[X-men fic]Amendsverse Asking for Help
Dec. 16th, 2011 09:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raze_flynDisclaimer: Everything belongs to Marvel just borrowing it for my own and hopefully the amusement of other fans.
This is a fic in my Amends verse of interconnected fics.
Contains: Highlight to read:Sam/Nate, homophobia both verbal and violent, attempted extortion and OC’s
Asking for Help
He was staring at the photo of his son as he waited for the mutant he’d asked to meet with to arrive. When he’d called the Guthrie house to check on the mutant on probation he’d ended up speaking to his visiting big brother the famous X-man who went from dating world famous female rockstars to being a faggot as if being a mutant wasn’t bad enough. The Guthrie family was a huge disgrace to the entire area and now he needed their help and thanks to the younger mutant’s screw up he knew they’d give it to him.
He figured the older mutant would be the most reasonable because he’d heard stories of the mother’s tendency toward pulling a shot gun on folks who threatened her family. He looked over at the picture of his son and vowed that he would do whatever it took to save his life. The man entered and he was reminded of the boy’s father though his features weren’t as stern. He’d never liked Thomas Guthrie but now he needed his son’s help. “You wanted to see me Mr. Dixon,” the young man said and he noticed he was awfully polite for a mutant.
“Your brother got into some trouble recently,” He said wondering how he should do this. “If I want I can use it to send him off to juvie where he belongs.” He saw the mutants eyes narrow. “Fortunately for your brother I need your help?”
“Your stupid enough to try to black mail me,” the mutant said standing up. “You don’t have any idea who you are dealing with do you,” He said darkly and started to head to the door. “You will be hearing from our lawyer.”
“Wait please,” he called realizing the man was actually going to call his bluff. “Please I really need your help to save my son.” He turned back then and walked back to the chair. “Thank you,” He said reluctantly.
“Why didn’t you just ask for my help,” the mutant said darkly. “Why the black mail routine that would only cost you your job and make an enemy you can’t win against?” He felt insulted and thought about his gun locked in his desk but then he remembered guns don’t work on all mutants.
“I didn’t want to ask for help from a mutie faggot,” he said and for a terrible moment thought he was going to leave again but he kept sitting there. “You have to understand I love my son no matter what I mean I screwed up with my first kid but I was going to get it right with him and his siblings.” He looked over at the picture of his son again. “I should start at the beginning my first marriage was a disaster my folks warned me about marrying a yankee tourist but she was just so pretty and I was so arrogant I thought I knew best.” He reached into his desk and pulled out his flask of bourbon and took a swig. “We had a little girl but things just didn’t work out so she took off back to New Jersey and took my daughter with her.” He handed her photo to the mutant. “That’s the last picture I have of her I tried to stay in touch but eventually I met a nice local girl and got busy with my new family.”
“What does this have to do with your son and how is he in trouble?” The mutant asked and he couldn’t blame him. He just didn’t know if he could admit this to the other mutant. He downed the rest of the flask.
“My youngest son the second of my three kids with my wife ran away last week,” he said after a moment. “My oldest came home from college threatening his football scholarship to help look for him.” He really didn’t want to say anything. “Just before your brother got into a fight my daughter from my first marriage called my son was in New Jersey in the hospital he’d been attacked and beaten for being a mutant.” He looked away from the other man then. “When the incident with your brother happened I was waiting for a call from the doctors to talk about his condition that’s why I just gave him a warning and let him off.” He then looked down. “I just got a call this morning before I called your house to check on your brother my son has an infection that will probably kill him.” He looked back at the mutant. “I’ve heard of what you mutants can do that’s why I asked to see you, that’s why I tried to black mail you I need someone to save my son.” He was ashamed of the next part. “I haven’t even told my wife I found him yet I don’t know how to tell her he’s a mutant and now he might die.”
“Look write down your son’s name, the hospital name and then call your family down here and tell them what’s going on,” He said as he stood up. “I’ll make some calls and then arrange travel to New Jersey for all of us and we’ll see if we can’t help your son.” He started to say something but the mutant cut him off. “No you are telling your wife and other children there may not be anything we can do and if there isn’t they deserve a chance to say goodbye.” He was horrified by that statement. “We mutants can do a lot of things but we ain’t God we can’t save everyone.”
He wrote out the information and then watched as the mutant stepped out side placing a call on his cell phone. He picked up the phone and called his wife. “Carol, Honey I need you to come down to the office bring Emma and Mathew.”
“What’s going on have you found James is that why you went into the office?” She asked hope clear in her voice. He confirmed that it was about James and he needed to see her in person to explain. “We’ll be right there.”
He heard screeching tires a few minutes later they lived less than ten minutes from the office but his wife had made it in four he did not want to imagine how fast she was driving. His wife came running in and had to pause and catch her breath. “Where’s Emma?” he asked but Mathew walked in holding the five year old who looked a bit scared.
“Isn’t that one of the Guthrie’s outside,” Mathew asked looking back to where he could see the mutant pacing back and fourth. “Why is he here does it have something to do with James?” He saw his wife turn to look out the window.
“James is in the hospital in New Jersey,” He said and at his wife’s shocked cry. “He was on his way to his half sister’s place when he was beaten up for being a mutant.” His wife looked like she was about to faint but Mathew just looked guilty.
“I knew I should have come home when you told me he dropped football I should have known he was probably like me,” Mathew said causing him and his wife to turn. “I got tested in college to make sure I was eligible to play football,” He said looking uncomfortable. “It turns out I’m a mutant but since I test in all areas within the realm of normal human physical abilities I'm still eligible to play.”
“We need to get to New Jersey now,” His wife said standing up. “I don’t care what either my children are I need to be with James now.” He was even more ashamed seeing how easily his wife got past what he couldn’t He was staring at his oldest son now wondering how two of his children could end up like that.
“Don’t worry Ma’am our ride has arrived out side.” The Guthrie mutant said interrupting them. “You might want to let me hold the little girl though, landings can be a bit rough if your not used to traveling this way.” He experienced a moment of terror at the mutant holding his Emma but Mathew was already passing her over and his wife was heading out the door.
He followed reluctantly and found they were in the parking lot with a guy straight out of one of those ridicules surfing movies. “Hang on,” the surfer said and then they were falling throw a tunnel of blue light. He felt like he was going to be sick he heard his wife screaming and Emma laughing. Just as quickly as it had began he was falling onto hard pavement. He looked around dazed to see Mathew helping Carol up and his daughter held safely in the arms of the mutant who seemed to have landed on his feet. “You should hurray inside Sage said the boy isn’t doing too good the infection was much worse than expected.”
“Infection,” His wife asked looking over at him and he felt terrible he hadn’t told them how close to death James was. “He’s dying isn’t he?” She said clearly horrified as he nodded unable to speak. Mathew took off like a bolt running toward the hospital that he could now see in the distance they had some how been taken right to a parking structure.
“James,” Mathew was yelling and then he stopped and seemed to fall to his knees. He looked like he was having a heart attack but that was impossible he was only nineteen. As they were running towards him suddenly a woman with black hair in skin tight black leather and strange marks on her face was there leaning down to him.
“Sage, what’s going on,” the mutant still holding his daughter yelled to the woman who was placing her hand on her glasses for some strange reason. He guessed she was one of the X-men he heard so much about.
“Stay back,” She said quickly. “Your son is experiencing secondary mutation brought on by stress and other factors.” He watched as she placed her hand on him. “I must help the process complete itself or he may suffer irreparable harm.” A brilliant blue glow surrounded them and Mathew screamed his wife started to shoot forward but the mutant holding his daughter reached out with his free hand and caught her arm. The glow faded from the woman who stood up but his son was still surrounded by blue light. “Your brother is going to be fine Mathew you can relax now.” As soon as she said that the glow faded and Mathew looked up relieved.
“Come inside all of you we have a lot to talk about,” The woman said lowering her glasses to show that the strange marks on her face went straight to the corner of her eyes. “If anyone from the hospital asks please tell them that you signed and faxed the permission form that allowed the blood transfusion that saved your son’s life.”
His wife agreed readily but he was furious. “You forged our signatures,” he said and then saw his wife glaring at him. Carol was obviously still mad about him not telling her how serious things were. He knew she was going to be even worse when she found out he’d known for several days that James was in the hospital.
“To save your son’s life I took your signatures form your income tax records and placed them on the form yes,” Sage said as she walked. “We were fortunate that your son’s blood type matches Archangel’s otherwise there may not have been anything we could do.” She said as she led threw the hospital to a waiting area. “Your oldest daughter is waiting in here.” She said to him.
“Can I see my son now,” Carol asked and he could hear the fear in her voice she was clearly terrified he was still in danger. “I know he probably can’t have visitors if he’s extremely sick but I just want to see him.”
“He will most likely be able to go home with you today,” The woman said causing him to stare in shock. “The treatment we used is very effective but I will leave it to Sam to explain I have business to attend to.” She left them then standing out side the emergency room clearly shocked.
“I’ll tell you inside,” The Guthrie mutant said opening the door to the family waiting room. He saw a woman that was the spitting image of her mother except for having his dark hair waiting there. He saw Emma had been sat down by the mutant and was looking around the room excitedly.
“Did you know James was coming to see you,” Mathew said before any explanation about James treatment could be said. He was staring over at his long lost daughter like it was her fault. He noticed Mathew was glowing again in response to his anger and he couldn’t help but want to look away in disgust.
“Wow it really must run in the family,” His daughter Hazel said, “No I didn’t know he was coming I didn’t even know he was a mutant but he knew I was.” She stood up then. “I guess that’s why he was trying to get here he had my address in his pocket when he was found.” She gestured with her hand it shifted into a clawed green form. “He found me on the internet a few months ago and we stayed in touch.”
“Why didn’t he tell us did he think we would stop loving him just because he was a mutant,” Carol said clearly horrified. “How could he think that?” He saw the mutant and Mathew both looking right at him.
“I’d say it was because of your husband,” a voice said and he saw the Guthrie mutant smile at the man with a glowing eye who walked in. “He doesn’t even think of Sam by name only calls him Mutant or the Guthrie mutant if he’s being polite.”
“What are you doing here Nate?” the mutant said and he saw the other man glare at him. “I thought you were staying on Genosha today since my family scares you a bit.” It was playful and teasing and he realized that this was the mutant’s lover which just disgusted him.
“Sage told me to bring house around since even when the patient is well enough to leave she and Hank don’t want him traveling on the Davis express.” The man said and then pointed right at him. “But he’s walking back to Kentucky.” He felt insulted and was about to say so when his wife spoke up.
“Please Sam can you tell us how you all saved my son’s life,” She asked tears in her eyes. “And can you explain what happened to Mathew out side what is a secondary mutation?” He saw Mathew and Hazel looking at Sam while his daughter was staring at the new arrivals hair and glowing eye.
“Do you remember my sister’s wedding that had to be moved to Kentucky because you wouldn’t let my brother leave the state to attend it?” Sam he made a point to think said looking right at him. “Well my brother in law’s blood possesses a potent healing factor that can take care of most injuries or infections in someone with a compatible blood type.” He caught the meaning behind bringing up the wedding it was a reminder of how little reason that family had any reason to help him or his kids.
“That is incredible,” Hazel said clearly shocked. “I mean can you imagine how many patients that could save I mean I’m Nurse and if his blood could be duplicated it could revolutionize medicine?” He hadn’t even known his first born daughter was a nurse seeing her again was painful.
“We have some of the best minds on the planet trying to figure out how to synthesize it in a way that will help everyone but no luck so far,” Sam said. “It is proving difficult though because the factor doesn’t last for more than a few hours after the blood is removed from his body.”
“And secondary mutation what is that,” Carol asked after thinking for a moment. He saw that Mathew was extremely curious but before anyone could explain the woman in black walked in followed by a large hairy monster. He recognized him after a moment as that famous X-man and Avenger the beast but his appearance was still shocking.
“Secondary mutation is when a mutant’s body in response to certain stimuli manifest a new trait to deal with it.” The walking blue animal said. “My own recent transformation into this more Lionesqe form was such a mutation.” The furry blue head turned toward Mathew. “Sage’s scans show that your older son’s secondary mutation was triggered by the stress of these events and long term abuse of certain substances meant to aid in athletic endeavors.”
He realized that the creature was saying Mathew had used steroids. “Is this true?” his wife said before he could say anything. The moment he saw Mathew look away he realized it was true. “Steroids Mathew how could you be so reckless?”
“I was just having so much trouble putting on weight and muscle mass I know dad said the same thing happened to him as a teenager but I just didn’t want to be second string forever and not get out of Kentucky.” He knew what Mathew meant his own dreams of college foot ball glory had never come about because he never got off the second string.
“That often happens with people with your father’s mutation,” the woman Sage said. “Yes sir you are a mutant and all four of your children have inherited your mutation.” He stared at her in horror he couldn’t be a mutie he was normal and he glanced at Emma who was still fixated on the strangers eye she was a mutant too?”
His wife was staring at him then and it wasn’t revulsion it was confusion. “How can my husband be a mutant he has no special powers and he’s physically normal?” She looked embarrassed as she said that.
“Your husband and children do not get sick very much do they, Carol,” the woman said and his wife shook her head he knew she got annoyed that she got the flu every year and they never seemed to. “He possesses an extremely low level healing factor it is why your son survived as long as he did with this level of infection before we were called in.”
“So it is my fault that my children are like this?” He said as he thought about the fact he was a mutant and he was why his kids were mutants. He wasn’t sure what was worse being a mutant or knowing he caused his kids to be mutants.
“There was a good chance you children would have been mutant even if you weren’t one,” the woman said. “Carol, you have an inactive X-gene yourself so while you are not a mutant it was always likely that at least some of your children would be mutants.” The woman then looked at Sam. “It is not an uncommon genetic feature in your region of Kentucky my research has traced it back to the Fontaine family who I believe are something of a local legend.”
“Yes,” Carol said his wife loved history. “William Fontaine arrived in the area with his twelve daughters and one son.” He wondered if she was focusing that to avoid thinking about what the woman said. “The daughters all married locally and had lots of kids each while the son headed down to Louisiana.” She then seemed to get it. “Nearly everyone who’s family goes back more than two generations in our area is some kind of kin of the Fontaines so they were mutants?”
“No, but they carried the necessary genes for mutants to eventually be born so among their descendants mutants and the people with the capacity to breed mutants are quiet common.” The woman then looked over at the Guthrie mutant. “Sam, both of your parents are descended from different Fontaine Daughters.”
There was a beeping sound then from the glasses the Beast was wearing. “Ah your son is awake and Angel is bringing him down now.” He saw Carol’s face fill with join. “It might be a bit cramped in here for him so we should head out into the hall.” His wife was the first out the door followed by Mathew holding Emma. The others went out then leaving him alone he forced himself to get up and head out. He found his son standing there in the pants from scrubs bare chested and out of his back grew two huge translucent green bat wings.
He couldn’t take it he slipped away and eventually found himself on the roof. “If you jump I’m not catching you.” A voice said and he turned to see the faggot mutie that was involved with the Guthrie mutant. “Keep thinking like that and I might even give you a push.” The man said walking to the edge. “If you jump your healing factor won’t save you it isn’t strong enough for this.”
“Good one less monster in the world,” He said just wanting the freak to go away. The man scowled at him. “Go away I don’t have anything to say to you and you’ve already said you won’t stop me.”
“True enough Sam would he’d dive right off after you and drag your sorry ass back up here,” The man said. “I mean your wife is torn up with guilt because her fear of mutants meant she never spoke up against your anti mutant rants when your own kind was on the news.” He said twisting the knife. “No wonder your sons are so screwed up.” He threw a punch at the guy but found himself frozen. “Let me show you what your sons have been going through.”
He saw Mathew sitting in a room of mutants, “I can’t ever tell my dad he hates mutants it won’t matter to him that I don’t have any powers I’m a mutant he’ll hate me.” He could feel his son’s fear of him and then the image changed it was James noticing the bumps on his back, then James again quitting football so no one would notice. James running away form home when the bumps turned into little versions of the wings he now had. James in pain from sitting on them on the bus the entire way to New Jersey stripping off his shirt in the bathroom and being seen. As the ones who saw him attacked and beat his son they yelled the same things he’d said at the tv a hundred times.
“Enough you’ve made your point,” he said staring at the other man. The man just shrugged and started walking back toward the access door. “That’s it your going to show me that and then leave?” He couldn’t believe the man would do that.
“I’m not Sam he’d stay up here and try to convince you to change for your families sake but I’ve known too many monsters human and mutant alike to think for a second I can do anything to make you change.” The man said. “You have to decide for yourself do what you need to do to change your views or do your family a favor and jump.” He felt like he’d been slapped. “If you don’t change you will lose them anyway cause your wife will leave you in a second to protect her kids as you should well know.” The man was about to leave through the door but then he turned back. “You know you should try to see this whole situation more like your daughter Emma,” the man said with a slight smile. “She’s young enough your bigotry hasn’t really affected her yet she sees this whole thing as a magical adventure, and from the moment I got here just wants to ask if my eye is magic like the tunnel that brought you all here.”
After that the man was gone leaving him standing alone on the roof of the hospital. He knew the man was right Carol would leave taking the kids with her if he didn’t change. He couldn’t lose his family no matter what. He braced himself and walked over to the door. He was surprised to see the man standing there waiting for him. “Good choice, now one more thing when you get back to work in a few days approve the transfer of Jeb Guthrie’s probation to New York so he can start school at Xaviers.” He nodded guessing he should have expected that. “And you might want to consider enrolling James there as well since a highly visible mutation isn’t going to be easy for him in your local public schools.” He nodded again and followed the man to see his family.
The End.
REVIEW HERE
This is a fic in my Amends verse of interconnected fics.
Contains: Highlight to read:Sam/Nate, homophobia both verbal and violent, attempted extortion and OC’s
Asking for Help
He was staring at the photo of his son as he waited for the mutant he’d asked to meet with to arrive. When he’d called the Guthrie house to check on the mutant on probation he’d ended up speaking to his visiting big brother the famous X-man who went from dating world famous female rockstars to being a faggot as if being a mutant wasn’t bad enough. The Guthrie family was a huge disgrace to the entire area and now he needed their help and thanks to the younger mutant’s screw up he knew they’d give it to him.
He figured the older mutant would be the most reasonable because he’d heard stories of the mother’s tendency toward pulling a shot gun on folks who threatened her family. He looked over at the picture of his son and vowed that he would do whatever it took to save his life. The man entered and he was reminded of the boy’s father though his features weren’t as stern. He’d never liked Thomas Guthrie but now he needed his son’s help. “You wanted to see me Mr. Dixon,” the young man said and he noticed he was awfully polite for a mutant.
“Your brother got into some trouble recently,” He said wondering how he should do this. “If I want I can use it to send him off to juvie where he belongs.” He saw the mutants eyes narrow. “Fortunately for your brother I need your help?”
“Your stupid enough to try to black mail me,” the mutant said standing up. “You don’t have any idea who you are dealing with do you,” He said darkly and started to head to the door. “You will be hearing from our lawyer.”
“Wait please,” he called realizing the man was actually going to call his bluff. “Please I really need your help to save my son.” He turned back then and walked back to the chair. “Thank you,” He said reluctantly.
“Why didn’t you just ask for my help,” the mutant said darkly. “Why the black mail routine that would only cost you your job and make an enemy you can’t win against?” He felt insulted and thought about his gun locked in his desk but then he remembered guns don’t work on all mutants.
“I didn’t want to ask for help from a mutie faggot,” he said and for a terrible moment thought he was going to leave again but he kept sitting there. “You have to understand I love my son no matter what I mean I screwed up with my first kid but I was going to get it right with him and his siblings.” He looked over at the picture of his son again. “I should start at the beginning my first marriage was a disaster my folks warned me about marrying a yankee tourist but she was just so pretty and I was so arrogant I thought I knew best.” He reached into his desk and pulled out his flask of bourbon and took a swig. “We had a little girl but things just didn’t work out so she took off back to New Jersey and took my daughter with her.” He handed her photo to the mutant. “That’s the last picture I have of her I tried to stay in touch but eventually I met a nice local girl and got busy with my new family.”
“What does this have to do with your son and how is he in trouble?” The mutant asked and he couldn’t blame him. He just didn’t know if he could admit this to the other mutant. He downed the rest of the flask.
“My youngest son the second of my three kids with my wife ran away last week,” he said after a moment. “My oldest came home from college threatening his football scholarship to help look for him.” He really didn’t want to say anything. “Just before your brother got into a fight my daughter from my first marriage called my son was in New Jersey in the hospital he’d been attacked and beaten for being a mutant.” He looked away from the other man then. “When the incident with your brother happened I was waiting for a call from the doctors to talk about his condition that’s why I just gave him a warning and let him off.” He then looked down. “I just got a call this morning before I called your house to check on your brother my son has an infection that will probably kill him.” He looked back at the mutant. “I’ve heard of what you mutants can do that’s why I asked to see you, that’s why I tried to black mail you I need someone to save my son.” He was ashamed of the next part. “I haven’t even told my wife I found him yet I don’t know how to tell her he’s a mutant and now he might die.”
“Look write down your son’s name, the hospital name and then call your family down here and tell them what’s going on,” He said as he stood up. “I’ll make some calls and then arrange travel to New Jersey for all of us and we’ll see if we can’t help your son.” He started to say something but the mutant cut him off. “No you are telling your wife and other children there may not be anything we can do and if there isn’t they deserve a chance to say goodbye.” He was horrified by that statement. “We mutants can do a lot of things but we ain’t God we can’t save everyone.”
He wrote out the information and then watched as the mutant stepped out side placing a call on his cell phone. He picked up the phone and called his wife. “Carol, Honey I need you to come down to the office bring Emma and Mathew.”
“What’s going on have you found James is that why you went into the office?” She asked hope clear in her voice. He confirmed that it was about James and he needed to see her in person to explain. “We’ll be right there.”
He heard screeching tires a few minutes later they lived less than ten minutes from the office but his wife had made it in four he did not want to imagine how fast she was driving. His wife came running in and had to pause and catch her breath. “Where’s Emma?” he asked but Mathew walked in holding the five year old who looked a bit scared.
“Isn’t that one of the Guthrie’s outside,” Mathew asked looking back to where he could see the mutant pacing back and fourth. “Why is he here does it have something to do with James?” He saw his wife turn to look out the window.
“James is in the hospital in New Jersey,” He said and at his wife’s shocked cry. “He was on his way to his half sister’s place when he was beaten up for being a mutant.” His wife looked like she was about to faint but Mathew just looked guilty.
“I knew I should have come home when you told me he dropped football I should have known he was probably like me,” Mathew said causing him and his wife to turn. “I got tested in college to make sure I was eligible to play football,” He said looking uncomfortable. “It turns out I’m a mutant but since I test in all areas within the realm of normal human physical abilities I'm still eligible to play.”
“We need to get to New Jersey now,” His wife said standing up. “I don’t care what either my children are I need to be with James now.” He was even more ashamed seeing how easily his wife got past what he couldn’t He was staring at his oldest son now wondering how two of his children could end up like that.
“Don’t worry Ma’am our ride has arrived out side.” The Guthrie mutant said interrupting them. “You might want to let me hold the little girl though, landings can be a bit rough if your not used to traveling this way.” He experienced a moment of terror at the mutant holding his Emma but Mathew was already passing her over and his wife was heading out the door.
He followed reluctantly and found they were in the parking lot with a guy straight out of one of those ridicules surfing movies. “Hang on,” the surfer said and then they were falling throw a tunnel of blue light. He felt like he was going to be sick he heard his wife screaming and Emma laughing. Just as quickly as it had began he was falling onto hard pavement. He looked around dazed to see Mathew helping Carol up and his daughter held safely in the arms of the mutant who seemed to have landed on his feet. “You should hurray inside Sage said the boy isn’t doing too good the infection was much worse than expected.”
“Infection,” His wife asked looking over at him and he felt terrible he hadn’t told them how close to death James was. “He’s dying isn’t he?” She said clearly horrified as he nodded unable to speak. Mathew took off like a bolt running toward the hospital that he could now see in the distance they had some how been taken right to a parking structure.
“James,” Mathew was yelling and then he stopped and seemed to fall to his knees. He looked like he was having a heart attack but that was impossible he was only nineteen. As they were running towards him suddenly a woman with black hair in skin tight black leather and strange marks on her face was there leaning down to him.
“Sage, what’s going on,” the mutant still holding his daughter yelled to the woman who was placing her hand on her glasses for some strange reason. He guessed she was one of the X-men he heard so much about.
“Stay back,” She said quickly. “Your son is experiencing secondary mutation brought on by stress and other factors.” He watched as she placed her hand on him. “I must help the process complete itself or he may suffer irreparable harm.” A brilliant blue glow surrounded them and Mathew screamed his wife started to shoot forward but the mutant holding his daughter reached out with his free hand and caught her arm. The glow faded from the woman who stood up but his son was still surrounded by blue light. “Your brother is going to be fine Mathew you can relax now.” As soon as she said that the glow faded and Mathew looked up relieved.
“Come inside all of you we have a lot to talk about,” The woman said lowering her glasses to show that the strange marks on her face went straight to the corner of her eyes. “If anyone from the hospital asks please tell them that you signed and faxed the permission form that allowed the blood transfusion that saved your son’s life.”
His wife agreed readily but he was furious. “You forged our signatures,” he said and then saw his wife glaring at him. Carol was obviously still mad about him not telling her how serious things were. He knew she was going to be even worse when she found out he’d known for several days that James was in the hospital.
“To save your son’s life I took your signatures form your income tax records and placed them on the form yes,” Sage said as she walked. “We were fortunate that your son’s blood type matches Archangel’s otherwise there may not have been anything we could do.” She said as she led threw the hospital to a waiting area. “Your oldest daughter is waiting in here.” She said to him.
“Can I see my son now,” Carol asked and he could hear the fear in her voice she was clearly terrified he was still in danger. “I know he probably can’t have visitors if he’s extremely sick but I just want to see him.”
“He will most likely be able to go home with you today,” The woman said causing him to stare in shock. “The treatment we used is very effective but I will leave it to Sam to explain I have business to attend to.” She left them then standing out side the emergency room clearly shocked.
“I’ll tell you inside,” The Guthrie mutant said opening the door to the family waiting room. He saw a woman that was the spitting image of her mother except for having his dark hair waiting there. He saw Emma had been sat down by the mutant and was looking around the room excitedly.
“Did you know James was coming to see you,” Mathew said before any explanation about James treatment could be said. He was staring over at his long lost daughter like it was her fault. He noticed Mathew was glowing again in response to his anger and he couldn’t help but want to look away in disgust.
“Wow it really must run in the family,” His daughter Hazel said, “No I didn’t know he was coming I didn’t even know he was a mutant but he knew I was.” She stood up then. “I guess that’s why he was trying to get here he had my address in his pocket when he was found.” She gestured with her hand it shifted into a clawed green form. “He found me on the internet a few months ago and we stayed in touch.”
“Why didn’t he tell us did he think we would stop loving him just because he was a mutant,” Carol said clearly horrified. “How could he think that?” He saw the mutant and Mathew both looking right at him.
“I’d say it was because of your husband,” a voice said and he saw the Guthrie mutant smile at the man with a glowing eye who walked in. “He doesn’t even think of Sam by name only calls him Mutant or the Guthrie mutant if he’s being polite.”
“What are you doing here Nate?” the mutant said and he saw the other man glare at him. “I thought you were staying on Genosha today since my family scares you a bit.” It was playful and teasing and he realized that this was the mutant’s lover which just disgusted him.
“Sage told me to bring house around since even when the patient is well enough to leave she and Hank don’t want him traveling on the Davis express.” The man said and then pointed right at him. “But he’s walking back to Kentucky.” He felt insulted and was about to say so when his wife spoke up.
“Please Sam can you tell us how you all saved my son’s life,” She asked tears in her eyes. “And can you explain what happened to Mathew out side what is a secondary mutation?” He saw Mathew and Hazel looking at Sam while his daughter was staring at the new arrivals hair and glowing eye.
“Do you remember my sister’s wedding that had to be moved to Kentucky because you wouldn’t let my brother leave the state to attend it?” Sam he made a point to think said looking right at him. “Well my brother in law’s blood possesses a potent healing factor that can take care of most injuries or infections in someone with a compatible blood type.” He caught the meaning behind bringing up the wedding it was a reminder of how little reason that family had any reason to help him or his kids.
“That is incredible,” Hazel said clearly shocked. “I mean can you imagine how many patients that could save I mean I’m Nurse and if his blood could be duplicated it could revolutionize medicine?” He hadn’t even known his first born daughter was a nurse seeing her again was painful.
“We have some of the best minds on the planet trying to figure out how to synthesize it in a way that will help everyone but no luck so far,” Sam said. “It is proving difficult though because the factor doesn’t last for more than a few hours after the blood is removed from his body.”
“And secondary mutation what is that,” Carol asked after thinking for a moment. He saw that Mathew was extremely curious but before anyone could explain the woman in black walked in followed by a large hairy monster. He recognized him after a moment as that famous X-man and Avenger the beast but his appearance was still shocking.
“Secondary mutation is when a mutant’s body in response to certain stimuli manifest a new trait to deal with it.” The walking blue animal said. “My own recent transformation into this more Lionesqe form was such a mutation.” The furry blue head turned toward Mathew. “Sage’s scans show that your older son’s secondary mutation was triggered by the stress of these events and long term abuse of certain substances meant to aid in athletic endeavors.”
He realized that the creature was saying Mathew had used steroids. “Is this true?” his wife said before he could say anything. The moment he saw Mathew look away he realized it was true. “Steroids Mathew how could you be so reckless?”
“I was just having so much trouble putting on weight and muscle mass I know dad said the same thing happened to him as a teenager but I just didn’t want to be second string forever and not get out of Kentucky.” He knew what Mathew meant his own dreams of college foot ball glory had never come about because he never got off the second string.
“That often happens with people with your father’s mutation,” the woman Sage said. “Yes sir you are a mutant and all four of your children have inherited your mutation.” He stared at her in horror he couldn’t be a mutie he was normal and he glanced at Emma who was still fixated on the strangers eye she was a mutant too?”
His wife was staring at him then and it wasn’t revulsion it was confusion. “How can my husband be a mutant he has no special powers and he’s physically normal?” She looked embarrassed as she said that.
“Your husband and children do not get sick very much do they, Carol,” the woman said and his wife shook her head he knew she got annoyed that she got the flu every year and they never seemed to. “He possesses an extremely low level healing factor it is why your son survived as long as he did with this level of infection before we were called in.”
“So it is my fault that my children are like this?” He said as he thought about the fact he was a mutant and he was why his kids were mutants. He wasn’t sure what was worse being a mutant or knowing he caused his kids to be mutants.
“There was a good chance you children would have been mutant even if you weren’t one,” the woman said. “Carol, you have an inactive X-gene yourself so while you are not a mutant it was always likely that at least some of your children would be mutants.” The woman then looked at Sam. “It is not an uncommon genetic feature in your region of Kentucky my research has traced it back to the Fontaine family who I believe are something of a local legend.”
“Yes,” Carol said his wife loved history. “William Fontaine arrived in the area with his twelve daughters and one son.” He wondered if she was focusing that to avoid thinking about what the woman said. “The daughters all married locally and had lots of kids each while the son headed down to Louisiana.” She then seemed to get it. “Nearly everyone who’s family goes back more than two generations in our area is some kind of kin of the Fontaines so they were mutants?”
“No, but they carried the necessary genes for mutants to eventually be born so among their descendants mutants and the people with the capacity to breed mutants are quiet common.” The woman then looked over at the Guthrie mutant. “Sam, both of your parents are descended from different Fontaine Daughters.”
There was a beeping sound then from the glasses the Beast was wearing. “Ah your son is awake and Angel is bringing him down now.” He saw Carol’s face fill with join. “It might be a bit cramped in here for him so we should head out into the hall.” His wife was the first out the door followed by Mathew holding Emma. The others went out then leaving him alone he forced himself to get up and head out. He found his son standing there in the pants from scrubs bare chested and out of his back grew two huge translucent green bat wings.
He couldn’t take it he slipped away and eventually found himself on the roof. “If you jump I’m not catching you.” A voice said and he turned to see the faggot mutie that was involved with the Guthrie mutant. “Keep thinking like that and I might even give you a push.” The man said walking to the edge. “If you jump your healing factor won’t save you it isn’t strong enough for this.”
“Good one less monster in the world,” He said just wanting the freak to go away. The man scowled at him. “Go away I don’t have anything to say to you and you’ve already said you won’t stop me.”
“True enough Sam would he’d dive right off after you and drag your sorry ass back up here,” The man said. “I mean your wife is torn up with guilt because her fear of mutants meant she never spoke up against your anti mutant rants when your own kind was on the news.” He said twisting the knife. “No wonder your sons are so screwed up.” He threw a punch at the guy but found himself frozen. “Let me show you what your sons have been going through.”
He saw Mathew sitting in a room of mutants, “I can’t ever tell my dad he hates mutants it won’t matter to him that I don’t have any powers I’m a mutant he’ll hate me.” He could feel his son’s fear of him and then the image changed it was James noticing the bumps on his back, then James again quitting football so no one would notice. James running away form home when the bumps turned into little versions of the wings he now had. James in pain from sitting on them on the bus the entire way to New Jersey stripping off his shirt in the bathroom and being seen. As the ones who saw him attacked and beat his son they yelled the same things he’d said at the tv a hundred times.
“Enough you’ve made your point,” he said staring at the other man. The man just shrugged and started walking back toward the access door. “That’s it your going to show me that and then leave?” He couldn’t believe the man would do that.
“I’m not Sam he’d stay up here and try to convince you to change for your families sake but I’ve known too many monsters human and mutant alike to think for a second I can do anything to make you change.” The man said. “You have to decide for yourself do what you need to do to change your views or do your family a favor and jump.” He felt like he’d been slapped. “If you don’t change you will lose them anyway cause your wife will leave you in a second to protect her kids as you should well know.” The man was about to leave through the door but then he turned back. “You know you should try to see this whole situation more like your daughter Emma,” the man said with a slight smile. “She’s young enough your bigotry hasn’t really affected her yet she sees this whole thing as a magical adventure, and from the moment I got here just wants to ask if my eye is magic like the tunnel that brought you all here.”
After that the man was gone leaving him standing alone on the roof of the hospital. He knew the man was right Carol would leave taking the kids with her if he didn’t change. He couldn’t lose his family no matter what. He braced himself and walked over to the door. He was surprised to see the man standing there waiting for him. “Good choice, now one more thing when you get back to work in a few days approve the transfer of Jeb Guthrie’s probation to New York so he can start school at Xaviers.” He nodded guessing he should have expected that. “And you might want to consider enrolling James there as well since a highly visible mutation isn’t going to be easy for him in your local public schools.” He nodded again and followed the man to see his family.
The End.
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