POV- Andy
The drive to the antique store was a moment of respite, so much calmer and quieter than the ever-awake MU HQ. As we walk through the door of the shop, there he stands, the doctor so afraid of his father and aunt, that he almost killed his son.
"Hi Dad."
"I never thought I'd see you again. Are these the two-"
"Grandchildren you never got to see, yes," Dad interrupted, worried that Otto would say something incredibly racist.
"Why are you here? Did you know Sentinel Services came and questioned me?"
"We figured," I retort, ignoring his frustration, though watched as he turned to Lauren and me and the furrowed brow ceased. "We're here about the Hound Program that Trask is currently employing, turning mutants into extreme kick addicts and weaponising them. We were hoping you could talk to us about it, help us understand it, along with anything else they may have found interesting enough to resume research on."
"Andrew yes?" I nod, as he approaches, his hands now on my face. "I'm sorry but I can't help you, the work was top-secret."
"You're our grandfather, and your work is being used to hunt us down," Lauren rebuts, making Otto grimace, not in disgust but pain. Having never met us before, but knowing his own work would cause harm to his grandchildren, his blood was too much to bear.
"I have some journals that covered my research at the time, I'll go find them." While he left, me and Lauren drift to a music box, with music so calm and so soothing that I wanted nothing more than to keep it forever with me. "Get away from that." Otto had returned to see both me and Lauren swaying to the music box, "It's cursed."
"Don't lie Grandfather, I've heard it before," I comment, startling Otto and raising confusion from Lauren and Reed. "Inherited memories, I would assume."
Otto rushed to me and Lauren, dumping the books on the floor as he grabs our shoulders to face him. "What are your powers? Quickly!"
"I can sort of push things together, while Andy pulls things apart," Lauren tries before I correct her.
"Based on the science textbook I borrowed, I have molecular dispersion, while my sister has molecular compression. Just like your parents."
"You know?"
"They were in a textbook, and in addition to the memories I inherited," something Lauren was annoyed I hadn't mentioned, even though I had told her about the Cartel, "I figured out the rest."
Pale-faced and with hands retracted to cover his face he began to mutter and murmur. "Oh no, no, no, no. I've failed, I've failed to stop it. It's back."
Gently whispering to him so only he and Lauren could hear, Reed now picking up the journals and storing them in a briefcase he pulled from the shelf, I comfort him. "We are not your father, or your aunt, Otto. Fenris was used by them for personal gain and enjoyment. Unless forced to use it, Fenris will not come together."
"Have you ever tried to use it? He asked worried."
"No, though once, before I even awoke my powers, I caught her as she fell, and our hands glowed like a beacon, time seeming to slow around us. But no, we haven't activated it. Merely using her compression to help focus my abilities at range."
"To what, kill people?" he remarked with a scoff, his anti-mutant vendetta coming out.
"Lauren has never killed anyone, and the only people I have killed were Sentinel Service agents, transporting a pregnant friend of ours to a secret detainment facility." Flinching slightly at my admittance of murder, and again at the secret facility, I knew he understood her fate had she gone there.
Reed took Otto aside to discuss him being a mutant, but I had to point out that the procedure might not have been a permanent solution, especially with the prolonged stress that he's been experiencing. If what you did was based on the shields or molecular compression of your aunt, then I'm worried all you did was make a dam, his powers dormant, but uncontrolled. Otto pulled out one of the journals and tried to explain the process, having memorised the procedure that almost killed his son, that resulted in the destruction of his family. It took almost 20 minutes to convince Otto to test him again, using old equipment left in the study, but when he did he began to openly sob, begging Reed for forgiveness.
"All the pain I put you through, all this time I spent away from you, unable to look you in the eyes, and I couldn't even cure it. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry my son." Crying on his son's shoulder the harsh-looking man looked feeble, fragile and vulnerable. Not knowing a solution myself I simply allowed them to become aware of the danger, so that when symptoms show, we can try to release the energy, rather than force the self-destructive suicide scene to occur. 'There has to be a way, like draining a dam, just with corrosion.'
It took a while for him to relax, but looking through family photos, which Lauren had brought with her, teasing me for my previous comments on their uselessness, helped him come to understand us a little.
As we left, hours later, the four of us bonded, as we shared stories and grew to accept the others. While he still hated the atrocities of the brotherhood, who believed themselves superior, he himself knew that not all mutants were monsters, being one himself.
As we were leaving I pause, grabbing the music box from before. "Otto, we're taking this with us alright?" Though I wasn't asking, the box had a message from Andrea and Andreas Von Strucker, plus a tune that could lull us both to sleep so easily, that in such a noisy HQ, was priceless.
"Are you aware of the addiction it can bring? The box has an effect on you and I'm worried."
"I think I know what is actually causing the effect on us if you wouldn't mind?" Placing it on the table. And calling over Lauren, who after running her hands over the box, stops, then flicks her wrist lightly, popping out a concealed compartment. "Letters and some hair," I note, grabbing the interwoven hair from Otto's aunt and father. Untying the knot that binds the hair, I pass some of it to Lauren, before being hit by a surge of energy, leaving us warm and energised. As if we had sucked on a battery, leaving us full of static energy.
"Woah."
"Woah," I agree. Lauren extends her palm, making a shield again, but the ease, speed and thickness were drastically improved. I chuckle, "I guess I shouldn't test mine in here then." This was definitely different to the memories I'd actually received when I awakened the X-gene, and from what I can tell, they would be vital to creating a future with less sacrifice, and a happier end. Where our family will be safe, and Marcos and Lorna's kid can be raised openly, rather than in an abandoned bank.
Taking the letter and giving it to Lauren, I close the compartment and hug Otto, taking the box with me to the car, knowing that the two-hour drive would bring us home around dinner, something I was already craving.
That night, Lauren and I had the easiest sleep we'd ever had. 'God, I love antiques. Especially those left behind by weirdly named terrorist relatives with mutant abilities that worked for secret organisations. If we hadn't gone there early, it would have taken ages to go get it. Hopefully, Otto lives, I quite like the old bastard.'
"The other safehouses are being raided with full force, we need to move!" One day, I'll be able to get up, have a coffee with breakfast and not hear about a raid, or attack, or purifiers, but today was not that day. Waking Lauren to go help them, I hop in the car with Marcos, John, and Clarisse, as Lorna was still a little pissed at him for the whole, talking to his ex-thing. 'Hormones are crazy powerful, and can make people a little crazy themselves.'
Arriving at the church was simple, and as the reverend spoke of his gratitude, having hidden over a dozen after another station in Perry was hit, I sat back, looking for the spy. I allow Esme to point her out and as the kick-addled mutant lashes out, I push her against the ground, keeping the pressure constant as I walk over and grab her bag. "Found a beacon of some kind, though she looks kinda high. Probably another of Trask's." After John fastened some impromptu handcuffs and manacles made out of steel rods, bending the 1-inch rods tight to her arms pinned behind her back, then her feet, and finally, connecting those two with one that wraps around her neck, preventing any biting, shoulder bashing or hope for struggle.
"Hog-tied with steel, kinky." I look over at Clarisse, who realised I heard her utterly outrageous comment and flushed slightly, contrasting with her bright green eyes.
Looking back at Esme, who was being thanked by John, I met her gaze briefly. Those beautiful blue eyes, thankfully not glowing, with her shoulder-length blonde hair tucked behind her ears. While most wouldn't have been looking, I noticed. Her fingernails were without a trace of dirt or chipping, and her skin looked so clean that with her pale complexion, she had either been in the shower 20 minutes ago or wasn't actually a refugee.
I move on, helping people into the cars, taking them back to the HQ, and passing toys to the children we'd accepted. "You're really powerful!" the little boy exclaimed as I helped him into the car, passing him a bottle of water.
"Uhuh, I'm like Suuuuper strong," I jest, playing along with the kid. "So, don't worry, okay? You're coming with us."
Hearing the unfamiliar, yet light footsteps I look across at Esme. "You are quite sweet, the children have been here for a while, and with limited supplies, we gave them all we could but.."
"You did fine, we'll be able to provide beds and supplies."
"Even with a rapid increase in population, aren't most shelters being hit right now?"
"Yes, but we had information that the Sentinels had been planning to strike all known bases and supporters, so most had already moved elsewhere, with only the stubborn and non-believers remaining, so the influx isn't too bad right now."
"That's lucky, we were worried that the remaining shelters would be over capacity." Simply smiling and walking off to get in my car, cursing the allocated seating from moving me from the hottie.
Lauren greeted me with a hug, and although the telepathy hadn't formed yet, we could feel each other's emotions, if strong enough, and her happiness as she held me was exuberant. "What happened? You're practically glowing."
"The letter, I translated it, in my head."
"I thought it was in German?"
"Exactly."
"Wow," I say, eyebrows raised with genuine surprise. The absorbed power from the hair had enhanced the speed at which the inherited memories affected Lauren.
"Here," she passed me a note, on it which read:
"We will not live to see the future we longed for. We leave this to you. A piece of my sister and a piece of me intertwined to make one. It is up to you to carry on the fight. If you found this, the miracle we hoped for may still be within reach. My sister and I wanted to help free our people from bondage. You must succeed where we failed. Fenris has two sides, the light, and the darkness. Always in conflict. As my sister and I battled, so must you battle. Only when you know each other's strength, and embrace your opposing forces will you be whole. Everything becomes and recurs eternally. Escape is impossible. The power will rise in our family line once again. We were meant to dominate, and so we shall. That will to power lives in us. If you're reading this, you know it in yourself. You have felt it in there. Do not fear it, nor hide from it because that is who you are. Embrace the power. You are a Von Strucker. It is your Destiny.
"This is amazing sis. Not the letter. That was fairly obvious, but your enhanced inheritance rate. I wonder what other skills we may learn. Walking into the HQ and hearing Lorna scoff at Cait's idea to treat her.
"I'm just suggesting that putting her in withdrawal would give Esme better access to her thoughts, or Sonya's pixie dust."
"That's not what it is," Sonya corrected, laughing at Cait's pixie comparison.
"Regardless, some detox and sleep should make her more willing to cooperate, Cait continued, injecting something into the tweaking spy. 'This is so much easier now that she is bound, no threats, no fighting between Marcos and Lorna. Just stabby stabby nap time.'
"Lauren, I hope you're practising, the ability to constrict and compress is powerful, but you currently use it for defence. Work on compressing the air into blades, or crushing things."
Helping her train while I performed my own regular training, showing some results as to the duration I can run and do pull-ups for. We even made a game where I would push the air around a can outward, while she would try to compress it and crush the can, almost like mutant arm-wrestling. Though she never won, she was definitely improving. Something I was glad for.
Waking to a text from Carmen, I grab Marcos, who'd been dragging his feet. "Get your lazy ass outside, I'll grab us some food and I'll drag you out if you aren't at the car in 5 minutes."
"Why're you so eager?"
"Because I get to gain practical experience AND get paid for it. Even if most of the payment ends up going to the HQ." I hear a squeak in the floor and see Esme, up early and listening in to us from the 'kitchen,' where our food was stored. "Hello. A good morning for eavesdropping right?" She stops mid-bite, then apologises.
"I'm sorry, when you're a telepath you constantly hear thoughts, even when you don't mean to and I got curious when I heard Marcos'."
As I put some canned fruit and coffee on the table, something only possible because Lauren had snuck me a thermos from one of the shelters, I lean next to Esme whispering. "I know you aren't a refugee, so I figure you need our help. If you want these people to cooperate, tell them that they are saving lives and they'll jump through hoops. Stay out of mine and my sister's heads, or I'll END you," I finish, setting fire to the toast she was holding in her hand, a smile still on my face.
POV- Esme
After my sisters' capture, I was left alone. Though sometimes, they were capable of reaching me telepathically, their collars prevented them for the most part, leaving me alone for the longest time since we were children. Using the MU to free my sisters had been my plan. To manipulate them into a desperate position, then force them to attack when my sisters were being transported. That HAD been my plan. Seeing the power of Andrew, or as the HQ called him, Andy, I was astounded. The control, the speed and the raw strength were beyond our expectations, further proving Reeva's point that the Inner Circle had become, comfortable. Too lazy to monitor potential allies and threats, too comfortable to take risks and too afraid to lose their lives in a war. Though I doubt anyone could have expected Andy to be so powerful.
Finding out he was working for the cartels was interesting, and although I planned on blackmailing him with it, there were few in the HQ who were unaware of the place their resources came from, with most simply accepting the state of the world. With the group being the leftover scraps of the X-men, I and my sisters expected to see the pacifism of before, and yet. The HQ had guns, and bulletproof vests, and had received basic training in how to use them. While they weren't an army by any stretch, they were capable of defending themselves, even if the heavy hitters went out of town. While Reeva may want Andrew Von Strucker, I know that Andy Strucker is a FAR more dangerous individual, capable of manipulation, analysing people and VERY okay with causing mass destruction and killing anything in his or his sister's path. 'Something we can agree on.'
POV- Andy
Both armed and in vests, though mine is at least covered with a goodie to at least be somewhat subtle, we meet up with Carmen. "Ms Guerra, good morning."
"And to you, my little helper." 'I'm not sure if that's offensive or not, but I'll let it slide, the assistance with finding 'safehouses,' and moving mutants to them had been beneficial. "Marcos, aren't you going to say hello? At the very least we should be civil with each other."
Greeting her quickly before pouring himself a drink, Marcos asks about the job.
"The Russians have well and truly gotten the message and remained outside our territory, but we'd like to make an example out of one small group that couldn't stop themselves from trying to take over while that was going on. They have a bar west of here, and they run their drugs up and down the border of our territory on bikes. We know where they rest, and we know that they won't have any deliveries until their supplier notifies them. So you will go in, remove the bar from the face of the earth, and my boys will kill them. Agreed?"
"Sure, if they were stupid enough to try this on the border of two gangs, they deserve it." Marcos simply knocks back his drink and walks to the car. "Just food, medicine and water this time Ms Guerra, I'll send you a photo when it's done." As I go to leave, I pause, turn back to the lady boss, and ask "Would you happen to have access to any large newsgroup or social media source? I may need to borrow it soon." Seeing her smile I had my answer, so I went off to work.
30 minutes and a burnt pile of rubble later, I take a selfie with the burning bar. "And sent. You ready to pick up the stuff and head home?"
"I'm ready to go home."
Rolling my eyes at his grumbling, I reprimand him. "Not many would openly support us right now, and the help Carmen has provided has been useful, so shut your trap, accept the payment, and go home to your beautiful pregnant girlfriend." Hopping in the passenger seat I groan out, enjoying the comfy seats as I continue, "Though you should probably wife her up dude." 'Always a giant pussy.'