Chapter 8: Speedy Spykes
Content Warning: This chapter contains depictions of PTSD and trauma involved events centered around torture and possible assault. Viewer discretion is advised.
Quicksilver vs Gauss: Redline from Warframe
-Xavier's Institute one day later-
With a deep breath, Bronson braced himself as he approached Ororo with two movie tickets. The kids had gotten him these and pushed for him to give one to the woman he had feelings for, and had a pretty good idea that they knew that.
"Bronson, I didn't know you were coming over. Did the professor call you?" The weather goddess questioned.
"No. I'm here on my own this time." The mechanic replied. "I was… Wondering if you'd like to go to the movies with me this Friday." He asked nervously with a chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh!" The woman uttered in surprise. "Um… Yes, of course. I'd love to." She nodded after recomposing herself, but her face was glowing with a blush.
"Great! So, I'll pick you up on Friday around, say… Seven?" He offered. "So we can grab something to eat before the show starts." He added.
"That sounds great. I'll be sure to dress my best for the occasion." Ororo nodded with a smile that made Bronson's heart skip a beat.
"Yeah, me too." The former EOD tech nodded.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile on the institute lawn, Chelsea was stretching herself while Logan was doing the same, though the dragoness could practically hear the metallic creaking of the man's bones and joints.
The two were dressed in either sports shorts or a pair of leggings and a sports bra—an ensemble that made Logan occasionally sneak a few glances at the blonde as they warmed up.
"Chelsea knows exactly what she's doing, teasing Logan like that, doesn't she?" Johan chuckled as he and Bast sat at one of the outdoor tables, having seemed ahi tuna salad sandwiches and sweet iced tea.
"That she does. I guess that experience she got as an escort has its benefits." The cat woman chuckled in agreement. "Even if it was miserable work." She muttered, sipping her tea.
Back with the two, Chelsea got herself into a running crouch while Logan did the same. Though when she noticed that Logan was tracing her with his eyes, she bit her lip in arousal, her cheeks flushed as she did the same—before she deployed her dragon tail and slapped him on the ass—causing him to fall forward.
"Really, Scales?!" He grunted as he got back to his feet while the woman was rolling on the ground in laughter.
"Aw come on, Logan! I saw how you were lookin' at me just now! You should have expected me to do that!" The woman howled in laughter, propped herself up on her elbow. "Side note though, you got some hard ass glutes." She grinned.
Logan narrowed his eyes at her, as if trying to decide if he should snark back that she was a pervert… but decided to just keep the compliment.
"Sure." The man nodded as they got back into position, before they took off running.
Either Chelsea just had better muscles or the metal in Logan was weighing him down, because the dirty blonde was outpacing the centuries old man. Johan took note of that as well.
"Wow, Chelsea's actually outpacing Logan." He noted.
"Not surprised, next to me she's the fastest of our group." Bast nodded. "But even so, Logan shouldn't be this far behind." She noted.
"Yeah. Something's up." The SHIELD agent nodded in agreement. "… Director Fury said something about him having Adamantium bones due to what Weapon X did to him. Think that could be the reason?" He wondered.
"That could be it." The woman hummed with a nod, deploying her claws, which looked to be coated in a similar metal. "HYDRA did something similar. I'm lucky that I don't have metal poisoning." She muttered.
"So Logan could be experiencing something like that, just far worse." Johan added with a nod as the scraggly mutant and the Dragoness finished their race—which ended in a neck and neck tie—but it left Logan exhausted. "I have my own adamantium skeleton thanks to SHIELD, but I have a way to keep the poisoning from affecting me: This." He continued as he held up a hand, and a small cloud rose up from it that formed an orb. "A special form of Nanotech called SIVA. These little guys are omni-purpose built, so they can break down any poisons in my system along with hardening in response to physical trauma as well as performing a plethora of other stuff." He explained.
"Impressive." The cat woman nodded. "… Can they be used medically?" She asked.
"Yeah. They've actually reconstructed lost tissue on me more than once. Why?" Johan asked in reply.
"Is the process painful?" She continued to ask.
"In earlier cases the procedure was immensely painful without anesthesia, especially since the tech is put into your bone marrow." He explained. "But in later iterations, there is a sting, I'll admit, that feels like a needle poking at your body." The man nodded in reply. "Again why?" He asked.
"I want to be implanted with it." She told him firmly.
"I'm… Sorry?" Johan blinked, swearing he misheard her before his brain caught up. "Why?" He asked, wondering why she'd want to get the nanotech treatment.
"It could help me get stronger and I could use it to help with my mutant medical practice." The woman explained. "Additionally, imagine if Fury learned how effective SIVA could be for purposes beyond simple warfare—he could be convinced that it could be mass produced for the purposes of medicine, construction, agriculture, and a host of others." She added. "It could do good on both the big and little scale." She elaborated.
"That's… That's actually true." The agent blinked. "I'll see if I can get you the treatment. You pull off what you're planning, you'll have quite a bit of good rep on your side when mutants are eventually revealed." He told her.
"Thank you." Bast nodded. "… Johan?" The woman questioned.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Your sister, she's a mutant, right?" She asked.
"Yeah. She's the reason I'm so comfy with everyone in the Institute." Johan nodded in reply. "Why?" He asked.
"Has she had run-ins with HYDRA before joining SHIELD? What are her powers?" She asked.
"Her powers are basically everything Cthulhu does, minus driving people insane when they look at her." The man explained, much to Bast's shock. "She can do that at will, however." He amended.
"Are you serious?!" She questioned with wide eyes.
"Very. She also has the appearance of a squid woman in her power form." He nodded. "As for run-ins with HYDRA… She did have one, back when she was a trainee." He admitted.
"What happened?" The medical cat woman wondered.
"HYDRA captured her and one of their higher ups, Viper aka Madame HYDRA—tortured, brainwashed and used her as a sex toy for two months." The man spat venomously, clearly harboring a large amount of anger toward the woman in question. "That ended when I found where she was being held, and I personally went through that base guns blazing to get my sister back. Viper was able to escape, sadly, but Katerina has had a serious grudge ever since when her brainwashing was broken." He continued.
"That's disgusting." Bast muttered, nose wrinkled. "Does Joshua know?" She asked.
"No, he doesn't, but I have my doubts of that being the case. He's honestly one of the sneakiest people I know." Johan sighed. He knew what his nephew's powers were, and he had no idea if Joshua had eavesdropped on him and Katerina or not.
The reason for this doubt was that he and his sister had been given leave after the incident in question, so they decided to spend some time with Joshua to take their mind off of it. It was a really serious time for Katerina, however, so she ended up having to vent about her ordeal a bit in a rant. That was years ago, and to this day, the two still didn't know if Joshua heard it or not.
"That is certainly true…" The Gazan woman nodded. "Though the way you treat him personally, one would think that you're father and son, rather than Uncle and Nephew." She hummed, luckily not causing the man to choke.
"Heh, you'd be surprised at how many people have commented on that." Johan chuckled in amusement.
"Makes me wonder what you'd be like with children of your own." She mused with a smile, resting her cheek on her hand as she sipped her tea, her tail swishing mischievously—and Johan could have sworn she was purring.
'Did she just…?' Johan thought with a blink. 'Well… Fatima does seem like someone I'd enjoy being with if we ever get that far.' He mused.
(Elsewhere)
Right around the same time, Chelsea and Logan's race ended with them in a tie, both out breath, but Logan was doubled over.
"Guess you're getting too old for this shit, huh, wolvie?" The Dragoness purred as she fixed her hair.
However, as the man regained his bearings, he saw that the blonde's plump and curvaceous rear was right in front of him—and the feral mutant grew a mischievous grin.
'Payback time, Scales…' He thought to himself as he stood up, winding his arm back for something, his eyes seemingly glowing red—which was noticed by Bast and Johan as well as Katerina and Romano as she came up with her for a lunch break.
"Wait, is he–?" Romano started to ask before…
SMACK!
Chelsea shrieked as Logan smacked her on the ass so hard that it actually ended up causing her to actually jump in surprise. Johan, Bast, Katerina and Romano all covered their mouths in surprise before having to suppress the laughter threatening to escape them.
The dragoness growled as she whirled around and glared at the man.
"Shoe's on the other foot." He chuckled, causing the woman to go beet red before she smirked at him.
"Why you—come here!" She yelled as she tackled the man to the ground, causing them to roll across the courtyard and barrel into the garage with a loud clatter.
"... Should we stop that?" Katerina asked after a moment.
"Nah. It's better this way." Bast told her in reply with a shrug.
It was true. It may not look like it, but what Chelsea and Logan were doing was actually a good sign. This meant that a relationship was developing between them.
(Later)
"… Hey, Logan?" Chelsea questioned as the two enjoyed a reconciliatory six pack of beer together in the garage after a tussle.
"Yeah, Chels?" The man nodded, taking a swig of his beer to dull the pain of the draconic claw marks that were still healing all over his body, as well as draconic bite marks, and quite a bit of burning.
"I noticed that you seemed like you were being weighed down by something, and you felt like you were made of metal whenever I managed to hit you." The woman noted, her own wounds healing either considerably slower or as fast as Logan's as well—bite marks on her neck, a claw slash, bruises—thankfully nothing major. "And you seem like your healing shouldn't be as slow as it is." She added. "Your claws also tipped me off, too, by the way—I'm not blind." She elaborated.
"It's an issue, you're right." He nodded. "Adamantium is toxic to humans if injected or put inside the body, but the people who did this to me didn't care about the long term effects or consequences—they just wanted a weapon." He grumbled, taking another swig from his bottle.
"… Does it cause you pain? Besides the obvious joint pain, I mean?" Chelsea asked, a cut healing on her face in seconds as she drank more of her beer.
"Yeah, it does—a lot. Constantly." The scraggly man sighed. "It hurts to use my claws since it's causing constant damage to where they come out and go in." He added. "If I'm not careful—what with my healing factor being stifled by the Adamantium—it can cause damage to my muscles, ligaments and tissue that's permanent." He elaborated.
"Fuck…" Chelsea hissed with a wince. "Have you tried to get rid of it?" She questioned.
"Trust me, Chels. If I could, I would." The man sighed, groaning in discomfort as a chunk of flesh the woman had accidentally taken out of his forearm during their tussle grew back.
The Dragoness was silent for a moment or two before she started to put a hand on his leg, caressing it in a comforting manner.
"I'm so sorry." She sighed, taking his hand in hers. "… How about I make you a deal? If I find a way to get your Adamantium extracted from your body—you'll be the first to know, as soon as I know it." She told him.
"Okay… and what's my end of the deal?" The man questioned.
"How about you help me with my PTSD nightmares and flashbacks—and when the time comes—you help me kill Rowner." She offered, still holding his hand.
"... Heh. Deal." The man chuckled lightly after a moment, squeezing her hand back.
The two sat together for a good while, before Chelsea slowly started leaning in towards Logan, and then he did the same—until they met in between—lips meeting in a kiss.
Then things felt like they just kinda passed them by from then on. While they made out with each other, Chelsea actually ended up moving into his lap, straddling his waist.
"… I haven't felt like this since Bronson and I were together." The blonde gasped as they pulled back, nuzzling his neck with a smile on her face, practically purring.
"Yeah… I haven't felt like this in ages either." The metal boned man sighed in agreement as he held her close.
"Guess that means you like me?" She smiled.
"Yeah. I think that's a pretty accurate statement." He smiled back at her as they kissed again.
And in a crack in the garage back door, Marcus cursed as he crushed a packet of sleeping pills in his hand and stormed away.
He was pissed.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, Joshua was bracing himself for what he was about to do: Try and recruit Fred to his crew. He could see the big teen being a huge help in lifting large cargo and serving as muscle when it came to boarding ships. He even had a peace offering ready that he had Gabriel make for this occasion.
Good thing it was a weekend…
'Here's hoping he isn't hung over on what happened before…' He thought to himself.
Knocking on the door, he soon was greeted by Roxy, who was currently clad in two towels. One around her body and the other around her hair.
"Josh? What're you doing here?" She questioned.
"I need to have a word with Fred, assuming he isn't too hung up on before." Joshua replied, averting his gaze from her half naked body.
"I mean, I can try to get him for you." The girl nodded. "Hang on." She said as she went back inside.
"Great…" The teen pirate sighed in exasperation.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, Anne was busy in the locker room getting herself changed after practice with the swim team. The girls were jealous she had a better body than them, but the Irish girl had actually managed to do away with that by helping the rest of the team with their own swimming skills.
Skill can be just as attractive as looks, she had told them.
Slowly, the redhead slowly started slothing off her sopping wet school issue swimsuit, allowing the spaghetti straps slide off her freckle covered shoulders and come off her chest, exposing her bountiful and equally bouncy EE-cup bust, before it fell down to her feet, revealing the rest of her freckle peppered body, curvaceous figure, wide hips, thick plump thighs, beautifully toned legs, and peach shaped marshmallow-like ass.
Sighing in relief, she then started wringing out her luscious red locks, trying to get as much chlorine treated water as possible.
"Ugh… I prefer seawater over chlorine water…" She said to herself.
It was then that the door to the locker room opened. Thinking it was the other girls, Anne turned to face them, not bothering to cover up. However, she soon found out that it was not the other girls—it was the Bayville High star quarterback, Duncan Matthews—and he was leering at her.
"The hell?!" She hissed, covering herself. "What are you doing in here, you perv?!" She demanded.
"Perv? This coming from the sluttiest girl in the entire school?" The teen stated rather matter of factly, stalking towards her. "Come on, Bonney, you and I both know for a fact that you've slept with every single guy in the school—including the nerds." He continued, cornering her at a locker and did a wall slam next to her head. "Don't tell me you're not at least a little interested in trying out having sex with a star quarterback in a locker room shower?" He added with a lecherous grin.
"Well guess what, I'm not! Not to mention if the rest of the girls catch you here pressuring me, it's your ass!" The redhead snapped. "Plus, are you seriously trying to cheat on Jean?!" She demanded.
"It'd just be a one time thing, Anne, just like you usually do." Duncan retorted, stroking her cheek. "Besides, Jean doesn't need to know. I won't tell her if you won't: it'll be our little secret." He purred in her ear, attempting to get her riled up.
"I live in the same building as her, you idiot! You can't stop me from telling her then!" Anne threatened.
This caused Duncan to grab her by the throat and slam her against the locker, starting to undo his pants.
"Fine. Guess we're doing this the hard way." He snarled.
He didn't get far, since Anne kicked him right between the legs. That made him release her as he dropped to the ground, holding his manhood in agony while Anne was catching her breath.
It was then that the other girls came in, Kitty and Wanda being among them.
"Oh my god! Anne, are you, like, okay?! What happened?" She questioned, running up to the girl.
"That fucking jock happened!" Anne replied, glaring at Duncan's writhing form. "He tried to pressure me for sex, and got forceful when I refused!" She added before she started shivering from the trauma. "He didn't even care about what I had to say…!" She whimpered as she hugged Kitty.
"Girls, sic him!" Wanda yelled angrily, pointing at Duncan.
The girls all glared at the jock before they all charged, and proceeded to beat the crap out of him.
(Elsewhere)
Back at the Brotherhood Boarding House, Roxy was able to get Fred to talk to Joshua in the kitchen. The fat teen didn't look to be in the best of moods right now.
"What do you want?" He questioned grumpily.
"First off, a peace offering." Joshua began as he set a small box on the table and opened it, revealing some warm Japanese style food that caught Fred's eye.
"Ooh, that looks great." The large teen nodded in appreciation.
Specifically it was a bento of Shogayaki Beef, grilled tofu, rice and sautéed cabbage and scallions with a jammy egg—and for dessert, a Japanese strawberry shortcake.
"Yeah, nobody can go wrong with Japanese food." Joshua nodded in agreement. "Actually, it's rare to go wrong with any culture's food. Everyone just has good taste in something." He mused.
"What'd you come here for, anyways?" The mohawked teen questioned as he tried a piece of beef, and boy did he enjoy it.
"I want to offer you a position on my crew of Mutant privateers." The invisible teen replied.
"Wait, what? A pirate crew?" Fred blinked. Sure, he wasn't the brightest bulb in the lamp, but he knew what pirates were.
"Yeah. We're willing to let you join so long as you agree not to mess with Anne again." The captain replied.
"Fine, but I'm not gonna have to put up with the guy that sent me flying, am I?" The large teen questioned with a sigh.
"That's Anne's older brother. What did you think was gonna happen when you tried kidnapping Anne?" Joshua deadpanned.
"He's got a point." Lance chimed from the living room.
"Fine…" Fred sighed, right as Roxy came running in, now dressed in a pair of white shorts, a pink tank top, sneakers and a white jacket—her hair still wet.
"Guys! Anne, Duncan Matthews just tried to pressure her to have sex with him!" She told them.
"I'll kill him!" Joshua yelled angrily, standing up and storming out of the house.
"Save some for me!" Roxy called as she followed him.
"I'll give you two a ride!" Lance exclaimed as he followed them, and he always had the keys to his jeep on him.
(Timeskip)
It was a mess. Duncan was shortly arrested for attempted rape against Anne and he decided to plead guilty to avoid a court date, and was subsequently expelled as well. The whole ordeal had left a smear on Bayville's reputation that would take years to clean up.
As for Anne, she spent the whole weekend trying to mentally recover from it all. Thankfully, Joshua was able to help out a bit since he was someone she trusted greatly. Well, of course she trusted him, he was her boyfriend, after all.
In addition to all that, it spurred Anne to leave her old rep behind entirely and officially announce to the girls that she was dating Joshua. It was gonna take a while for everyone on campus to get the message, but it was out there at least.
Right now though, Joshua was busy reading one of his favorite magazines on Warframe when Anne entered his room—dressed only in a robe.
"Hm? Oh, hi Anne. Need something?" He asked, setting the magazine aside for now.
The girl was silent for a moment as she shivered and went into her shark girl form, her sky blue skin and white underbelly shimmered in the lamplight as she slothed off her robe, letting him see her body as her tail swished nervously.
"I want you to do something for me." The girl said as she walked towards him and got on top of him, nuzzling him like a kitten.
"Wh-What is i-it?" Joshua asked, blushing since he had his gorgeous sharky girlfriend nuzzling him like a kitten while she was naked.
"I want you to breed me." The Irish shark girl whispered.
"A-Are you sure? After what just happened, I don't want you to feel the need to force yourself to do that." The captain told her, worrying about her more than himself.
"I appreciate the concern, but I want this done before anything else happens." The Irish Bull Shark told him softly, her hands grabbing his shirt. "If I'm going to have sex with someone, to have a child with someone. I want it to be with a person I love." She told him, kissing him deeply. "I want it to be you." She added.
"... I'd ask if you're sure, but I can tell how serious you are about this." Joshua sighed, knowing full well that Anne was dead set on this, and if he was honest… Part of him felt the exact same way. "Come here, hon." He told her as he took his shirt off, and kissed her before the rest of his clothes went flying.
He lost his virginity that night, and he held no regrets.
(Timeskip)
A week later, Joshua, Calvin and Chelsea had gone with Ororo to visit her sister, Violet, and her family. The weather witch apparently had a nephew named Evan Daniels, who was on his school's basketball team that was showing signs of developing mutant powers.
"Remind me again why you dragged me here?" Chelsea questioned. "I mean, tweedle dee and tweedle dudley over here I get, cuz they're the pirates who can convince your nephew to join if our normal pitch fails." She admitted. "But how am I gonna help?" She questioned.
"Because I'm hoping you might be able to help convince Evan before it gets to that point." Ororo replied. "You two share similar attitudes, so perhaps you could give him a talk." She explained.
"Tweedle Dee?" Joshua questioned indignantly.
"Dudley? The fuck's your deal?" Calvin questioned.
"Oh shut up. It's not an insult." The dragoness retorted. "Anyway, last I checked, teenagers can be more stubborn than adults… in most cases." She added, glancing at the two privateers.
"Piss off!" The two retorted.
"I'm hoping we'll figure out something." Ororo sighed.
"… Say, how did that date with Bronson go?" The blonde asked.
"I don't know, how was your 'tussle' with Logan last week?" The weather witch retorted teasingly.
"Sh-Shut up!" The blonde retorted with a blush.
"Nice." Joshua snickered, giving a thumbs up to Ororo.
"Oh like you're one to talk!" Chelsea snapped.
"But if you must know, it was wonderful." The woman told her. "I'm honestly embarrassed that we hadn't tried to go on any dates earlier than that." She admitted.
"You like each other a lot. Don't you?" The dragoness questioned.
"We have been seeing a lot of each other for the past two years, so… Yes. I believe we do." Ororo admitted in reply.
"I guess you could say the same for me and Logan." Chelsea nodded. "May have only known each other for a few months but, I haven't felt this good with someone ever since Marcus when we were first together or Bronson." She admitted. "I won't lie, I was kinda jealous when I saw how he looked at you, but… I'm happy for you. Both of you." She amended,
"As I am for you and Logan. May your relationship be a lasting one." The woman smiled, right as a commotion with the game got their attention.
Apparently Evan was about to take the final shot. When he did, there was a rather tense moment when the ball rolled around in the hoops rim… Before it went in, which was when the crowd went wild.
"Okay, that was a good shot." Calvin commented.
"Yeah. He'll have one hell of a career ahead of him." Joshua nodded before he noticed a gash in the wood floor and some spikes in Evan's arm that receded quickly. 'Hm… That could be trouble.' He thought with a small frown.
Ororo's face conveyed that she had the same thought.
(Timeskip)
After the game had ended, Ororo and the others were now sitting on benches in the yard of The Daniel's house.
"I'm telling you man, I don't need training, I can handle myself." The teen growled as he deployed his spikes and retracted them to prove his point.
"I still think that this is something that we should talk about with your parents." Ororo told him.
"Like I didn't see that coming." Evan groaned.
"Ya know, you can be a serious ass most of the time." A voice said before Joshua became visible as he leaned against a tree that Evan struck earlier. "Not a good first impression." He added, right as laughing could be heard.
"Listen to this guy!" Calvin cackled as he dangled upside down from a branch of the same tree. "I can handle myself, man! Ha! Yeah right! And I'm the king of England!" He retorted, right before he dodged a spiked punch from Evan.
"Shut up! You don't wanna mess with me!" The boy warned.
"And I'd rather not cut ya lips off and feed 'em to ya!" The Italian-Irish teen retorted in his Irish accent he saved for when he visited his mom's family.
"That's enough, Cal." Joshua grunted as he kicked off the tree. "You say you can handle yourself, do you, Evan? You don't need any help, you say? Newsflash: Reality bitch slaps everyone who says that like a motherfucker after a while." He stated.
"Whatever, man." Evan scoffed, walking away.
"Charming nephew ya got there." Cal jeered. "Real little Angel, that one." He added.
"Knock it off, Calico." Josh told him.
"Thank you, Joshua." Ororo nodded.
"Want me to go talk to him?" Chelsea asked.
"No, I think we've done enough for tonight." The woman sighed.
"All I can say is I can't wait to whip that little punk into shape once he's under my command." Cal stated. "Kid needs to lose the attitude." He added.
"Pot, meet kettle." The blonde jeered.
"She's got you there, buddy." Joshua chuckled.
"Ah shaddup!" Calvin retorted.
(Later)
The next morning in the Daniels living room…
"Man, you just don't give up, do you Auntie O?" Evan groaned.
"Hey, smart ass." Chelsea chimed. "Did you ever stop thinking about yourself long enough to consider that maybe, just maybe, that your aunt is doing this because she loves you?" She questioned. "Cuz let me tell you, you could have had a lot worse in your situation. Take it from someone who's dad tried to marry her off to a guy who later ended up torturing her for years." She added.
"Wait, what?!" Violet gasped in shock.
"Long story, let's not get into it here." The blonde said. "My point is, I had to learn how to use my powers while being experimented on, tortured and forced to fight other mutants like me by a group of terrorists." She stated. "The offer your aunt is giving you, being able to train in a safe environment surrounded by friends and family? Kid, if I'd had that option a decade ago—I would have pounced at it!" She added.
"I'd listen to her, dude. She knows what she's talking about." Cal interjected.
"You expect me to drop everything I know for this—a school for freaks? Forget it! I'm not leaving and moving there!" The teen snapped, and Joshua was in front of him faster than he could react.
"You know, we didn't come here acting like that. You could stand to be a bit more polite instead of being insulting and disrespectful!" He hissed, glaring into his eyes.
"You guys teach him to be like that? Or is he just naturally an ass?" Chelsea questioned.
That remark earned her a slap to the face from an irate Ororo.
"Gah!" The woman gasped before glaring at the weather witch before sighing, rubbing her cheek. "Yeah… alright. I deserved that." She admitted.
"Dude, seriously, what the fuck?" Cal questioned. "Freaks? How'd you like it if we called you something worse?" He added.
"Forget this! I ain't wasting time with you idiots!" Evan scoffed as he stormed up to his room.
"Humility is gonna have fun with him." Joshua groaned in irritation.
"Well that went about as smooth as sandpaper." The calico eyed teen sighed.
"I'm sorry about my son's behavior." Mr. Daniels sighed.
"And Ororo, I know you were looking out for us, but you shouldn't have slapped Miss Marks." Violet said, looking at the two women. "You were absolutely right, we should have reigned in Evan's attitude better." She said.
"Well, I could've worded it better." The dragoness admitted.
Feeling something off, Joshua looked outside and saw Evan skateboarding away.
"Oh for the love of– Guys, Evan snuck out of his window!" He called to the others.
"Kid's slipperier that an eel dipped in oil!" Cal exclaimed as they ran outside to see the boy flee.
"Probably a bad time to say." Chelsea said as everyone looked at her. "But we really gotta work on our sales pitch." She stated.
"Ain't that the truth…" The captain sighed. "Come on. Let's go after him." He added as he headed for the car.
(Later)
Evan was at his school, trying to catch a thief that had been stealing his money for a while now. He was fed up with it, and was intent on stopping him tonight.
"You do realize that's never gonna work, right?" A voice said behind him, turning to see Joshua sitting atop the lockers. "If the thief knows you're waiting, he's gonna use your trap against you." He added, idly fiddling with his Hidden Blades.
"Oh yeah? How would you know?" Evan challenged.
"I've dealt with plenty of thieves back in Kenway Academy. I became known as the "thief buster" there, so yeah. I know my shit." Joshua rebuked.
"Sure. Hey, where's that weird friend of yours, the one with the crazy eyes?" The teen questioned.
"One, his name is Calvin. Two, don't ever call my best friend weird or crazy ever again. Three, he's busy." Joshua snapped. "And if you want weird, look in the mirror." He added.
"Whatever." Evan scoffed before a breeze suddenly started blowing through the corridor. "What the–?!" He gasped as he and Joshua shielded their faces while all the lockers flew open and the contents flew out.
"A speedster. Figured as much." Joshua hummed as the person in question revealed themselves to be Pietro Maximoff. Someone Joshua knew because of Wanda telling them about him.
"Pietro?!" Evan gasped, not expecting him.
"'Sup, Daniels?" The speedster smirked before noticing Joshua. "Who's the wannabe pirate?" He snarked.
"Get some new material, dipshit." Joshua deflected, rolling his eyes. That insult was overused to him. "I'll leave you boys to sort things out. Get some assistance." He added as he disappeared again—darting out the window to get the others before things got outta hand.
"Hmph. Smart move on his part. Now it's just you and me, Daniels." Pietro grinned.
"Trust me, man, you're gonna wish it wasn't!" The boy yelled as he lunged at the speedster.
(Elsewhere)
"If you ask me, I think that kid needs to spend a night in the slammer to see what his actions can really get him." Chelsea stated. "My brothers and I had that happen to us, we turned out okay." She added. "… Well, okay-ish." She amended.
"It might come to that. Evan is more boneheaded than most jocks." Joshua muttered.
"Which is saying something given what happened with Matthews last month." Cal nodded, which got a small glare from Joshua since he was still sensitive about that.
"I hope it doesn't deteriorate that far." Ororo sighed before noticing the police arriving. "But it seems that it will…" She groaned.
"Called it." Chelsea nodded.
"Let's not rub it in." Cal told her.
"Yeesh, now I know things are bad. You're being the sensible one." Joshua shuddered.
"Futititil." The boy retorted.
(Timeskip)
The next day, Evan was sitting in a jail cell after the incident at the school. It was here that Ororo came in with the others with Charles arriving to have a look at things.
"Evan, what happened?" Ororo questioned.
"See kid? This is what misusing your powers gets ya." Chelsea stated.
"In his defense, it wasn't entirely his fault." Joshua pointed out. "It was Pietro's, too." He added.
"So here's the deal." Cal chimed in. "The Prof can use his influence to get you outta this rat hole and you give the institute a shot." He stated.
"That doesn't sound like much of a choice to me." Chelsea pointed out.
"… Yeah, even I'm having a hard time not thinking that." Cal amended.
"At the end of the day, it's like I said: Reality reared its ugly hand." Joshua interjected to move things along.
"… Fine. Whatever." Evan grunted, realizing he had absolutely no other choice.
"I'll make the arrangements." The Professor nodded.
(Timeskip)
"Alright Evan, before we call it a night, I want you to give me your answer for if you'll join my crew." Joshua said. It'd been a day since Evan was released and moved to the Institute, and Joshua decided to extend the offer to join the Flying Dutchman after inviting him to his room.
"What crew?" Evan questioned.
"The Xavier's Privateers. We're essentially mutant anti HYDRA and anti terrorist privateers, or buccaneers, if you prefer." Calvin explained. "Josh is the captain of our vessel and I am his trusted quartermaster." He added.
"You seriously think I'm dumb enough to play along in some fantasy?" The teen deadpanned.
"Do we seem delusional to you?" The stealthy captain questioned with a straight face.
"Don't answer that." Cal stated. "Josh, I think it's time we show him the Dutchman." He added.
"Agreed." Joshua nodded. "Come on, Evan. We're heading down to the dock." He beckoned as he picked up the ship's bottle.
Evan glanced at it and knew for a fact that most bottled ships didn't have stormy effects in them.
(Later)
Down at the dock, Evan was standing in front of not just Joshua and Calvin, but also Anne and Kurt who wanted to see the look on Evan's face when the ship rose.
"Bombs away!" Josh called as he tossed the bottle into the sea… Causing the ship to rise up and eclipse the kids. "Behold: The Flying Dutchman!" He cackled.
"I– How–Wha–HUH?!" Evan stammered, his eyes threatening to pop out of his head in shock while Kurt and Anne laughed at his expression.
"Vhat did I tell you?! His face is priceless right now!" The blue teleporter laughed as he nudged the redhead slightly.
"I know!" The Irish girl wheezed as she held her midsection.
"So." Josh questioned. "How would you like to join our crew now?" He asked.
"Uh… What would I even do?" The spike using teen questioned after snapping out of his stupor.
"Well, I could see you being a harpoon specialist if you're into hunting." The captain replied.
"As well as someone who can help Kurt with the sails." Cal nodded.
"Alright. I can do that." Evan nodded as he used a spike to sign the ledger.
(Later)
Joshua yawned as he got ready for bed, putting the Dutchman where it belonged. But when he crawled into bed to go to sleep, Anne entered his room again in her robe—but something seemed… different.
The shark girl seemed like she was glowing in a radiant manner while both of her hands were on her stomach. This made the stealth expert wonder if this was what he thought it was.
"Hey Anne what's up…?" He asked as she walked towards him and opened her robe, allowing him to see that her stomach was ever so slightly swollen.
The girl smiled down at him as the boy put his ear to her stomach, allowing her to hug him.
"You're gonna be a daddy." She whispered.
"... A-A-A-Are you s-s-s-serious?!" Joshua stuttered when his brain processed what he was just told.
"Yep~." His lover purred, discarding her robe and got into bed with him. "I think that contract with Fury is gonna help us become financially stable oh so quickly." She added as she snuggled into him.
"And I can already tell, you're going to be even more beautiful than ever while you're pregnant." He smiled as he held her close.
Then the couple fell asleep together, dreaming of the future.
(Timeskip)
It was the following morning and everyone was having breakfast together, with the exception of Evan, who was still sleeping, and Anne—who was curiously in her bathroom, with a case of morning nausea.
Joshua was with her, rubbing her back and had a pretty good idea of what the cause of his sharky lover's nausea was.
"Well, I can't say we didn't see this coming…" He muttered.
"But it's what I wanted, so I'm not going to complain." She told him as she cleaned her mouth out.
"Nor am I." He smiled, kissing her.
(Elsewhere)
Down in the dining room during said breakfast, the topics of conversation were as follows: Ororo's date with Bronson that previous Friday, Evan's current absence, Chelsea and Logan hooking up, Bast's decision to request she be implanted with SIVA nanotechnology like Johan (as well as the two seemingly starting to go out together), and lastly Anne's apparent morning sickness and the cause of therein.
Going in chronological order…
"Hey, Ororo, what movie did you and Bronson end up seeing?" Kitty asked.
"Yeah, you never told us how that went." Wanda nodded.
"Well it went wonderfully." The weather witch nodded. "As for what movie we decided to see, Bronson had actually gotten tickets to see that new film, Twister." She replied.
"Heh, well, Bronson always did know what movie to pick that seemed topical for any given day." Chelsea chuckled, recalling how similar Pulp Fiction was when it first came out because EOD tech actually had her diner's "big kahuna" burger that day for lunch.
"Glad you two are finally together. You deserve each other." Jean smiled.
"Hey, like, where's the new guy?" Kitty wondered, not seeing the teen at the table.
"Still resting. He had a difficult evening." Xavier explained.
"I think he may know who trashed those lockers. But he isn't telling us." Scott stated. "Have you asked him? Or Josh? He was there too." He asked.
"Yes, and I'm not going to pry." Xavier replied. "As for Joshua, he did admit he was there but wouldn't say anything. He said it quote: "Wasn't his story to tell"." He added.
"Real helpful." Logan grunted as he ate some sausage. "Ninja may have the right idea though. Think porcupine might be itching to settle that score himself." He pointed out. "Pass the sausages, red." He requested Jean, who did so telekinetically.
"Urg, that stuff, like seriously clogs your arteries." Kitty shuddered.
"Not when your healing factor revves up your metabolism." Chelsea pointed out as Logan got some links. "Pass those over here when you're done, will ya, Wolvie?" The woman asked her feral lover with a smile.
"I got you." The man nodded with a smirk as he got his share and passed the plate over.
"I suspect you're right, Logan." Xavier nodded.
"I may not be able to read minds, but I know what a man can do when he's been wronged." The man nodded.
"Then let's hope that having things to distract him will make these feelings be short-lived." The telepath nodded.
"Well, I'm just waiting on Johan to get back to me about that nanotech implant request I made." Bast shrugged.
"I'm impressed you're brave enough to ask for that." Logan remarked. "From what I heard from Cyborg, it wasn't easy to put up with at first." He added.
"The earlier iterations of that kind of nanotechnology enhanced soldiers, called Cloudstriders by SHIELD, did indeed have to go through a very painful procedure and typically only lived a maximum of ten years after that, you're right." The cat woman nodded. "But since then, the risks have been mitigated significantly." She amended.
"That's great and all, but what are you planning on doing when you have it?" Scott wondered.
"Test out its applications in medical procedures and medicine." Bast replied.
"Well, I do hope that your endeavor is a successful one." Xavier nodded.
"So, Chels, Logan." Romano chimed in with a chuckle as he ate his eggs. "Katerina and I saw you guys tumble into the garage after the three clawed terror over there went in for the slap to end all slaps." He chortled.
"You're dancing on thin ice, Rom. I'd choose my next words very carefully." The dragoness stated with a warning tone in her voice, pointing her fork at him—a sausage still on it.
Romano just smirked and decided to eat the sausage on her fork, causing her to let out a shocked gasp while some of the younger people at the table laughed at her expense.
"So, does this stuff taste good, or do you prefer the one Logan makes for ya?" He questioned with a cheeky grin whilst chewing on the link he just stole.
"Oh, you are askin' for it!" Chelsea growled, rolling up a sleeve.
"Chels, sit down, it's not worth it." Logan sighed, before he leveled a glare at Romano. "What we do in private is our business, lightbulb. Not your gossip material." He stated… before he too smirked. "But yeah, I'd say she likes mine better." He added with a chuckle.
This caused every teenager at the table to burst out laughing or trying to hold in laughter, while Marcus let out a growl and left the table without a word.
'What's his deal?' Calvin wondered as he watched the druggie storm off in between fits of laughter.
"Something the matter, sponge?" Logan questioned.
The boy shook his head through his laughing.
"Nah, we're good!" He choked.
"... Hey, where are Joshua and Anne?" Chelsea blinked—her face now flushed—as the laughter died down, noticing the two weren't at the table—while also grateful for the excuse to change the subject.
"Yeah, where are ninja and Maneater? Haven't seen 'em all mornin'." Logan nodded.
"Oh, Anne had nausea." Gideon explained.
"So Josh was helping her feel better." Gabe nodded.
"Wonder what's got her sick?" Nik muttered.
"Yeah, sure hope it's nothing serious." Cal nodded.
"There they are." Rogue said as the very topic of conversation got to the table.
"What kept you two?" The dragoness questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, I'm sure someone already told you, so no need for a repeat." Joshua replied as he and Anne sat next to each other.
However, as everyone went back to eating breakfast, those with enhanced senses soon picked up on something… different about the Irish shark girl in question.
Logan, Chelsea and Bast caught a scent coming from Anne that they all knew well after plenty of encounters with it. They decided to keep quiet for now and not cause a scene at the table.
(Later)
After breakfast, Chelsea and Bast cornered Anne while Logan cornered Joshua before they could leave for school.
"Anne, before you ask, we can literally smell something different about you." The cat woman told the shark girl before she could say anything. "So please, just come clean." She added.
"… Fine." The girl sighed haughtily, flipping her hair. "I'm pregnant, okay? With Joshua's baby." She deadpanned in agitation, her eyes narrowed in a display of her not really appreciating the interrogation.
Chelsea was about to make a comment about maybe she should consider not keeping the kid—but immediately bit her tongue when she heard and saw the girl's demeanor. Any comment like that would have just pissed her off.
"Did you want it?" Bast pressed, wanting to make sure she wasn't missing anything.
"I was the one to literally ask for it, so yeah. I did." The redhead replied. "And before you say anything about financial stability, the crew is gonna be full soon, and we'll be hitting HYDRA, stealing their funding and resources. We'll be ready by the time I give birth." She continued.
"Okay, but why? After what happened with Matthews, I figured sex and kids would be the last thing on your mind." The blonde pointed out.
"I'm a shark who became human, Chels. My instincts told me to find a mate, I found one—Joshua, the man I love. And that made me immediately want him to breed me—especially after what Duncan did." The girl spat.
"... I keep forgetting you were a shark before…" Chelsea muttered. It was a little embarrassing how such a simple detail kept slipping her mind. "Sorry. I guess I'm just letting my biases from being transferred to HYDRA's breeding program color my judgment." She admitted.
"How far along are you?" Bast questioned.
"A few weeks, at most." The girl replied.
"Well, today after school, I'd like to do a checkup to make sure you're alright if that's fine by you." Bast told the Irish lass.
"Sure." Anne nodded.
(Elsewhere)
With Logan and Joshua…
"Okay, Ninja, spill it." Logan practically ordered.
"Spill what?" The boy questioned, arms folded.
"I smelled pregnancy hormones coming off of Maneater, and you're the only one I could see being the reason given how you hooked up with her." The scraggly man stated. "So what's the deal?" He questioned.
"… Promise you won't tell anyone?" The captain of the Dutchman questioned.
"What? You being so secretive that even Sponge doesn't know?" The scraggly man questioned.
"Anne told me to knock her up." Joshua said, getting to the point. "Or to be more accurate, she told me to 'breed her'." He amended.
"And you just went with it?" The centuries old man demanded.
"You're forgetting she was a shark first and a human second. Our rules don't fully apply to her." The stealth specialist retorted. "She was following her instincts, and frankly, after what happened, I had half a mind to make her my wife." He added seriously.
"Ah fuck, forgot that first part…" Logan hissed as he snapped his fingers. "I'd ask if you were sure she wanted it, but I know Maneater enough to know the answer immediately." He sighed.
"We both do. And that's a fact." Joshua nodded.
"Well I hope you're willing to kill to protect her, because if some insidious people find out about her, then you might have your hand forced." The man told his captain.
"Then I'll take their souls…!" Joshua snarled protectively.
Logan was pleased by the teen's protective instinct, to say the least.
(Timeskip)
Later on during the day, Mystique was in her office with Magneto, going over some mutant candidates that the man had in mind.
"We need a way to set up Pietro to fight mister Daniels." The woman said as she leaned on her desk.
"I have a possible idea as for how that could work." Magneto told her. "Also…" He then brought up images of three other figures.
"Are these new recruits?" The shapeshifter blinked.
"Finds, actually." Magneto replied. "Shaun Lynch, John Doe, and their slightly mentally unstable companion—Marito Kuse." He explained. "They were created by HYDRA to hunt us mutants. But John sprung them and I found them." He continued. "Shaun did not accept our offer, but John and Kuse did." He added.
"Why did Shaun not accept entry to the Brotherhood?" Mystique questioned with a frown.
"I suspect that he saw us as no better than the people who created him. I don't agree, but I can understand the sentiment." The master of magnetism mused.
"So he wishes to bask in his freedom. Understandable." The blue skinned woman hummed.
"Agreed." Her boss nodded. "I also heard about the… Incident, with that idiotic jock. Miss Bonney may be our enemy, but I will kill anyone who tries that!" The man hissed angrily.
He wasn't bluffing. Anne might have been against him, but there were things he'd never wish on his enemies. If he found any enemy in such a position, he'd help them without a second thought, a sentiment that Mystique shared as well.
The shapeshifter had actually once heard Joshua muttering in the hallway about missing out on killing Duncan and hiding his body, and if she was honest, she would've helped.
"Yes. What a mess…" The woman sighed.
(Elsewhere)
Back at the Institute, Evan was doing a training run with Logan, Scott, Jean, Wanda, Cal, Chelsea and Anne pitching in while the others were watching him perform.
"He definitely knows how to skateboard." Gideon noted. "Hey, didn't Josh say that a kid at his old school was also a speedster?" He asked Rogue.
"Yeah. Why?" The southern belle asked in reply.
"I smell a challenge…" The purple eyed speedster smirked.
"Alright Evan, try and dodge this!" Cal called, taking out a claw hammer. "Hey Chels! Cook me!" He ordered.
"On it!" The dragoness nodded, knowing Calvin could take the heat as she breathed a stream of fire at him.
The end result was him taking an appearance not unlike a fire god, his hammer burning as well.
"Uh oh!" Evan gulped upon spotting the Mafia teen's empowered state.
"Hammer time!" The boy exclaimed as he started hurling hammers at him, causing explosions on impact, before the fire went out. "Anne! Shock me!" He barked.
"Roger that!" The shark girl nodded before she manifested her bio-electric armor and fired a beam of lightning at the quartermaster.
Upon absorbing this energy, the teen went into a state not unlike a Stormcaller Warlock from Destiny before he started zapping Evan to try and hit him like a Sith Lord.
"HAHAHAHA! I love democracy!" The calico eyed teen laughed as he kept zapping—and failing that—started gathering it all in one hand.
"KA-ME-HA-ME-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He yelled as he fired a massive concentrated beam at the spiked teen.
"OH CRAP!" Evan yelled in panic as he tried to make it over a ramp… He didn't make it, and ended up being sent flying by the blast.
"AHHAHAHAHAHAHA, WIPE OUT!" Cal and Anne cackled, causing Chelsea to just barely hold in her own laughter and Gideon to fall on the ground howling in laughter.
"Holy fuck, that was amazing!" The speedster wheezed, tears of amusement escaping his eyes.
"Hey, not too shabby, porcupine." Logan smiled, holding out a hand for the embarrassed boy to take.
"I could've done without the exploding hammers and lightning strikes." Evan coughed awkwardly.
"Ah stop being a spoilsport!" Chelsea heckled.
It was at that point Kitty walked into the control center and used the speakers.
"Hey Evan, like, apparently there's a basketball game at school tonight." The valleygirl told him.
"Wait, what? There wasn't one on the schedule before." The boy blinked in confusion.
"Yeah, apparently Principal Darkholme, like, put it together last minute. Against your old school." Kitty replied.
"Okay, that reeks of a setup…" Calvin muttered, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
"Yeah…" Anne nodded, right before her stomach growled. "… I'm craving sushi, sashimi, dumplings, lo mein, orange chicken, General Tso, fried rice from Panda Express and ice cream." She muttered.
"Oh jeez…" The calico teen groaned in exasperation.
"First Tuna salad on a pretzel bun with nacho cheese and pickles, now this?" Gabriel noted with a raised eyebrow. "What on earth is giving you these weird cravings?" He questioned as everyone left the danger room.
"I'm wondering that myself…" Gideon muttered in agreement.
(Later)
"Hold up, the kid from your school is Pietro Maximoff?" Wanda questioned as the others saw the boy step off the bus.
"Yeah, you know him?" Evan asked.
"Yeah. He's my brother." The girl responded.
"... Oh." Was all the African teen could say to that.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear…
"Miss me, Daniels?" The silver haired runner snarked as he appeared in front of Evan.
"Pietro…" Wanda growled with a menacing tone, causing the boy to whirl around and see his sister standing behind him.
"W-W-Wanda?!" He yelped in fear.
"Heard you've been busy." The girl hissed as the others soon came up, noticing that a fight could very well break out between the two rivals and volatile siblings.
"I-I thought you were still in rehab! I never knew you were let out!" Pietro stammered, looking ready to bolt.
"She got let out because I know how to keep her calm." Nik said as he walked up next to Wanda and wrapped an arm around her shoulders—stimulating the pressure point on her shoulder to keep her from doing anything.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say he's the one who trashed the lockers." Scott stated, getting a nod Josh.
"Got it in one." He nodded.
"Yeah, so what if I was? It's not like you can prove it." Pietro shot back, feeling a bit confident when he saw Wanda docile for now.
"Is that a challenge?" Gideon smirked.
"Stay outta this Gid, this is my fight!" Evan snapped.
"Oh get over yourself!" Cal groaned.
"You can't do everything solo, Evan." The Irish speedster told the spiked teen with a frown.
"See ya, nerds!" The silver haired teen called as he zoomed away.
"Oh it's on!" Gideon exclaimed as he took off as well. "I feel the need! The need—for speed!" He cackled.
"Oh for the love of–!" Scott groaned even as Evan started skateboarding after them. "Jean, call the others. We need to catch up with them." He told the redhead.
"Right!" The girl nodded.
(Elsewhere)
"Oof!" Pietro gasped as Gideon slammed himself into his side, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Hey there, Quicksilver." The boy grinned as he hopped from heel to heel in a rocking motion to keep himself moving. "Name's Gauss. I'm the fastest teen alive." He added.
"No way! I'm the fastest teen alive!" Pietro retorted.
"Pretty sure I just stole that from ya!" Gideon laughed. "Oh what, are you gonna cry?!" He laughed once more.
Pietro growled as he attempted to rush Gideon, who zipped to the side and tripped the Maximoff twin, causing him to tumble at high speed and crash into a wall Tom and Jerry style.
Groaning, Quicksilver pried himself out of the wall and glared at the laughing Gauss.
"Oh, it's on!" He yelled, charging at him, only for his target to start running. Then it turned into a speed contest that Evan just couldn't keep up with.
"Great, now he's outta range." Evan cursed.
"Just give it a minute. Gid'll lead them back." Gabe said as everyone got ready. "And when he does—we'll nail Pietro dead to rights." He added.
"Yeah. This won't go on forever." Joshua nodded as everyone got into position.
(Elsewhere)
With Gideon and Pietro, the two speedsters were running through the town, trying to either outrun or incapacitate the other.
The Irish speedster, however, seemed to be even faster and was able to set up some obstacles that caused Pietro to stagger upon hitting them before he caught himself.
"That the best you can do?! I could run this course in my sleep!" Gideon heckled as he bolted forward even quicker than before, moved a shopping cart into Pietro's path, and then took off running again.
This caused Quicksilver to crash into the cart and get stuck ass first in the basket while Gauss was laughing at him after doubling back.
Then the violet eyed speedster dashed off again.
"I'll get you!" Pietro yelled persistently as he got out of the cart and took off after him.
(Elsewhere)
Seconds later, two blurs started rushing in the direction of the rest of the group.
"Here they come!" Anne exclaimed.
"Dragoness, get ready!" Scott called.
"On it!" The blonde nodded as she assumed her dragon from and laid her tail across the street swinging it back as Gideon zoomed past her.
"Wait for it…" The shaded teen called right as Pietro got within striking range. "Now!" He ordered.
First, Anne used her Electro armor to statically charge the ground, making him slow down—followed by Wanda hexing the ground so that it was like running on a slippery surface, keeping him in one place.
This allowed Chelsea to swing her powerful and massive tail so hard that it sent him crashing into a wall looney tunes style—and allowing Evan to pin him with spikes.
"What the–?! I can't move!" The Maximoff speedster exclaimed as he futilely tried to get free.
"Not so speedy now, eh Quicksilver?" Evan jeered as Gideon gave him a fist bump.
"And the thankless eyes will be seared blind in the heat of his passing." Josh grinned as he high fived Gideon. "Nice work, Gauss." He nodded.
"He was barely a challenge." Gauss chuckled.
"Now this is satisfying!" Wanda laughed, clearly enjoying herself.
"Yeah, well ya still can't prove I trashed those lockers!" The boy snapped at them.
"Ooh, sounds like a challenge." Evan mocked as he pulled out a tape recorder and played it, which revealed Pietro's confession.
"Haha! Nice!" Calvin laughed in approval.
"Clever boy." Chelsea chuckled with an approving nod.
"Alright, leave the tape with him and let's get out of here before the cops show up." Joshua told Evan, who left the recorder at the slower speedster's feet before the others walked off.
Five minutes later, the police found Pietro pinned and arrested him after hearing the recorder's contents.
(Timeskip)
After the debacle with Pietro, everyone was back at the Institute at night, and everyone was asleep.
Joshua was peacefully asleep whilst he hugged the soft body of his beloved girlfriend close to him under the covers, snuggling into her like she was a stuffed animal… and she in turn was cuddling a Maneater plushie.
However, she was not having any good dreams presently.
Despite how she may hide it as a lot of people do, Anne was actually prone to having PTSD nightmares, similar to Chelsea and the others.
This particular one was a mix of different 'worst' moments in her life.
The first scene saw her still as a baby shark as a blinding light hit her upon her mother's womb being cut open as a hand grabbed her and yanked her out of her mother's body by her tail—leaving her crying and gasping for breath out of water.
"Oooh looky here! She's en famile! Helloooo! How you mama and them?" Scaly Pete chuckled before the worst pain she'd ever felt in not even her first minute of existence sliced through her infant flesh.
She didn't hear anything else because she immediately bit off the bastard's hand and fled into the depths of Fawtick Bayou.
The scene then changed to the explosion of the Cajun Queen, her face seared with gasoline burns as she hit the water again—completely and utterly alone.
The explosion of Pete's boat—that revenge was sweet, but the satisfaction was short lived. Away from Port Clovis, she was alone. So very, very alone. It was like she didn't matter.
She was nothing.
Then it changed to what Duncan nearly did to her. He had her cornered, but unlike what really happened, she couldn't fight back and nobody came to rescue her.
Alone, isolated, unwanted, unloved, treated like a slab of meat, like nothing… no, she was nothing. She killed people. Killers are worse than nothing, they're scum. They deserved to be treated as such.
It caused her to whimper in her sleep and tremble in fear, begging for it all to stop before she bolted awake and saw she was in Joshua's room.
"Anne?" Joshua asked as he put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and see his concerned look.
This caused him to notice that she was practically having a panic attack, and an anxiety attack was on the verge of following it.
The redhead immediately threw herself onto her boyfriend and started crying into his shoulder, causing him to instinctively hold her close and rub her back while she let all of the pain out.
"Sssshhhhhh… It's okay, Anne…It's alright, Annabeth. I'm here…" He whispered into her ear to help ease her nerves.
"I'm always so alone… I'm a monster. I deserve to be alone. I'm worthless—nothing!" She sobbed.
"No!" The boy hissed, holding her tightly. "No. Anne, listen to me." He told her, making her look at him. "You are not worthless. You're not a monster. You are not nothing." He continued firmly. "Annabeth Bonney, you are not nothing—you are everything to me. Don't ever think otherwise." He added.
"B-But–" The distressed redhead tried to say before Joshua put a finger on her lips.
"No 'buts' Anne… Even if you have a great one." He told her, deciding to try and use joking flattery to lift her spirits.
Judging by how her face turned red, he succeeded a bit.
"I love you." She smiled softly as she kissed him before they fell back onto their bed together.
(Elsewhere)
Chelsea was having her own PTSD nightmare of her own as well. This was the time she got that acid tattoo she hated that Calvin removed.
(Nightmare start)
The scene was in a HYDRA lab, she was laid on a table, face down—the cold metal sending freezing sparks up her mostly bare front while the cold ambient temperature made goosebumps form on her bare back.
She was barely covered, only a slim tube of cloth around her EE-cup breasts and spandex shorts that hugged her curvaceous ass. Blinding white lights hovered over her, pulsing a headache with their bleach tone.
Cold. That's all she felt all over. The thermostat never went past sixty degrees in that god damn dungeon.
"That was quite a stunt you pulled in the exercise today, my dear." And then there was the man she hated.
The wretched surroundings had nothing in comparison to the monster that hovered above her, his gray eyes like oily coins, glistened with enjoyment as he tapped a syringe, as she tried to strain her neck to see.
"But we have talked about this: no attacking the staff." He scolded, but she didn't care.
She let out a growl, baring her teeth as he grabbed her hair by the roots, forcing her head down.
"Then again, you never do as you're told." His frigid hands traced down her cheek to the woman's neck, grasping it in a choking grip as he pulled close to her face. The hot breath hit her with the scent of awful bodily smells mixed with wine. "When will we ever break you?" He sighed.
She grunted as the needle was plunged into her neck. A bleak sensation started to run through her body as the substance was transported through her blood.
"At least with these tests we have you controlled." He fiddled with a brace that hung above the table. Rows and rows of tiny needles lined it, like a torturous acupuncture contraption. "So let's try less restraint this time. After all, the more you struggle… the more pain you'll endure." He finished in a dark tone.
The brace was forced over her body, the slivers of metal plunged into what felt like every centimeter of her bare skin.
The two injections started to mix together in her veins, the pain unbearable. She couldn't contain the screams of agony as what felt like acid raged under her skin.
Then it got even worse as the ones on her lower back started moving—she recognized those movements—tattoo etching!
In a vertical central row down the small of her back right above her ass—black acid mixed ink etched the images of a bar code, the HYDRA logo and the numbers 12222346789000123783240177 onto the patch of flesh, the acid keeping her healing factor from making it disappear.
As the needles removed themselves, Chelsea was sobbing and bawling in absolute agony and disgust at what had just occurred, tears staining her face as Rowner flipped her over—unable to move due to her body being in too much pain.
"Consider this our wedding ring, Chelsea my dear." The scientist purred to her as her caressed her sandy locks. "Your father promised me to you when you were sixteen, did you know that?" He told her, cupping her cheek as she kept sobbing. "Then he rescinded his offer when he learned of my work, the sentimental, moral fool… Oh well." He shrugged as he leaned down so that they were face to face. "Better late than never, I suppose." He sighed.
Then he kissed her, the Dragoness offering little resistance due to the meds and the pain as he forced his tongue into her mouth, moaning as her lip quivered—turning him on all the more.
(Nightmare end)
Chelsea shot upright, panting heavily as sweat poured down her forehead.
"I swear to fuck, I am gonna find you, Rowner, and when I do, you better hope it's not at sea! I will feed you to the motherfucking Kraken!" She growled, wanting to see the bastard die.
She figured that if the Flying Dutchman was real, there was a high chance that the Kraken was a thing, too.
"Huh…?" Logan groaned as he sat up groggily. "Scales? Chels, what's wrong?" He questioned, smelling her fear pheromones and immediately being alerted to her distress.
This succeeded in making the blonde snap out of her panic and realize that she wasn't in a HYDRA lab, she wasn't in a Nevada Motel or Bronson's old house, not in Fisk tower, she wasn't in Fisk's office or one of his hotels, clubs or what have you, and she wasn't even in her old home or an alley hudding in a cardboard box for some semblance of shelter.
She was here, at the institute. Her safe haven, her home. With her family, biological and found, and she was in bed with the man who she'd just recently been in the middle of falling in love with—and he was right there with her, right when she needed him.
"... A fucking nightmare happened." The blonde sighed. "It was… it was of when Rowner etched those motherfucking tattoos into my back." She hissed, her breath unbelievably shaky, almost as if it were to match her currently fragile psyche.
"That stupid thing is gone now, Chels. You don't need to think about it anymore." Her boyfriend told her. "But I guess shaking off years of trauma sounds better on paper." He sighed.
"The process wasn't the real trauma. That stuff I was used to somewhat." She told him, her stomach almost causing her to puke. "It was when… the motherfucking bastard kissed me while I couldn't move." She muttered.
"I'll kill him…!" Logan growled angrily.
"If we find him at sea, we feed him to the Kraken." Chelsea told him. "But… there's something about that memory that always sticks." She muttered, hugging herself as Logan embraced her.
"What is it?" He asked.
"I told you my dad was basically a borderline sociopath, right?" The dragoness asked.
"Yeah. What about him?" The scraggly man asked.
"He had the audacity to promise me to Rowner as a wife when I was a legal adult!" The woman hissed. "Like I was a fucking item and we were in ancient times!" She added.
"But…?" The man asked, feeling like there was more to it.
"He backed out right before I ran away, apparently he found out what Rowner was really like and… didn't want me to be stuck with him." She said, trailing off as she let that recollection settle in.
"What are you gonna do if you find yourself in front of your old man or mom again?" Logan questioned.
"Logan, babe? I have absolutely no fucking idea." The blonde sighed as she and Logan laid back down, resting her head on his chest.
"Well, how about I help you fall back to sleep?" He offered, holding her close.
"Thank you." Chelsea smiled as she kissed him goodnight before she snuggled into him and went back to sleep, listening to his breathing and heartbeat while he listened to her breathing.
(Timeskip)
The next day, it was thankfully a weekend and everyone decided to have fun in the pool to blow off some stress.
"It seems that you've been cleared of all charges, Evan. Congratulations." Xavier smiled as he relaxed in his wheelchair.
"Thanks professor, it feels good to have that off my record." Evan nodded.
"Your nephew's a pretty good kid." Bronson smiled, hugging Ororo's waist, the weather with being dressed in a pink zebra print bikini and cover skirt. Bronson himself was wearing some black and green military camo style swim trunks—specifically in the Lord's Flannel.
"That's good to hear." Ororo smiled as she stroked his cheek. "Because you'll likely be calling him family." She added as she kissed him.
Meanwhile, Johan and Bast were laying on a towel together. The soldier was wearing black swim trunks with green highlights while Bast was wearing a forest green one piece swimsuit with white cat paw prints on it.
"Sounds like the kids had a chaotic time dealing with Pietro." The soldier noted, knowing exactly who Pietro was. When you're in his line of work, it pays to know who's who.
"Yeah. From what I heard, Gideon was the one who got him to make mistakes." The woman nodded as she watched Gideon splash Gabe with water, who sucked up more in his stomach and spewed it out, sending his brother back with a wave.
"Smart move." Johan nodded. Then he glanced at his nephew, who was lounging off to the side with Anne.
Joshua was wearing some black and red swim trunks while Anne was wearing a red sling bikini that showed her body off for him.
"Does Anne seem… plumper than usual?" He asked, looking from the girl to Cal and Rogue, the former of the two actually cuddling with his girlfriend in the pool, kissing her from her cheek to her neck… before he grabbed her around her stomach, and did a German Suplex on her.
"Incoming!" The boy called as the water splashed.
"You're right about that… Joshua got her pregnant." Bast told him while ignoring Calvin's (amusing) antics.
"... Excuse me, what?" The SHIELD agent uttered with a raised eyebrow after taking a moment to process that—all the while Wanda was Hexing the water to start a literal water gun war (actual guns made of water) with everyone.
"At her request." The Gazan mutant amended.
"Why would she–... Nevermind. I think I have an idea of why." Johan started to ask before he cut himself off. He had an inkling of an idea that Anne still had her shark instincts working for her, which spurred her to get with his nephew.
"Well, it certainly made me a little bit jealous, truth be told." Bast admitted as Nikolai tackled Wanda into the water, causing the water constructs to return to the pool.
"Why?" The soldier blinked, wondering what was going through her head.
"They're having kids while we can't because of work and medical school." She stated, watching Anne lay on Joshua.
"Don't worry, Fatima." Johan smiled, taking her hand. "You'll get your turn." He assured her as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Meanwhile, Katerina was in the pool while Romano wasn't on account of him not really knowing how to swim very well.
"So, what's up with you?" He asked.
"Well I rather recently found out that my nephew got his girlfriend pregnant and is currently keeping it a secret from me." The woman said as she watched the couple in question snuggling while Johan did the same with a purring Bast.
"He's not doing a very good job keeping it a secret, then." The lightbender whispered with a snicker.
"The only reason I know is because my powers give me telepathic capabilities." The woman stated. "Hope you're not planning on knocking me up just because I asked for it whilst drunk last night." She added with a self deprecating chuckle.
"Of course not." Romano told her, taking her hand. "If we do that, I'd prefer us to be stone cold sober." He added.
"That's what I like to hear." The SHIELD woman purred, kissing him on the cheek, right before she pulled him into the water. "Come here!" She smiled as she got him in the pool and kissed him again.
Lastly, Chelsea was currently sunbathing while Logan was manning the grill for their outdoor barbecue while Marcus… was actually taking a peaceful nap under the shade while Pele and Kai were trying to balance things on him.
The twins had the funniest ideas at times.
Logan was dressed in yellow trunks with a blue stripe on them, the twins were in red and blue one pieces, Marcus was in a pair of silver trunks and Chelsea…
She was dressed in what could only be described as an American flag sling bikini that only covered her bountiful bosom with two squares of red and white striped fabric connected by string—with said cloth only really covering her nipples, and sling thong that was star spangled blue and barely covered her womanhood, thus showing off everything else.
A truly immodest form of dress… but then again, she was sunbathing.
"Hey, Lo?" The blonde called, looking over her shoulder from the reflector she was holding, sunglasses protecting her eyes.
"Yeah, Chels?" The man responded, pausing his cooking of hotdogs and burgers (some being lamb for Bast—Halal reasons).
"Mind getting me a drink? I could go for a pina colada." The dragoness requested.
"Gimme a sec to deal with the meat here, then I'll handle it." Logan nodded as he made sure all the meat on the grill wouldn't burn while his back was turned. Then he went into a cooler and took a pitcher of pre-made pina coladas and poured it into a chilled Hurricane glass before handing it to her with a straw. "Here you go." He told her.
"Thanks." The woman smiled as she sipped her drink before she kissed him as a thank you… and slid her elongated and dragonlike forked tongue into his mouth.
"Mmmm, god I love you." The two sighed in unison as they separated, right as Evan jumped into the pool—and sent water everywhere as he accidentally spyke popped Kitty's float.
"Not cool, Evan!" The valley girl exclaimed indignantly.
"Whoops! My bad!" The boy chuckled nervously.
"Kids." The couple sighed before looking at each other and smiling at each other again.
"… It would seem that your nephew will fit right in." Xavier noted to Ororo as he looked around at happy kids and couples, glad to see how his institute seemed to be so full of happiness and love.
"I agree. Joshua also extended an offer to join the Dutchman, so that should help keep his adventurous side somewhat satiated." The woman nodded. "But I have to wonder, is that a good thing?" She wondered aloud.
In short, yes, Ororo. It is a good thing.
ThermalsniperN7: Well, this certainly took a few days to get done, but it's happened.
Dragon Emperor0: It only took two days. We started on Monday, and ended on Tuesday… And have written a chapter that is officially 13,000 words long. Goddamn, we have really outdone ourselves this week. Anyway, this chapter marks the end of the gathering of the Crew proper, so starting next chapter—the gang will officially start their privateering contracts under SHIELD. Additionally, we ended up solidifying some current couples, confirming some others, foreshadowing a couple—and set up more than a few future chapters worth of plot points and lines—which will include the Dragon X gang and Anne dealing with and getting counseling for their PTSD, which you will see more of. So… expect content warnings going forward.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah… And Duncan fucked himself over. I've read a few stories of teens being the horniest creatures on Earth, which can lead to problems like what happened in this chapter. Also, we apologize if this inadvertently made anyone remember any past trauma, but the two of us wouldn't have been surprised if jocks were stupid enough to try anything like what Duncan did with a girl like Anne, especially when said girl was trying to ditch her old rep.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah. Also, the plot point about Chelsea's dad? Yeah, expect that to come up soon when she tells her brothers that she and Logan have started dating… And if you guys have any ideas on which marvelous Marvel lady the Marks boys should end up with. Let us know, we're all ears. And please guys, for the love of god, leave some reviews, will ya? We're EIGHT chapters in and we have not heard so much as a peep of feedback—especially from people who previously read Dragon X or our other XME stories—we can't improve this story and others without feedback. So please. Enough with the silent treatment already. We really don't want to beg.
ThermalsniperN7: Come on, guys. Do you want improvements or not? No feedback, no improvement, and you'll keep getting what you've been getting. Unless that's what you want, and if that's the case, SAY SO! Praise is just as helpful as critique.
Dragon Emperor0: Yeah. Anyway guys. See you next chapter.
