Lightning couldn't believe what was happening. Of all of the ridiculously weird and improbable things to ever happen to him he'd never imagined anything like this! Well actually he had imagined it a few months ago but he'd dismissed the possibility of such a thing ever occurring because it seemed to be simply tooweird to ever occur. He was wrong.
The X-Men had come to London in response to a new antagonist. The details of the battle don't matter as it wasn't the fight itself that threw Lightning for such a loop. It was what happened after the fight that did it.
The confrontation had happened in a large commercial district in the middle of London. It was the first time since leaving Hogwarts the previous June that Lightning had been back in Britain for any reason but he didn't mind. It wasn't Little Whinging so that was fine. Almost anywhere other than Little Whinging tended to be fine with him. Asteroid M might have been an exception but as far as he knew that place had been destroyed.
Anyway their antagonist had threatened to bring down several buildings on a crowded street. Thankfully they managed to stop him before any of the buildings took more than minor, easily repairable damage. At one point a large amount of debris had started falling off a building and Lightning had flown above the crowd and stopped it with his telekinesis before gathering all of the debris together and putting it all down gently on the ground in a single pile. None of the debris pieces were particularly big but afterwards when he saw how many people were on the street in that place (a lot of them staring up at him in what seemed like awe) he knew that if any of the larger pieces had hit people they could easily have injured or even killed them. Marvel Girl had done the same thing at another building on the other side of the street earlier in the fight.
It was after the threat was neutralized that the X-Men remembered that they were in a crowded street with a lot of people that had seen them in action and who now wanted to thank them for protecting them and saving some of their lives. They were quickly swamped with fans. Many of them wanted pictures with the X-Men and / or autographs. None of the X-Men were fond of this kind of thing but they endured it. They could have escaped but it seemed prudent not to, at least not immediately. More than one person shook Lightning's hand telling him that they would have been hit by the falling debris if not for him. Lightning just quietly said "you're welcome" to them.
And then it happened.
The crowd had largely dispersed and the X-Men were preparing to return to their jet (which they had taken to calling the "X-Jet" in recent weeks) when Lightning heard a voice that he hoped he'd never have to hear again.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" called a high, shrill voice that had been one of the banes of Lightning's existence when he'd lived at Number 4 Privet Drive. He spun toward the voice and stared in disbelief as his Aunt Petunia, his Uncle Vernon, his Cousin Dudley, and Dudley's best friend Piers Polkiss were all approaching the X-Men. As soon as his relatives arrived Petunia and Vernon began pumping the hands of the various X-Men.
"Thank you, oh thank you" said Petunia, "you saved us from that horrible person."
"It's what we do" said Cyclops calmly.
"And you do it well" said Vernon who was more effusive than Lightning had ever seen him, "you're all credits to the this world and it's lucky to have people like you in it. You should come back to Britain. I would be glad to see you all again." Lightning thought he would faint when he heard that as he was sure that if Uncle Vernon had ever met people like the X-Men he would hate them as freaks just like he hated wizards. Apparently not though Lightning had no idea why. Now Uncle Vernon was shaking hishand and literally fawning over him and his teammates.
"It's very kind of you to say so" said Beast.
"It's the least I can say" said Vernon, "you deserve so much more." At this point Lightning thought about looking around to see if there was a hidden camera somewhere or if maybe he'd stepped into a parallel Earth. Those seemed like the only options that made sense.
"You saved us" said Dudley coming up to him after Vernon stepped back, "we were right where the debris was falling and you stopped it from hitting any of us."
"We saw you flying above us" said Piers, "that was awesome! How do you do that?"
"Uh, it's easy if you know how?" said Lightning tentatively. He pitched his voice to be lower than usual hoping that Dudley wouldn't recognize it although he probably didn't need to worry considering how clueless his cousin usually was.
"I wish you could teach me to do that" said Piers.
"Me too" said Dudley.
"Sorry" said Lightning rubbing the back of his head, "I think you have to be a mutant first."
"Oh well, too bad" said Dudley "I can't believe that I'm really meeting you and the other X-Men. I'm one of your biggest fans."
"Really?" said Lightning, even more stunned by all of this. Could this really be his cousin? He hadn't changed at all in appearance except that he was fatter than ever. However in all of the years he'd known Dudley he'd never been anywhere near this friendly towards him.
"Me too" said Piers, "we all follow your adventures, and those of the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four and all of you American heroes. I wish there were a few more British heroes than there are."
"I'm British" said Lightning weakly.
"And that's why you're our favorite member of your team" said Piers.
"Could we get a picture with all of the X-Men?" asked Dudley.
"And one with just you?" said Piers to Lightning who was having a very hard time not showing any emotion so he just nodded. Petunia took a group picture of Dudley and Piers with all of the X-Men. The two boys stood on either side of Lightning and Dudley tried to throw his arm over Lightning's shoulder. Lightning quickly stopped him.
"Don't" he said to Dudley, "I don't like to be touched very much. I'm sure you understand."
"Oh, sorry" said Dudley backing off. Lightning would later reflect on just how out of character it was for Dudley to back off like he did but he hadn't seen his cousin in over a year and a half. He supposed it was possible that Dudley was starting to mature however he thought it was much more likely that Dudley didn't want to piss him off because, having seen him in action, Dudley had some idea of what Lightning could do to him if he got mad. And what the heck was Dudley doing away from school? Lightning couldn't remember if this week was a vacation week in Britain or not. Maybe Dudley had been suspended or expelled from Smeltings? Lightning decided that he didn't care and it didn't really matter anyway.
The group picture was taken and then another one was taken of just Lightning and the other two boys.
"Thanks a bundle" said Dudley, "if you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"
"13" said Lightning.
"That's my age" said Piers.
"And mine" said Dudley, "you really are a kid like us."
"I guess I am" said Lightning quietly.
"Wow" said Piers, "our friends are never going to believe we got to meet you."
"Wow is right" said Dudley, "I want to be just like you someday."
"Me too" said Piers. It took everything Lightning had not to betray his shock at what Dudley and Piers had just said. Fortunately for him Aunt Petunia called for the two boys to come along as they were leaving.
"It was great to meet you" said Piers, "all of you."
"Yes it was," said Dudley, "thanks again." Dudley and Piers walked off to join Vernon and Petunia while Lightning just stared after them still in a bit of shock at what had happened. It was several seconds before he realized someone was saying his name.
"Lightning" Angel said, "Earth to Lightning. Are you in there?"
"What?" asked Lightning snapping out of his shock, "oh, I'm sorry. I got distracted."
"Obviously" said Iceman, "are you all right now?"
"I'm fine" said Lightning, "what did I miss?"
"Just that we're heading back to the jet" said Cyclops, "it's time to go home."
"Right" said Lightning as he tried to keep his emotions under control. He didn't know how he managed to keep it together until the X-Men were safely away from London but once the X-Jet was winging its way back to the States he completely lost it. He laughed, and he laughed, and he kept laughing hysterically. He just couldn't stop. His sides hurt and he slid down the wall he was leaning on until he was sitting on the floor and he pounded the floor with his fist because he was laughing so hard.
"Um, is he all right?" Iceman asked the others.
"I don't know" said Cyclops, "it looks like he's gone crazy."
"He's just in hysterics about something we obviously missed" said Beast, "we'll have to wait until he calms down to find out what the joke is."
It was at least five minutes before Lightning's laughter started to die down and it was a couple of minutes more before he was able to talk.
"Oh, oh God" said Lightning taking deep breaths, "I can't believe it."
"What happened?" Marvel Girl asked him, "Harry, what was so funny?" Lightning took another breath.
"You know that last family that spoke to us?" said Lightning, "and was all over us like crazy fans?"
"You mean the one with the two overly fat people, the anorexic looking woman, and the scrawny kid?" said Angel.
"Yeah, them" said Lightning, "do you know who they were?"
"No clue if you don't tell us" said Iceman.
"It was the Dursleys!" gasped out Lightning. The others looked at him, stunned.
"Really?" asked Iceman for everyone else.
"Yeah" said Lightning, "the adults were Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia."
"Wait," said Angel, "the ones who abused you?" Lightning nodded.
"The fat boy was my cousin Dudley" said Lightning, "and the scrawny kid was Dudley's best friend Piers Polkiss
"The ones you said used you for 'Harry Hunting?'" said Cyclops.
"Right" said Lightning laughing again, "if they only knew who they were just praising to the high heavens!"
The other X-Men started to laugh along with Lightning at the irony of the situation. When everyone was calm again Lightning leaned backed against the wall and briefly closed his eyes.
"If they only knew" he said, "if Dudley only knew who he wanted to be like they would have said the exact opposite. They would have called me a freak again and probably would have verbally abused all of you as freaks too because you were with me. They probably would have thought you were wizards.
"It's funny that they didn't and I have no idea why. Vernon never liked anything that wasn't normal and the X-Men are so very far from normal."
"So?" prompted Beast.
"Probably because we weren't using magic" said Lightning, "and because we're famous. Vernon sucks up to people he thinks are more important than he is and Petunia is a shameless gossip. She'll probably be spreading how she met us all over Little Whinging tonight. And Dudley will be bragging about his pictures with us when he returns to school. Piers will probably do the same." Lightning fell quiet for a minute but no one said anything. They all recognized Lightning's current vulnerable state of mind and knew better than to interrupt. Beast even put a finger to his lips in case anyone was thinking of speaking which brought him looks and eye rolls from the others.
"If they only knew" Lightning said again, "I always wanted them to talk to me like that, to be proud to know me and happy to have me around. And when it finally happens they don't even know who they're saying it to!" It was like a dam had started to break and the water was leaking out, getting more powerful all the time.
"Just once" said Lightning, "just once I wanted them to be nice to me. I wanted them to be proud of me. I really tried to be what I thought they wanted. I worked so hard at all the chores, I tried to never complain about anything even when I was six and Uncle Vernon hit me 20 times with his belt and then broke my arm when he threw me into my cupboard because I accidentally broke a plate putting away the dishes after dinner. Then, when my magic healed me, he beat me again and then locked me in my cupboard for three days without food. He and Petunia denied me food a lot. Any day where I ate even one full meal was a good day and a rare one. Petunia smashed me in the face with a frying pan once because I, I don't know, burned the eggs or something. It might not have been that. I forget exactly what it was that set her off. Maybe I missed a spot when I cleaned the kitchen floor, or missed a weed in the garden, or didn't fold up the laundry right.
"I couldn't ever be better than Dudley at anything" he said. It was all coming out and he couldn't stop himself from talking, "I had to dumb myself down in school" he spat, "if I got better grades than Dudley I was obviously cheating just to try to show 'dear Dudders' up and I'd get punished for that too. Dudley is so stupid that it's HARD to do worse than him, even on purpose. And if I got way worse grades than Dudley I was punished because I was obviously trying to make the Dursleys look bad. The teachers believed the lies Vernon and Petunia said about me and never bothered to see what was really going on.
"They lied about me all the time to the whole neighborhood saying that I was a half-witted delinquent and blaming me for all the bad stuff Dudley did. And he did a lot of bad stuff. He and his gang were the biggest bullies of the school and neighborhood. I could never make friends because Dudley and his gang would threaten and attack anyone who was nice to me so all of the other kids stayed away. I can't really blame them. And because of the Dursleys' lies I was the one who got blamed for everything even when it was obvious that I was innocent. Everyone bought those lies because the Dursleys are such upstanding members of society!" The other X-Men actually winced at the venom in Lightning's voice. His eyes were starting to fill with tears.
"Why?" he said, "why did they do all of that to me? What did I ever do to them? Just because I had magic? What the hell? Why couldn't they accept me? Why didn't they love me? Just one nice word, just one!" The tears started to run down over Lightning's mask and then down his cheeks.
"Why?" he was weeping openly now, "why? Why? WHY?! WHY!"
Marvel Girl sat down on the floor next to Lightning and took him in her arms to let him cry. Everyone knew that this had been coming for a long time.
"Yes Harry" Marvel Girl said, "don't hold it back, let it out, let it all out, every ache, every pain, every jab those despicable people took at you. Let it all out."
"You know" said Cyclops to the others, "I want to go back to the UK, find the Dursleys and pulverize them."
"Not before I beat them to a pulp first" growled Beast.
"Let me freeze them before either of you do that" said Iceman, "then you can both break them into little pieces."
"And I and Marvel Girl can toss them into the Thames" said Angel.
"Oh no" said Marvel Girl, "none of that's enough. What we really should do is – " Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, and Angel were struck with awe and horror at what Marvel Girl said they should do. She was one scary mutant when she wanted to be.
"Thanks but don't bother" said Lightning through his tears, "Vernon and Dudley are so fat that they probably won't even feel any of your attacks, or they'll just go bouncing away like huge balls or something."
"Or maybe repel our attacks like Blob does" said Beast, "now that's a scary thought."
When the X-Jet landed back in the U. S. Lightning had cried himself out and fallen asleep in Marvel Girl's arms. Once the plane was fully stopped she started to get up still holding him.
"I'll take him" said Beast. Without a word Marvel Girl handed Lightning over to Beast. The X-Men left the plane and went to the waiting Rolls Royce which quickly conveyed them back to the mansion. None of them moved to get out of the car after they arrived though.
"Professor" Marvel Girl called, "we're here."
"I know Jean" replied Xavier, "bring Harry inside and put him to bed. I'll see to it that he doesn't wake up until tomorrow. Then the rest of you come see me for debriefing."
Marvel Girl told the others what the Professor said and they all left the Rolls Royce and entered the mansion, Beast still carrying Lightning. Sirius was there to meet them and his look of concern told them that the professor had already filled him in on what had happened. Although no words were spoken they all went together to Lightning's room to put him to bed.
"I'll get his boots" said Cyclops, "Warren you get his mask, Bobby get his gloves, Hank get his belt."
"Right leader man" said Iceman. Soon Harry was lying on his bed under the covers, the rest of his uniform still on but that didn't matter as much. Marvel Girl turned out the light as they all left his room and walked to Xavier's office for debriefing.