Chapter 30: Every Time a Bell Rings an Angel Gets His Wings.
It was the day before Christmas Eve at the Institute and everyone was getting ready for the early Christmas party later that night. Right now Gavin, Chelsea and Bast were sitting in the kitchen while Logan was doing a beer run, the boy had just gotten finished making them a homemade mocha (hot chocolate mix mixed with coffee) and was now sitting with them and talking.
"So, you and Devin gonna go see your mom for Christmas?" Bast asked.
Gavin shook his head. "No, our plane got snowed in, so our mom's gonna come here instead." He explained.
"Well at least you'll get to see her." Chelsea shrugged.
"What about you guys though? Are you gonna go see your families?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink. "I mean, come on, you guys were missing for a really long time, so you're bound to have-"
"No." They both interrupted.
"Why?" Gavin questioned in confusion. "That's kinda cruel guys, I mean for all you know they could have been grief stricken for years."
"If they even noticed I was gone, I would be surprised." Chelsea deadpanned. "For all they knew I was off frolicking in the party lifestyle of my older brother. They didn't even notice when he left for Mexico for a week until they saw the bill he racked up on one of dear old dad's credit cards."
Gavin rolled his eyes. "You're joking, there's no way they wouldn't notice."
She gave him possibly the flattest look possible."Does it seem like I'm joking?"
"You're a queen of sarcasm, I don't put it past you." He chided, thinking her account to be overdramatic. "What about you Bast?"
"Well let's see, to put it lightly, my family thought I was a monster." She said in a mockingly happy tone. "My father threw me out of the house when my mutation developed. Literally, busted in my bedroom door, picked me up by the neck and tossed me into the street."
"What?!" The Japanese American boy snarled.
"So, to say I'm not on good terms with my family is an understatement." She replied nonchalantly, sipping her mocha. "There's a reason we chose our family, Gavin."
"Did your father actually do that?" He could hardly believe his ears.
"No, she's just telling you to see what your reaction is." Chelsea remarked jokingly, earning a glare from Bast.
"Geez, talk about a room of daddy issues." The boy muttered under his breath, trying to calm his anger.
"Hey." The Middle Easterner said warningly.
"Still though." He said. "Not to seem like a jerk, but you guys do realize that people can change right? Especially parents. I mean, there's this girl I know, Ronni Ann, and her parents always argued with each other and her for years so much so that they practically forgot about her. That all changed though when she got kidnapped by a drug cartel a couple years ago. After that her parents were so worried sick about her that her parents stopped fighting and started paying more attention to her, it was as if the fear of losing their child snapped them out of their stupidity."
"Okay, I get that, no offense to your friend but, I don't see how that applies to us." Chelsea stated before letting out a cavernous yawn.
"You said your parents never paid attention to you right? It's the same sort of situation." Gavin shrugged. "Ronni Ann's parents honestly couldn't even function right at work; they were so worried about her. Something tells me that since your parents were also workaholics, they probably went through something similar." He explained.
"Oh." Chelsea nodded, noticing what he meant.
The boy then turned to Bast. "Though your parents on the other hand... Wasn't there one that wanted you to stay?"
"Yeah, my mom. But she was so scared of my dad that she could never get the courage to stand up to him." The woman told him.
"Then there you go. For all you know your mom could have left your dad and now she's living alone. I don't know about you, but if my mom went through that and I had disappeared for god knows how long, I'd wanna check on her too." The pseudo vampire sighed, tapping her mug with her clawed hand. "I'm sure it would be nice to check on her Gavin, but it isn't as simple as calling her up and asking her how she is."
"But it literally is that simple!" He said in exasperation.
"No kid, it's not." Chelsea butted in bluntly. "Have you ever watched Law and Order SVU? The cases where this happens, when a kid is taken and comes back years later doesn't always end in smiles and rainbows. It's traumatic for family members. They've meticulously created a "new normal", adjusting to life without their child. It isn't easy for that new way of life to be shattered by having a ghost from the past show up."
"Geez Marks, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're trying to avoid them. "Gavin muttered.
She gave him a half nod. "To an extent, I am. They really don't feel like family anymore. It would just create an awkward and rough situation."
"Come on guys, are you really going to just sit there and tell me you aren't the least bit curious about what's gone on with your families since you disappeared?" He asked. "I mean come on, me and my brother were basically separated at birth and it wasn't until we were five that we met each other. That whole ordeal shattered me and my mom's new 'normal' too. So much so that we couldn't stand each other. And now look at us. We reconciled and now we're getting along just fine."
Chelsea and Bast looked at each other before they looked at their drinks in thought. Was Gavin right? Could they actually do this without ruining everything for their families in the process? The thought of actually ruining their families actually scared them a little.
"Okay, I get what you're saying Gav, but there's still one problem: I don't know where they are. I don't even know if my brothers are still around now." Chelsea said.
"Same. I don't even know what my family's phone number is anymore." Bast nodded in agreement. Their responses made their little brother figure sigh.
"Yeah, I can see how that's a problem." He muttered. The boy thought for a few minutes before he snapped his fingers as an idea popped into his head. "Say, did your brothers have cell phones?" He asked Chelsea.
"Um… Yeah. Why?" She asked in confusion.
"Call their old numbers. If you can get in touch with one of them, you can at least check on him and figure out things from there." The horror aficionados told her.
"That…. Might work, actually." The dragon queen said thoughtfully. But then she growled. "Still not looking forward to talking to my parents."
"Same. But, I guess I could try my mom's old phone number, too." Bast mused in agreement.
"Well, just let me know what happens." The boy said as he got up. "I got some last minute Christmas shopping to do." He said as he left.
(Later)
Chelsea was in her room and sitting on her bed, her cell in her hand as her fingers shook nervously. "Okay… Okay, what was Jason's number again?" She said as she thought, a couple seconds later she was able to dial it. Though she hesitated once it was time to press the call button, her nerves caused her to press it by mistake. "Shit!" She yelped as she quickly held it to her ear.
The phone rang for a few moments before a voice she hadn't heard in years answered. "Hello? Who is this?" A male voice asked.
Chelsea gasped as she took a nervous breath and croaked out. "J-Jason?" She croaked, her throat suddenly becoming dry. She was met by silence until her brother spoke again.
"C-C-Chelsea? Is that you?" He asked hopefully.
"Yeah-yeah It's me." She stuttered.
"Holy shit, it's actually you! Do you have any idea of how scared we were when you vanished like that?!" He asked with relief in his voice.
"You or our parents? I'm still not convinced that they even cared about me to begin with." The woman snarked.
"I'm talking about me and the rest of your brothers. We couldn't stop worrying about you ever since you vanished." Jason replied. "What happened to you?"
"It's a long story. But have you ever heard of an organization called HYDRA?" The dragoness asked. There was silence once more, this time induced by alarm.
"... I have. PLEASE tell me you aren't saying what I think you're saying." Her brother pleaded.
"Unfortunately. I've been subjected to every torture imaginable, and get this: they tried to turn me into their personal breeding stock." She explained.
"THEY WHAT?!" He yelled angrily, causing the woman to wince and hold the phone away from her ear for a moment to get the ringing out.
"Yeah. But I'm okay now, I actually made some friends there and now we're here in New York at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. I got a job as an instructor." Chelsea told him.
"Seriously? Awesome!" Jason replied in an impressed tone. "Wait, gifted youngsters, what does that mean?" He asked.
"Remember when I turned into a dragon in front of you when we were kids?" She asked.
"Kinda hard to… Wait, is that what you mean?" He started before the realization hit him.
"Yeah. It's a place for kids that are like me: ones who have super powers. Mutants basically." She simplified with a nod. "And, well, I've also recently started dating my coworkers, a guy named Logan Howlett."
"Oh really, now? Heh, me and the rest of the guys might have to come over there and meet him sometime, then." He said with an audible smirk.
"If you're gonna try to scare him, be ready for him to turn things around." Chelsea snorted in amusement. "Speaking of: how have you guys been doing?"
"Well Sam's married and is currently the father of three beautiful girls. Maverick has been doing pretty well for himself, he's got our dad's workaholic tendencies, but he still makes time for his boy and three girls. And as for me, I'm currently engaged with my high school sweetheart. You remember Elizabeth, right?" Jason listed before saying the last part proudly.
"No way, Lizzy? You actually grew a pair and popped the question?!" His sister said happily.
"You bet I did. I can't even begin to tell you how elated she was when I asked her." Jason replied with a chuckle. "I'm also a youth officer, I help troubled kids like how I was in finding a better path in life."
"That's awesome, I bet you do a pretty good job." The woman smiled. "And what about mom and dad?"
"They're retired. After you disappeared, their attitudes changed drastically, and they started paying us more attention. And now that they have grandchildren, they rarely leave us alone now… it's honestly kind of annoying." He told her.
Chelsea blinked as she processed that statement. One point in time, they left them alone too often. Now they rarely get left alone? If that's not a big change, she didn't know what was.
"Seriously? Huh, whaddya know." She nodded in surprise.
"So, are you gonna try and come home for Christmas?" He asked her, Hope evident in his voice.
"That kinda depends on where you guys are. You had to have changed location over the years, right?" She asked.
"Well, me and the guys did, but our parents are still in our old home in Nevada, so we always go there for Christmas." The man explained.
"Alright, I guess I'll see you guys there." The dragoness replied with a smile.
"And bring that boyfriend with you too. I'm sure the family would love to meet him. Besides, mom always did say she wanted you to marry a teacher." Her brother chuckled.
"Heh, and I'm actually granting that wish." She chuckled in amusement.
"Sounds like it. So when do you think you'll be here?" He asked.
"Probably by tomorrow, I can easily get a couple tickets and be there by then." The woman said with a shrug.
"Awesome." Jason replied with a grin. "See you then." He added before he hung up.
Chelsea sighed as she hung up. Gavin turned out to be right again. "Wow, that kid is good." She chuckled as she went to go find Logan.
(Meanwhile)
Bast had also just dialed her mom's number, and was now waiting for someone to pick up. Five seconds and three rings later, someone finally picked up.
"Hello?" A woman on the other line asked in a thick Arabic accent.
"M-mom?" The nurse asked hesitantly, eliciting a gasp from the other end.
"...Fatima?" Was the woman's only words. "Darling, is that truly you?"
"Yes, mom. It's me." She confirmed.
"What has happened to you? All I can recall is your father throwing you out after you… Changed, and then you disappeared." The woman asked, still unable to believe that it was her daughter talking to her.
"A lot has happened. Right now, though, I've become a nurse at the Institute I'm living at." The feline nurse replied.
"An Institute?" Her mother asked.
"For people like me, people with powers. We're called mutants." Bast explained.
"Well that explains your change." Her mother mused out loud.
"Yeah. I've actually made a few friends here too. And I'm also in college to get my Medical degree." The cat woman nodded. "What about you? Where's Dad, Ezra and Ali?"
"Your father… Is dead, Fatima." The woman said solemnly. Bast's eyes went wide in shock.
"What?! What happened?!" She asked.
"During our yearly pilgrimage to the holy land, a Jihadist zealot committed a suicide bombing in the mosque we were in. Your father was killed, Ezra lost his sight, and Ali now has to wear hearing aids." Her mother explained. "Ezra now is in college to become a Psychologist, and Ali now goes to a catholic high school. After the attack he was… Changed. After seeing those of his faith kill their own, it caused him to renounce his faith and convert to Catholicism." She continued.
"I can't say I blame him. It's like seeing soldiers of a nation kill their own comrades." Bast nodded, holding nothing against Ali's change of faith.
"I tried to convince him otherwise, but he had said he'd been thinking of it for a long time. Your father's death was essentially the last straw." She sighed.
"Did he say how long he was thinking about it?" Bast inquired.
"Ever since he saw your father beat you and throw you out. He said his Christian friend's families were nothing like that. Only ours, so it helped move him in that direction." The mother stated.
Bast sighed sadly. She hadn't expected her father to have this bad of an impact on her little brother. It made her feel all torn up inside. Still, she wouldn't hold it against him.
"Well, if that's how he wishes to live, then I won't sway him." She shrugged. "So, it's going to be Christmas break soon here, would it be okay if I came down? Where are you guys living right now?"
"Of course it would, qath saghira. I want to see how you've grown, and what has happened to you after all these years." The mother told her, using a childhood nickname she had given Bast, one that meant 'Kitten'. "After your father was transferred to a new job, we moved to a place called Beverly Hills, do you know it?"
"Yeah, I know it. I'll try and get a flight there as soon as I can." She told her mother. "I guess i'll see you then?"
"Yes. I look forward to it." The woman smiled.
"Me too." Bast smiled back before she hung up. Looking around she then started getting her bags, she had some packing to do.
(Later that night, during the Institute Christmas party)
It was the night of the Christmas party and everyone was starting to exchange gifts. Currently, Gavin was giving Bast her gift.
"Here Bast, it's a few medical books. I figured you'd like them, I got some in English and Arabic." He told her as he handed her the books, which came with a card.
"Aw, thanks Gavin." She smiled. Reaching behind her she handed him a book as well. It was a copy of the Art of War, which she had wrapped a bow around. Gavin looked at the book and whistled in amazement.
"Wow. Didn't see this coming. Thanks." He told her with a smile before giving her a hug.
"You're welcome." She smiled as she hugged him back.
Next was Kai, and both he and the girls two old friends had pitched in and gotten her a pretty touching gift: a silver locket that had a Hawaiian flower etched on it and inside it had two photos, a picture of Kai and her family, and a picture of her and all her friends after they escaped and before Pele had died.
The water controlling girl gasped as she put the locket on, tears flowing down her face the whole time. "I love it." She said before grabbing all three of them in a group hug.
Next was Chelsea, and both Logan and Gavin had actually got her something this time around. When the Dragoness opened the two jewelry boxes they gave her, she saw that they got her a pair of silver dragon earrings and a matching silver dragon necklace that had diamonds lining its wings and an emerald in the center of said closed wings.
"Thanks, boys." She said with a smile as she hugged them both. The woman then put the jewelry on and looked at herself in the room's mirror. "Ya know, you guys were right, it really does complement the silver studs on my jacket." She said while looking her well worn leather jacket over.
"And the emerald matches your eyes." Gavin added. He then handed Logan a box. "Here's your present Logan, and just so you know: it wasn't at all cheap."
"Let's see it, then." The scraggly mutant said with a smirk as he took the box. As he opened it, he slowly pulled out a brown Harley Davidson leather jacket, and it was an older one too, not to mention its leather work was really well done, as was the quality of the leather. Logan looked it over and whistled in approval.
"Nice one, fangs. You really knew just what to pick." He said in an impressed tone.
"Eh, I saw that your motorcycle was a Harley, so I thought I'd get you a jacket to match it." The boy shrugged before grabbing a small box and a couple of books he had with him in one hand, and his glass of eggnog in the other. "Now if you excuse me, I have one more present… To… Give…" his words trailed off when he saw what was going on in front of the fireplace, and the sight made his blood boil.
What he saw was Rogue giving a gift to Scott, a sweater that he had actually helped her pick out a few days prior. She had said that she was going to give it to a close friend, what he hadn't realized was that the friend she was referring to wasn't him at all, but Scott. The pseudo vampire's grip on his eggnog tightened progressively as a huge wave of jealousy and anger swept over him like a tidal wave.
He then crushed the glass in his rage fueled grip, causing Logan to look at him with a raised eyebrow at his behavior.
"What's up with him?" Chelsea asked.
With a shaky sigh Gavin wiped his hands clean and then walked over to Rogue as soon as Scott left to talk to Jean. "Hey Rogue, I got your presents here if you wanna open them." He told her while holding out the box and the books.
"Oh! Thanks, Gavin." She replied with a smile as she took the gifts. Looking at the books first, she saw that the books he got her were two romance novels: Fifty Shades of Grey and Halfway to the Grave. These two choices caused her to blush, but she just put them away for later.
What really caught her off guard was what was in the small elongated jewelry box. Feeling curious, she opened it and her eyes widened as her free hand went to her mouth in amazement at the contents.
It was a black lace choker necklace, but it was inlaid with several beautiful gems, Red/Orange Sapphires to be exact, that had small chains looped and dangling below them connected to a larger gem of the same type that dangled from the center of the necklace. Each of the gems' inlays also had small black diamonds inserted in the golden chambers they were held in. It was clearly an expensive gift to be sure.
"Gavin… You…" She breathed in awe as she looked at her gift.
"I'd been saving up my allowance since August to be able to get it. I hope you like it." He told her, still hurt and jealous about what he saw between her and Scott, but tried his best to hide it.
Rogue was speechless. She looked between the choker and Gavin before setting the box down gently before giving her vampire themed friend a hug.
Gavin was surprised at first as he stumbled backwards, but soon he regained his footing and returned the hug. Then he noticed something hanging above them. It would seem that her action had seemingly placed them smack under the mistletoe Kurt had put on the ceiling that morning.
"Uh, Rogue, I don't want to alarm you but, um…" The horror lover said as he pointed at the small hanging plant while the girl's arms were still wrapped around his neck. The girl looked up and saw the plant before she deadpanned at the placement.
"... Oh." Was all she said before looking back at him. "Should we…?" She asked before trailing off with a twinge of nervousness.
"Well, you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm not gonna hold you to it." The boy told her.
Rogue hesitated as she thought about it. She didn't want to put either of them through something rather sensitive, but Gavin seemed to at least be willing. She just couldn't figure it out. This was pretty sensitive.
As the two separated, Rogue blushed before she decided to just give him a small kiss on the cheek. It was a harmless gesture, she told herself. Just an old tradition, that's all, was what Gavin told himself as his face turned a shade of dark pink, which contrasted the purple lipstick that was left on his cheek.
The party went on without much else happening. Gavin got a bat hood ornament for his car from Logan, a red steampunk gothic leather trench coat (for everyday use) from Chelsea, a copy of several books on Japanese Yokai from Devin, and lastly he got a red gothic cross necklace from Rogue. After the party everyone ended up going to bed.
(The next day)
The next morning, everyone who was leaving all went to the airport. Logan was going with Chelsea to Nevada to meet her family and Bast was going to California to visit hers, while Kai was going to Hawaii to be with her foster parents since they finally moved back to her old home.
Amanda Shirakumo had also arrived at the Institute as well, but unfortunately Devin didn't stay very long because he said he was going to visit Roxy to drop off a few application forms for her.
Right now Rogue, Scott, Gavin, Beast, Xavier and Amanda were all sitting in the main parlor and either enjoying a game of chess, reading the paper, or just lounging around. This atmosphere of general levity was interrupted, however, when Gavin brought up the many Angel sightings that had occurred that week.
"Does anyone else think that these might have some form of merit to them?" He asked as he looked over the articles.
"Unfortunately yes, but I fear this angel may not be of the heavenly variety." Xavier said in response.
"What, you think it's a demon?" Scott asked as he looked up from his chess game with Beast.
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Beast quoted as he took out one of Scott's pawns.
"Shakespeare?" Xavier asked.
"No, the Bible." Beast corrected.
"Hebrews 13:2, to be exact." Gavin added as he read the Bible while lounging in a chair near the fire, upside down.
"At any rate, I believe this 'angel' may compromise our existence as mutants to the public. We must track him down and at least speak with him." The professor said.
"Pft, figures." The pseudo vampire scoffed as he turned the page of his book. "Here we are trying to learn how to do some good with our powers and when someone's doing just that without even going here, we decide to just snuff it out. Anyone else smell hypocrisy?"
"Gavin…" Amanda warned. She never liked how her son had inherited her late husband's compulsion to argue on every single topic.
"Yeah, I gotta give him that one. Kinda hypocritical of us when you think about it." Scott said in agreement.
"I understand what you mean, but think about this: What will happen when everyone suddenly turns on him? He won't have anywhere to go. If we find him, we can at least give him an avenue to continue his life." Xavier explained his case, which actually made Gavin calm down.
"I guess that's something I can get behind." The boy shrugged.
"This reminds me of another quote: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than what are dreamt up in your philosophy." Beast recited, which caused Gavin to groan.
"Let me guess: Shakespeare?" He asked, getting a nod in return.
"Hey, why don't Gavin and Ah go? Ah mean we can try and see if we can find this angel guy around town." Rogue suggested, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow.
"Wouldn't it be smarter to bring Scott? I mean he is more level headed than I am." He stated, his eyes never leaving the passage he was reading, getting a confused look from the southern belle.
"Well, you seemed like you needed an excuse to get out of the place, so why not?" She asked in return.
"Oh… Okay." Gavin said in surprise as he got up. "I'll uh, just get my coat on." He said as he went upstairs to get dressed.
(Elsewhere)
Devin was now in Roxy's town district, which was located just a stone throw from a roller derby rink and the Bronx. He was currently standing in front of her front door, and as soon as he knocked on the door, instead of her answering, it was someone who he assumed was one of her brothers.
The guy in front of him was a fair skinned guy who looked around 20 or 21, he was around 5'11" with brown/black hair that was slicked with what he assumed was hair gel, and was styled in the 'greaser' fashion. He had brown eyes, nearly perfect teeth besides one canine that was pushed inward, and had a rather decent build. He was wearing a gray shirt and some jeans as well as a pair of biker boots.
"Who're you?" The young man asked the young mutant.
"Devin Shirakumo, and you are?" Devin asked.
"Darrel, but my friends call me Darry." The man introduced himself. "You need something kid?" He asked.
"I'm here to drop off some application forms for your sister." He replied as he held out said forms.
"Application forms? For what?" Darry questioned, his hand slowly creeping into his pocket.
"For the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Professor Xavier would like to allow her to go there in order to properly use her 'gifts'." Devin explained, noticing what the man was doing. "And judging by the fact you're trying to sneak a switchblade on me, I take it you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"How do I know you're not a hater?" He asked quietly.
Devin's response was to turn his hand into a sword and point it at him. "Kind of hard to hate someone who's like me." He stated.
Darry seemed to take this as a good sign and slacked off. "Now I remember you, you're the Japanese kid Roxy was telling us about. The one who's always nervous." This statement made a vein in Devin's head visibly bulge.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" He growled indignantly. Of all the things to tell her brothers, she tells them that?!
"Whoa, what's got you all mad?" The older boy asked.
"Just tell your sister that I don't get nervous, I'm simply naturally wary of new people." Was all Devin said before he turned and left before he blushed slightly. "And tell that I-we… Look forward to having her stay at the Institute with us." He told the man before he left.
(Elsewhere)
Gavin and Rogue had been spending all day trying to track down the mysterious angel, but they were pretty much getting nowhere. So once night fell, they made a stop at an old diner that might as well have been the set of a 50s movie like Grease.
The two ordered some food and hot drinks when Gavin noticed that instead of her usual choker, he could make out some of the one he gave her under the turtle neck she was wearing.
"You know, Ah kinda needed this." She commented.
"What? Hot drinks after walking around in the cold all day?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, that and getting out of the Institute. Ah was going stir crazy in there." She replied. "Plus, it never hurts to spend time with friends." She added thoughtfully.
"Yeah. I gotta admit, it feels nice to be out." The boy nodded as he stretched in his seat. Then he looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Hey, Rogue? Do you think this angel guy could actually be the real deal?"
"Ah'm not sure, though Ah wouldn't hold my breath." She shrugged.
"Yeah. I guess I'm just asking because, well, back when me and Devin were just kids, we used to go onto this lake every winter to go ice skating or, in our case, play hockey. And one day, the ice gave way and Devin fell in. I tried and tried to pull him up but I just wasn't strong enough. I called and cried for help, but no one came, then as a last ditch effort I pulled with all my might, but just as I was about to give out, someone or something grabbed onto me and pulled with me, and helped me get him out." The boy explained. "But when I looked around, no one was there. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I always thought that whatever saved us that day, was an angel."
Rogue frowned as she listened to the story. She could see why the topic interested him, and could understand his concern for his brother. Though from what she heard, it sounded like a mutant was in the area and lended a hand. She kept that to herself, though.
"Hey, Ah'm sure we'll find out eventually." She told him while taking his hand. After they ate, the two then started their search again, and the trail then soon led them to a church where a family of a girl that the angel tried to save was trying to pray for their daughter's recovery from her current condition.
When they got there, Gavin immediately stiffened when he heard a very familiar voice talking with a younger, unfamiliar one.
"Magneto…" The boy growled. Rogue looked at him in alarm.
"He's here? Where is he?!" She whispered as she looked around.
The pseudo vampire put a finger to his lips as he pointed at the church's top banister, then he transformed into smoke and floated up towards it before appearing behind the self proclaimed 'Master of Magnetism'. Drawing his sword (which he had brought with him just in case), the boy put the tip just barely against the back of the old man's neck.
"Hello, Magneto. Say, don't Jews usually celebrate Chanaka this time of year instead of Christmas?" Gavin asked in a snarky tone as the man stiffened.
"Ah, Gavin. Still as witty as ever I see." He noted casually.
"And I can still hear you spouting off your pessimistic bullshit." The boy hissed back before looking at Angel. "Don't mind us." He told the man before turning back to magneto. "You do realize that it's bad seeds like you who make it difficult for mutants to convince mankind that we aren't enemies, right? Or do you just not care?"
"What I do is in defense of mutants all over the world. Xavier is just holding us back!" The elder man growled.
"I think you've got that backwards, Magnus." The horror fanatic said. "Now quick question, completely off topic but-" He then made Magneto turn around to face him so Rogue could enter behind him. "Do you...know...where Mystique is?" He asked slowly, becoming angrier with every word.
The magnetic mutant frowned in slight sadness. When he learned about what had happened to Gavin, he felt genuinely sad for the boy. No one should have to go through that. He cleared his mind and focused on the younger mutant's question.
"She is here in New York in an apartment. I cannot give you the exact location because she made a very good move to hide it from me when I found her. However, I will tell you this: She is currently nearing six months of her pregnancy." The man told him.
Gavin digested the information before relaxing slightly and nodding. "Thank you for telling me this." He replied in slight gratitude. "Now to show you how grateful I am, I'm going to give you this chance to leave peacefully. Consider it an early Chanaka present. Whether you take it or not is entirely up to you."
Rogue, meanwhile, stood next to Angel with her hands ungloved, and ready to pounce. Magneto gave the boy's proposal some thought, and then took slight notice of his situation. Had he attempted to get the boy's sword beforehand, Gavin would have moved too quickly for him to react and would have skewered him. Whether he made the right decision in not attacking was unclear at the moment. But right now was not the right time for an all out brawl, especially with a human family present that could see them.
"Very well. I'll leave quietly. This isn't the time or place for a fight, and I wish to be respectful here." He responded before he turned to leave. "But know this, Vampyr, next time I may not be so gracious."
"I'm counting on it." Gavin nodded as the man left.
(Later)
Gavin, Rogue and the angel mutant (now formally introduced as Warren) were sitting in the hospital where the little girl was. The two teens had just gotten finished with explaining what the Xavier Institute was to him.
"I may have to lay low for now. If things go bad, I'll come to you guys." He decided.
"Hey, you do what you gotta do, Warren." Gavin told him.
"Yeah, we'll be here if you need someone to come to." Rogue added. Right at that moment, the doctor came in and informed the family that their daughter had woken up, this caused all three mutants to smile happily at the result.
As night fell on Christmas Eve, everyone was celebrating. Kurt was with his family in Germany, Kitty was celebrating Chanaka with her parents, Evan and Ororo were playing in the snow with Evan's dad before storm used her powers to bury the two in snow, Jean and her family had just finished decorating a tree, Chelsea and Logan had arrived at her old house and had met her family, much to the surprise and shock of her parents and the mild amusement of her brothers as the two joined the Marks family for the festivities. Bast had just arrived at her mom's new place and the two shared a tearful embrace before she hugged her two brothers and the four went inside.
Lastly was Scott, Rogue, Beast, Xavier, Amanda and the Twins. All of them were currently in the main living room watching It's A Wonderful Life, and the famous lines: "Every Time a Bell Rings an Angel Gets His Wings." Were spoken as the clock struck nine, and in the distance through a window, a much more cheerful Warren was seen flying past the moon near the mansion.
It was Christmas, after all. There was no room for bad feelings, that could wait until the new year…
Dragon Emperor0: Just to clarify, only Ali converted to Christianity. And the only reason why I even included that at all (because I hadn't intended to originally) was to stick to the source story I once read on a Christian reddit thread about a kid who converted to Christianity after something similar happened to his sister and dad. I won't name names for obvious reasons.
ThermalsniperN7: Anyway, see you guys next chapter.