X-23's stern expression nearly worried Todd as much as the other womens' casual expression. "Uh, I'd like to ask something.", he voiced.
Irene turned away from the road to the back seat where the three teens were sitting. "Don't worry, X-23. I have no intent to threaten either of you."
Todd took in that statement. X-23 nodded warily. Rogue inexplicably had a genuine smile on her face.
The car rolled to a calm stop at the red light.
"Turns out, I'd like to ask a lot of things, yo.", Todd reconsidered.
"Mom's pre-cognitive.", Rogue stated as if letting him in on the joke.
Irene nodded. "You know, like you're a chemical secretionist?"
Todd turned to Rogue. Now she laughed. The boy turned to X-23. She was not laughing. At all. In the slightest. He turned back to Rogue. "You don't mind if I agree with her for a little bit?" Rogue waved her hand for him to continue as he saw best.
The boy swallowed. "Okay, um, ma'am? I got some jump in me, maybe some tongue."
Irene and Rogue laughed out loud. Todd sighed. X-23 perked up. The boy regarded her. "I get it.", she admitted. "Ha ha?"
"I'm prophetic, remember?", Adler reminded. "It's the secretions that are going to be important."
"Sure.", Todd dismissed. "Now, I really hope I was wrong about this next one. On account of it would help me out. Rogue says you're her mom...?"
Irene continued driving the car while facing the back seat, showing Todd that her glasses weren't sunglasses but actually opaque. "That's right. But what you're thinking isn't."
"So Mystique wasn't.", Todd concluded.
"No silly.", Rogue countered.
Todd's eyes went wide. "uh...how exactly am I supposed to react to that?"
X-23 shrugged. "I don't know how I'm supposed to react to the people we meet in school. I was always instructed to respond to others with powers with violence.
"In fact, not having met Ms. Adler before and not attacking her is making me kind of antsy."
Irene shrugged. "Go ahead, dear. You'll feel better."
"What?", Rogue and Todd exclaimed at the same time.
Irene turned back to the road as X-23's claws tore through the space her head was just in. X-23 swiped the metal blades over the driver side head rest but the older woman had already turned to adjust her cane in the front passenger seat. The girl threw both of fists, and the talons they bore into a bear hug around the cane as Adler drew away. When the woman leaned on the girl with her elbow, the teen seemed to settle down.
"Feel better?", Irene asked. A muffled "very" was her reply.
X-23 settled back into her side of the seat. She turned to the other teens. "Her mom wouldn't ask me to take a shot if she couldn't handle it."
"Rogue you want to step in with...?", Irene prodded.
"Oh yeah.", Rogue remembered. "I can't speak to X-23's rationale. But Mystique didn't exactly give up men when making our household. Particularly when Mom went into menopause and she continued not to age."
"You've met her brother, haven't you?", Irene prodded.
Rogue continued. "I'm not saying Mom was the best relationship role model. But the 'untraditional' home they made for me was loads better than the proper Southern one I was kicked out of when I manifested."
Todd raised an eyebrow. "So you're...?"
"Oh lord no, shug.", Rogue attested. "As far as I can tell. But I'm a lot more comfortable with the idea of sharing you than you may have given me credit for. And if X-23 ages like Mr. Logan due to her healing factor, she'll stay in Sentinel destroying shape well after I will. That way, I can be sure you're being looked after."
"Thank you.", X-23 stated genuinely. The girl turned to Irene.
"No need to apologize.", Adler cut her off. "I already told you that I wasn't going to present a threat to your chances already, didn't I?"
She gave a slight pause. "Or has that haven't happened yet?"
Todd turned to X-23. "I don't suppose your parents were way sexier than I gave them credit for, too?"
"I was cloned from samples stolen across several espionage missions.", she informed him.
Todd had nothing.
"But I think what you're really asking is whether or not I'm going to kill you for cavorting with Rogue."
"At least you didn't use 'fornicating'.", Rogue congratulated.
Todd nodded. "It...uh...crossed my mind, yo."
"Historically, humans haven't been pair bonded but held harems in the manner of lion prides and zebra herds. A prime stud like yourself is bound to accumulate mates. I'm willing to compete to have my place among them. As long as they respect that place, I don't see any reason for not respecting their place with you. After all, I may have an accelerated healing factor but I doubt I'm completely inexhaustible. Plus, I understand I am not the most...multi-dimensional personality. Spending time with the others will keep you from getting bored with me, which is oft-cited as a primary motivator in a male losing interest.", X-23 finished.
The car stared at her.
"I read.", she stated defensively.
"No, dear.", Rogue objected. "I was still caught on the 'prime stud' label."
"Yeah.", Todd agreed. "You live in the X house with the likes of Scott and them."
"You mean the one that smells like overcooked chicken whose ass I beat on a regular basis?", X-23 confirmed. "Maybe I should loan you a book or two. Women are turned off by weakness and attracted to power.
"I have never met anyone that smelled as potent as you. Although, your scent seems to be somewhat muted today. Did you shower?"
"He's going to keep showering, too.", Rogue commanded.
"You're going to have to work on that jealousy.", X-23 stated. "But you may be right. We're young. Maybe he should limit how many he attracts until he's more experienced?"
Todd blinked really, really hard. The kind that reset a person's third eye.
"So, let me get this straight.", the boy started. "Both of you are...I'm not going to say comfortable. Let's go with accepting the other. You aren't mad, this isn't a dream, and the Sentinel didn't send me up to the big pond in the sky?"
"Is that on the helicarrier?", X-23 asked.
"He meant heaven.", Rogue cut in.
"Oh.", the girl understood. "No, you're still alive. And both Rogue and I can hold your hand at the same time without angering the other. Right?"
"Just warn me if I'm reaching for yours by mistake.", the other girl agreed.
Todd finally seemed to relax. "Okay then."
A large, blue furred hand rapped on the window. When it rolled down, Mr. McCoy's booming voice washed into the car. "Mr. Tolensky. The professor would like to see you. He was wondering about the police department calling with criminal complaints about you involving his students. And Magnus' destroying the city's largest single investment in emergency management. And several unconscious humans left in your wake. And how to handle your school's inquiries along with the medias. You know. The unusual."
Todd winced. "Dammit."