What would be my responsibilities?"

"You would have to help us establish a place to stay with an address that will hold up to scrutiny, and then you would have to get us into a high school."

"I would have to live with you at least part time for that to work. And getting you into a school is not that easy. I can't believe I am having this conversation! How long of a commitment are we talking?"

Matthew looked at Thomas who answered, "We were hoping to hire you for four years. You know until we're eighteen."

"Hah! Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for four years. I don't think you boys have the money for that."

Matthew again looked at his brother searching him for ideas. Maybe this isn't going to work.

But them Thomas spoke up. "What if we paid you a lump sum now for the initial acting and another after you get us into a school? After that we could pay half your rent and utilities for the next four years."

She put the cigarette to her mouth again only to realize that it was done. She tossed it on the ground and quashed it with her shoe. She paused again. "Two lump sums and rent assistance?"

"We would buy our own food." Matthew added. Then an inspiration came to mind. "If you take this deal you will cut your expenses by half. You wouldn't have to do this kind of thing as often," as he waved his arm towards the building.

She looked at the building. Matthew knew that he pushed the right button. She looked at the boys, then back at the building. "Oh hell, why not? This is stupid, but just maybe it will help. What are your names, crazy kids?"

"My name is Matthew, and this is Thomas"

"How about last names?"

"We will make up new last names. Our old ones will get us in trouble. What is your name?"

"Nichol."

"But it says Nancy on your shirt" noted Thomas.

"The men like it better, and I generally don't tell clients my real name."

So thus Nichol and the boys struck a deal. They paid her fifteen hundred dollars right there in that alley. She walked into the building, and came out a few minutes later with her coat. They walked with her. As they walked Matthew noticed their route made no sense. "Where are we going?"

"Home. I've learned from experience not to let work follow me home."

"I'm glad to hear that."

They finally arrived at her apartment. She let them in. It was a simple place with almost no furniture. It had a main room, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms rooms.

"Do you have a roommate?"

"No, not at the moment. I suppose you two count as roommates now."

"Will you landlord care that we are here?" asked Thomas.

"No, I'll just tell him that you are my kids and my ex-boyfriend just died."

"Hear that Matthew? She's a natural."

"You two stay here while I change. You can watch TV or something. All I get is basic cable."

After she showered and changed she came back out to the main room. She looked like a completely different woman. She now wore a modest outfit of comfortable looking sweat pants and a sweatshirt. Without her makeup she had simple pale white skin. Matthew was surprised at the transformation, and he realized a bit more how much she disliked her way of life.

"I guess you boys can have the extra bedroom, but I don't have any furniture in there."

"That's fine, we've slept in worse places."


A Tired Administrator

Ms. Grindel was exhausted. It had been a tough day. The kids were gone now, and she had just a few minutes before her next appointment. This was her only time to relax.

She thought back to her college days when she was an enthusiastic education major. She zealously wanted to work in the inner city schools. She wanted to offer that great gift of education to those beautiful boys and girls who were poor and practically living on the streets. She wanted to show all the ways in which a good education could open unlimited doors for them.

Now 30 years later she sat in the principal's office trying to get 5 minutes of rest. A group of senior boys had plugged the toilets flooding the girls' bathroom. One girl sprayed hair spray in the eyes of one of the English teachers. Some freshman in Spanish class managed to learn multiple Spanish swear words before even learning to say "Como estas…Estoy bene." And to top it off a sophomore was caught carrying a knife. The police had to come and everything.

In just a few minutes a mother would be coming to her office wishing to enroll her boys in the school. Why don't you just wait till next year? It was already two weeks into the semester. These boys would have to play catch up. If you waited two weeks maybe you could wait 10 more minutes and let me sleep.

A knock on the door. No such luck. "Ms. Grindel, your 4 o'clock is here."

"Thank you, Stacy."

The door opened, and a woman with two boys stepped in. The woman's face was pale and wore no makeup. She was dressed in simple clothing, grey and well worn, which Ms. Grindel had learned was a sign of poverty. The boys' clothing was no better. They had holes in their jeans and the hems on their shirts were worn. The boys were certainly brothers and possibly from the same father by the looks of them. Ms. Grindel had a hard time identifying which one was older. Neither boy looked her in the face.

"You must be Ms. Fitzpatrick."

"Yes, I am. And these are my boys Matthew and Thomas."

"Pleased to meet you Matthew and Thomas. I am Ms. Grindel. I will be your principal."

The boys both looked up at her and then back down. It was creepy how they seem so perfectly synchronized.

"Your message said that you wanted to enroll your boys in school here."

"Yes"

"Are you aware that the school year started two weeks ago?"

"Yes, but we have been making some adjustments at home. The boys were previously living with their father, but now I have custody of them."

"Will their father continue to be involved?"

"No, their father passed away."

"Oh I'm so sorry." Ms. Grindel knew better than to press for details. Those boys didn't even flinch at the mention of their father. With so much going on they must be emotionally dead. More work for the counselors.

"Is it too late to enroll them?"

"No, it's not. But they will be starting a little behind in their classes. I encourage them to visit our counselors to help them catch up with their classmates. The counselors are also available for other services as well."

"Oh, that's good to hear."

"Do you have their paper work?"

"Yes, I have official copies of their birth certificates here. And here are their previous transcripts."

Ms. Grindel took the papers and right away looked at the birth certificates. Now which one is older? She scanned them over. Wait a second! Did I miss read that? She looked again. "They're twins!"

"Yes, about seven and a half minutes apart. Longest seven and a half minutes of my life."

One of the boys elbowed the other. Matthew I think. He must be the older. "Well then, I guess they will both be freshman." Ms. Grindel scanned the transcripts. She had seen her fair share of fake documents. They usually would have obvious errors on them, and none of them had the right seal on them. But these ones seemed legit right down to the office Michigan state seal. "These transcripts look all right. I will have my secretary look them over, but I don't anticipate any trouble. Have your kids come to the school tomorrow. They can come to the front office. We can get all things arranged in the morning and hopefully get them in class by the afternoon."

"Thank you so much, Ms. Grindel," The woman shook hands with Ms. Grindel. "Come now boys, let's go home."

Another knock on the door. "Ms. Grindel, there's an officer from the precinct here to talk about our security."

"Thank you, Stacy." Great, he wasn't supposed to show up till tomorrow. "Send him in."

The officer came in just as the woman and her sons were leaving. The boys had no reaction to the officer; they just kept their heads down, but the mother on the other hand seemed a bit jumpy. "Excuse me, officer."

"No, excuse me, miss."

Ms. Grindel noticed the woman's jumpiness. Is she nervous about something? But then the officer sat down at the available seat. Ms. Grindel had her own problems to deal with. "So, officer, how can I help you?" Will this day never end?


The First Fight of Many

The first couple days of high school were certainly difficult for Thomas. Starting two weeks late was his idea. He thought it would aid their cover as children who had just moved in with their mother. He was right, but he underestimated how hard it was to start school after his classmates had a two week head start. He would catch up, he was sure.

He also underestimated how much attention a pair of twins entering late would get. The whole class took note of Matthew and him. It was attention that Thomas did not want. The fewer people who notice us the better. But now some members of their class and even a few teachers were trying to set him and Matthew up with a set of girl twins also in the class. Thomas found both girls annoying and tried to avoid them. The problem is that they would occasionally flirt with him and Matthew.

The attention also got the boys in the class riled. Both he and Matthew were taller than most of their classmates. Some of the boys were such glory hounds that they couldn't stand being upstaged. Sooner or later Thomas and Matthew would begin to blend in, but until then Thomas anticipated a fight. Let them come.

One fight had already been avoided. In math class a girl had taken the kindness to help Thomas out a bit. She helped him understand the algebra. But then a guy came and pushed him. He warned him not to hit on his girl. Thomas couldn't care less about the girl, but he felt the boy deserved a bloody nose. Matthew had stopped him right before he was about to wind up for the punch. Neither he nor Matthew wanted to attract attention, but unlike Matthew who would avoid a fight at all costs, Thomas was ready to let them have it.

So now Thomas strolled down the hall to his next class, US history. A sign on a bulletin board caught his attention. I have a minute or two. He read the sign. "Martial arts: Karate lessons three hours a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30-5:00." Hmm… Karate.

Thomas saw the push coming before it happened. He had his hands up to brace himself against the wall before the hand tried to push him into it. The force came; a hand to the back. Thomas allowed himself to spin off the wall so he could face his attacker. Ah, the boy from math class.

"I think you and I have a problem, new kid."

"How so?"

"You and your brother think your pretty hot stuff. Coming around this school; hitting on all the girls in our class. Well you better know I'm the king of this class."

"What idiot crowned you?" Thomas watched as his buddies created a half circle around them; ready to block Thomas' exit and to get a good view. This ought to be good.

"You better learn some respect, or I'll knock that smile off your face."

"I'd like to see you try."

That did it. The big kid pulled his arm back to hit Thomas. He was so slow Thomas didn't even need his mutant ability to see it coming. Thomas simply ducked the punch, and gave the kid a straight punch to the gut. The kid curled over, but Thomas grabbed his head, pulled him up, and gave him a punch to the face. Ah a broken nose. The kid stumbled back with his hands to his now bloody nose. "Hit him."

One of the other boys in the half circle moved forward. Thomas turned toward him only to see the boy get spun around and hoisted off the ground. Matthew had him by the shirt almost completely in the air. He slammed him into the lockers. "You will stay out of this if you know what's good for you."

Too late, Metalloy. Two boys went to attack Matthew. One tried to tackle him. Matthew simply redirected him…right into a locker. The second went for a punch to the face. Matthew dodged it and delivered two punches to the gut. The kid threw up on the floor.

By this time others had jumped Thomas, but they were no match. Thomas could see every move they made against him before they made it. And he hit harder than they did.

It was three bloody noses, one boy throwing up, and one crying by the time the hall monitor got there. Matthew and Thomas were dragged into detention. They missed their classes. Neither said a word.

An hour or so after school, Nichol showed up. "Ms. Grindel tells me that you two got in a fight with a couple of boys in the hall."

"I counted eight."

"Huh, well let's go home."

On the walk back Nichol spoke up again. "Is this going to be a regular part of my job, bailing you out of detention?"

"Possibly."

"Hmm…Well I guess I can play along. It's not like I have better things to do during the day. Matthew, is your brother telling the truth, were there eight of them?"

"Yeah, but one didn't fight. Too scared."

"I'm not going to ask how you learned to fight."

"Hey, Metalloy, do you want to take up an after school activity?"

"Like what?"

"I saw a poster for a martial arts studio on the bulletin board. They offer Karate lessons Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"What is eight kids not enough? Do you two want to take on an army?" asked Nichol.

"It might come in handy."

And so it went. They boys continued at school. Fights would break out occasionally. Thomas was always in the thick of it, but Matthew always would come to the help. They never lost a fight. They earned a reputation of being great fighters in their school. They were threaten with expulsion once, but all the teachers knew that they didn't start the fights.

Thomas took in the lessons of the Karate class, although he cheated on the block breaking exercise by coating the side of his hand with metal. He like the leg work and the movement it gave him. He became quite the quick fighter. He noted that Matthew focused on strength. Soon Matthew began to put on muscle weight making his tall stature even more imposing. He also worked on punching techniques, giving him a really powerful jab.

The boys began practicing against each other. This built up their fighting skills, but it also developed their mutant abilities. With practice they could see each other's blows more clearly. They also learned to use their metal in different ways: spot armoring their body, armored fists, and even making external weapons such as knives. Metalloy began practicing with a quarter staff as long as he was tall, and Alloy learned to fight with tonfa style batons. Soon the brothers were earning black belts in various martial arts, and becoming truly dangerous fighters.


The Girl

Other than fights Matthew tried his best to maintain a low profile. He didn't associate much with other students. He just tried to focus on his school work. So when the chemistry teacher assigned lab partners Matthew had hoped to be assigned to someone that would not be a problem.

"Ah Matthew, why don't we put you with Doug…ah no; how about Lillian and Matthew. Yes, you two are partners."

"Yes, Mrs. Glennus." Oh no, A girl! Matthew had observed that girls often either tried to hit on him because he was one of the toughest guys in the school, or they ridiculed him for his behavior. Either way it was an unpleasant experience. This Lily Davis was a quiet one. Perhaps they could get the lab done quickly and be done with it.

Lily came to his lab station quietly. She looked at him and then looked away. Is she afraid of me? I suppose that's only natural.

"Listen up class. On the stock table are three chemicals. Each lab group is to take a test tube of each chemical. You will then identify each one. The possible answers are on your lab sheet. I expect each group to be able to explain how you drew your conclusions. You will not get any credit for a lucky guess. I expect you to tell me how you know. And remember your safety instructions. If I spot any safety violations that will be immediate dockage."

Chemistry wasn't Matthew's strong point. The general concept escaped him. "I'll get the chemicals." Lily didn't respond. Matthew picked up a test tube of each chemical. As he brought it back to his lab table he noticed Lily eyeing the chemicals. She's eager. Looks like I lucked out. She might actually know what she's doing.

He set them in the test tube rack, took a step back, but before he could even think Lily was moving. "What are you doing?"

"Figuring out what this chemical is."

"How?"

"First thing to do is find out if it is an acid or a base. That will eliminate half the possibilities."

"You would use the litmus paper?"

"Yes." Lily proceeded to dip the paper in the chemical. "It's a base."

"Great, which one of these choices is a base?"

"This one right here, Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it has OH at the end. Anything with a hydroxide ion will naturally be a base."

"I can never keep those straight."

"It's not too hard. You know what an acid and a base mixed make, right?"

"A salt?"

"Yes, and water. A metal from the left side of the table combined with an element from the right side makes a salt. The base contains the metal and the OH, the acid contains the right side element and the H. When they combine the metal and the element mix to make the salt and the H and OH make H2O, water."

"Huh, that helps. Why did you figure that out and I didn't?"

"I guess chemistry comes natural to me. I really like it. It makes sense. The periodic table makes sense; the equations make sense. It's like a picture of how things work. I take it that this is not your favorite class."

"No, I like history."

"History! So much memorizing! It's just a bunch of facts. They don't make sense. There're just there and the teachers make you memorize them."

"It's not just facts, it's a story. To hear how things were centuries ago, what people were doing. How one person's decision makes the difference to the world."

"I never thought of it that way. It just seems meaningless."

"I guess I just enjoy learning something new every class…Whoa, are you finished already?"

"Yeah, it was easy."

"I guess I got the right partner. Although I feel like I didn't do anything."

"You need to write this one on the lab sheet. If it's all my writing Mrs. Glennus will get suspicious. Oh, and you can rise out tubes if you would like."

"One lab assignment together, and she already has me doing the dishes."

"Very funny."

"I do appreciate the help."

"Maybe we could do it again."

"Wouldn't I just slow you down?"

"Everyone slows me down in chem lab. At least you're kind about it."

"Okay maybe we could, although every time I am around a girl for more than two minutes a jealous boyfriend always picks a fight with me."

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Then maybe we could do it again." What did I just agree to? So much for low profile! But then nobody pays attention to her. Maybe she's safe. At any rate maybe I'll actually learn something in this class now.

"Time's up everyone. Begin your cleanup and hand in your lab sheets."