This place is nice." Laura said as she sat on the bed, her knees placed against her chest with her arms hugging them closer.
"I suppose." Harry frowned as he lay down on the other bed.
"Why don't you like it here?" Laura asked.
"It's not that I don't like it, I just..." Harry let out a long sigh. "...I just don't know if we can trust them."
"They said that the Logan man was our grandfather." Laura replied. "That means he is family."
"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were family as well." Harry reminded her. "But Sabretooth did say that they were nice so I suppose I'm willing to give them a chance. I..." Harry paused and began sniffing in the air. "...let me get the door." He said as he stood up and walked towards the door, he opened it to reveal Logan who had his hand raised and was clearly about to knock. "Yes?" Harry asked just as Logan lowered his hand.
"Right...this is awkward." Logan said to himself before he took a deep breath and began speaking. "Alright, you know how I'm your grandfather? Well, I was hoping we could spend some time together, you know?"
"Doing what?" Laura asked as she walked over and stopped next to Harry.
"I don't know," Logan shrugged. "I don't spend much time with kids unless I have to, what do you two kids like to do?" He asked.
"We...don't really know." Harry admitted.
"Huh?" Logan blinked. "What do you mean you 'don't really know'?"
"It's not our fault!" Harry said in a defensive voice, and it was not.
"Between the Dursley's and Stryker, we never got to do anything fun." Laura said in a bitter voice, she growled at the same time as Harry and Logan. All three looked at each other and blinked in surprise.
"Right...well..." Logan paused, not sure what to say.
"Logan," Ororo said as she arrived next to Logan. "I am going to go shopping now, I would like some help if that is not a problem." She said.
"I...I was going to...you know..." Logan trailed off as he gestured to Harry and Laura.
"Ah, excellent," Ororo smiled as she looked at the two young mutants. "perhaps you two could join us."
"Join you?" Harry repeated.
"Yes, would you both like to come shopping with us?" Ororo asked with a kind smile. She watched as Harry and Laura looked at each other, the two appeared to be in a sort of silent conversation that was likely possible either because of telepathy or simply knowing each other very well. Their small non-verbal conversation ended with Laura nodding, Harry sighed before he turned too Ororo and nodded. "Excellent, we'll be going in ten minutes." She nodded to them before winking at Logan as she walked away.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Harry asked once Ororo was gone.
"No, she's not my girlfriend." Logan said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, "You kids stay ready and stay here, I'll be right back then we'll go shopping." He said before he walked off to find Ororo. "What was that about?" He asked once the two were alone.
"I am merely helping you." Ororo answered.
"Helping me?" Logan blinked.
"This is a delicate situation Logan," Ororo replied. "I intend no offence when I say this but you need help in dealing with these kids. Sure you may teach the other kids here but you don't really get close to any of them, nor do any of them see you as more than a teacher. But Harry and Laura are different, they've suffered through things that no child should have to suffer through and Harry at least is at a stage where he doesn't trust any adults. They need our help and they need you, I simply want to help you help them."
"Fine," Logan sighed. "but a little warning next time before you suddenly decide on a plan for my day."
"What were you going to do anyway?" Ororo snorted. "Go in the garage and work on your vehicles or spend the day drinking beer?" She asked.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...
"Shut up."
"Harry," Ororo asked as they drove to the shops using one of the cars from the garage. Logan preferred to drive on his motorbike but knew that he couldn't really get away with driving on a bike with three other people, two of which were kids, at least not in this country. Logan was driving so he was naturally in the front, Laura wanted to sit in the front while Ororo and Harry didn't care either way so Laura was sat at the front with Harry sat behind her and Ororo sat behind Logan. "can I ask you a question?" She said.
She was tempted to not say anything and just enjoy the peaceful silence, besides it was rather amusing to watch the two children. Laura was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement and her face was filled with wonder as she looked out the window at the various cars, building and people they passed along with the environment around her. Things that seemed mundane to most people but clearly not to Laura. Harry, on the other hand, was equally as interested, even if he did try and hide it.
"Um...if you want." Harry said, wondering what she wanted.
"Your sister has bone claws but you do not," She commented in a casual voice. "your claws are metal but when we brought you in we did an x-ray and saw that there was no metal in your body, do you know why that is?" She asked.
"Really?" Logan groaned. "The Professor and bigfoot try to think up ways to bring it up and you just straight up blurt it out?"
"I find that honesty is the best policy." She said in an unapologetic voice before turning back to Harry.
"Why do you want to know?" Harry frowned.
"For many reasons, one I am a bit nosey." She said with a wink, before getting more serious. "Second of all at school we help young mutants and that is much easier for us and them if we know what their powers are. In your case, the fact that your claws are metal is interesting but what if the metal is harming you in some sort of way?"
"I don't feel sick."
"Maybe not now, but it might make you feel sick in the future." Ororo argued. "We don't know if the metal is magnetic or if it can be burnt or broken, there is a lot of things that could be bad or good depending on why you have metal claws. So, if you are fine with telling me then can I know why?" She asked Harry.
"Hmm...fine." Harry said after a few moments. He raised one hand and closed his fist, three claws came out but they weren't metal like before, they were in fact bone claws...or at least they were for a few moments. Ororo watched as the claws suddenly changed into metal.
"That is impressive," She said as she raised a hand. "may I?" She asked as gestured to the claws. Harry hesitated but he did nod. She slowly reached out and placed her hands on his claws, she only did so for a few moments before removing her hand, not wanting to make him too uncomfortable.
"I feel kind of jealous," Logan admitted. "he comes with his own metal claws, I had to go through an experiment to get mine."
"Hmm, does that hurt you at all?" She asked Harry.
"Only a little bit when they come out." Harry admitted as his claws went back into his hand.
"You get used to it." Logan commented.
"Have you?" Laura asked.
"It's just sort of like a small sting now." Logan replied.
"Thank you for helping me." Ororo said as the group carried their shopping to the car.
"You're welcome." Logan said as he placed the bags in the car.
"I was talking to Harry and Laura." Ororo replied as she herded the two young mutants into the car.
"Of course you were." Logan said, rolling his eyes before he and Ororo got into the car.
"So, it's time to go back to the mansion now." Ororo said as she and the rest put on their seatbelts, though Logan only really did so because he knew the kids were here and he knew from experience that Ororo wouldn't let him get away with not doing it, healing factor or not. The woman was many things, one of which was stubborn.
"I want to stop off at one of those fast food joints first." Logan said as he began driving away.
"Why?" Ororo frowned.
"Firstly because I'm hungry, second of all me and my grandkids need to bond with each other and they are apparently too young to have alcohol so this is the next best option, and the third reason is because these two are hungry."
"How do you know?" She asked.
"They're kids, they're always hungry." Logan said as in a way that made it clear that he was very surprised and disbelieving at how Ororo missed what was such an obvious fact.
"We are a little bit." Laura admitted, Ororo looked at Harry who agreed with a small nod.
"Very well, if we must." She said with a roll of her eyes.
"This is quite fascinating." Hank McCoy commented as he examined Harry's metal claws. Harry and Hank were currently in a lab along with Laura, Ororo and Professor Xavier.
"What metal is it?" Logan asked.
"I am...not quite sure." Hank admitted, "That is why it is so fascinating, it is not steel nor is it adamantium or even vibranium or any other metal that I am aware of. If Harry is willing then I would like to continue to do some more tests later in the month."
"Why not right now?" Logan frowned.
"Apologies Logan, but unlike you I actually do have other things to do." Hank replied with an eyeroll before turning to Harry "Now, I will of course have to do more tests but as far as I am aware the metal that coats your claws is not harmful to you in anyway or form. With that being said, if you have any problems with your claws or the rest of your body then be sure to tell me or another one of the adults here quickly, is that understood?" He asked.
"...Understood." Harry nodded after a few moments.
"Well, if that will be all..." Professor Xavier paused and gave Hank a questioning look, Hank nodded in response so Professor Xavier turned back to Harry and Laura. "...you two may go now."
"You kids know how to play basketball?" Logan asked Harry and Laura, the two shook their heads to say 'no, we do not'. "Let's fix that then, come on." He said as he began walking, gesturing them to follow.
"I am very pleased that he is trying to get along with Harry and Laura." Professor Xavier said once Logan and the kids were gone.
"Baby steps," Ororo smiled. "they still need to get used to each other but hopefully they can form a proper family together." Ororo said before her beautiful face shifted into a frown. "By the way, Charles, what is being done about Harry and Laura's 'relatives'?" She asked, Professor Xavier was about to respond when suddenly thunder was heard from above.
"I didn't know that Thor is visiting today." Hank commented in a dry voice.
"Sorry about that," Ororo apologized as she shook her head. "anyway, like I asked, what is being done about Harry's relatives?"
"Ah," Professor Xavier smiled, not his usual kind smile either. "I told you before that I had some friends of mine working on that."
The Dursley's were a proud and normal family, thank you very much.
Vernon Dursley, despite his large and round body, squirrel tail like mustache and balding hair, believed himself to be the epitome of healthy, good looking men. Petunia Dursley, his wife, believed herself to be the perfect, beautiful housewife, even though she actually looked like a very thin horse as she had a body so skinny that it looked like she hadn't eaten in days, a very long neck and a long face. Vernon and Petunia's son, Dudley, looked very much like a younger version of Vernon Dursley and, as far as Petunia and Vernon were concerned, he was the perfect child.
Sure he might throw plenty of tantrums and break things and cry a lot and eat more than he should but he was just an overactive, growing boy. Unlike those pair of freaks, freaks that they had only been forced into taking care of because Petunia's ignorant, freak of a sister got herself and her worthless husband blown up. If that wasn't enough then there was the fact that these two were extra freaky, they were mutants.
Mutants and magical freaks, worst than regular freaks. And those claws, they were wild animals. The family was glad that the nice Stryker man recognized that a family such as their own didn't deserve to suffer through living with two freaks like those and he thankfully took them away, leaving the Dursley's as one perfect family.
The lovely family time was soon interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Vernon, are you expecting anyone?" Petunia said as she walked into the living room with a tray of food, Dudley was watching TV while Vernon was reading his newspaper.
"No," Vernon grumbled as he put his newspaper down and got up. "I hope to god that it's not another one of those bloody Jehovah Witnesses or girl scouts." He said as he walked towards the door, he opened it and blinked when he found himself face to face with several men in black suits.
"Are you Vernon Dursley?" One of the men asked.
"Yes." Vernon blinked. "What do you want?"
"We are special agents from the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D ," The man replied. "and what we want is you, sir. You are going to come with us, we need to have a talk about properly looking after children." The man said, ignoring one of his colleagues who had began cracking his knuckles.
Time Jump : A year later
Six year old Harry was currently joining Logan and Professor Xavier on a visit to try and meet a new mutant. Logan was dressed in brown shoes, blue jeans, a grey shirt and a dark brown jacket with three stripes on both arms, which was pretty much the best you were going to get from Logan when telling him to dress nice, Professor Xavier was dressed in his usual blue suit. Harry, on the other hand, chose to dress in a similar manner to his grandfather. He was wearing black trainers, blue jeans, a dark green shirt and a black jacket.
Harry would be the first to admit that he had several trust issues, he couldn't say that they were entirely gone but after spending a year in the X-Mansion he was able to allow himself to realize that nobody in the mansion was out to get him or Laura. The reason he was here today was because Professor Xavier believed that Harry was okay enough to help out and he wanted to use him as an example of the children that lived at the X-Mansion. Laura would have come if not for the fact that she was gone out shopping with Ororo.
"So is this the house?" Logan asked as he got out of the car.
"Yes it is," Professor Xavier said as Harry got out and opened the door for him while Logan pulled Professor Xavier's fold up wheelchair out of the boot, the Professor preferred his usual one but that was hard to transport so regular one it was. "Thank you Harry, Logan." Professor Xavier said when they both helped him out of the car and into his chair.
"There are three people inside." Harry noted as he tilted his head towards the house. "They know we're here."
"Do they?" Professor Xavier asked as Logan began pushing him towards the house.
"Yeah," Logan nodded as Harry began following. "they're telling the girl to behave." He said just before they reached the door, Harry reached over and pressed the doorbell. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal a brown haired man and a woman with red hair, both looked to be in their thirties.
"Hello," The man greeted in a stiff voice, "please come in." He said quickly and gestured them inside. Eventually the three mutants were taken to the living room, Logan placed Professor Xavier in a corner of the room so the Professor could talk to everyone. Logan stood on the Professor's left and crossed his arms, Harry stood on the Professor's right and crossed his arms, clearly not trying to copy Logan.
"Thank you for coming." The woman said as she and her husband sat down on a sofa.
"That's quite alright, Mrs Grey." Professor Xavier replied. "Might I ask, where is the young lady we are here to talk about?" He asked.
"We'll call her down," Mr Grey said. "I must say I am really hoping that you can help fix this mutant problem."
"What mutant problem?" Harry asked as he narrowed his eyes.
"Harry." Professor Xavier warned. Harry grunted but didn't say anything else.
"Jean, come down here." Mrs Grey called.
A few seconds later a young girl about Harry's age walked down the stairs, she was wearing white shoes and blue jeans and a red t-shirt. Her hair was shoulder length and bright red, to Harry it looked like the color of fire, her eyes were a bright shade of green that was almost as bright as Harry's. The girl - whose name was apparently Jean - stepped inside the room and sat in-between her parents.
"Hello Miss Grey," Professor Xavier greeted her. "I am Professor Charles Xavier, this is my colleague Logan," He said as he gestured to Logan before gesturing to Harry. "and this is Logan's grandson, Harry."
"You don't look old enough to be a grandfather." Jean said to Logan, saying what her parents were thinking.
"I get that a lot." Logan snorted.
"Now Jean, I own a school that had been built to help people like you, me, Logan and even Harry." Professor Xavier said. "A school for the gifted."
"That means you can do weird stuff too, right?" Jean asked.
"You could say that." Harry said as he raised his right fist, a couple of seconds later three metal claws popped out of his hand. The Grey parents practically jumped in their seats at the sight while Jean stared with wide eyes and a slightly dropped jaw.