章 54: Water battle

As I surfaced, coughing and splashing water from my face, Jean emerged beside me, her red hair plastered against her face. "Oh, you are so dead, Pryde!" she yelled, flicking a stream of water at Kitty, who was already laughing hysterically from the pool's edge.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Kitty taunted, phasing just as Jean lunged at her. The rivalry exploded from there, spiraling into a chaotic water war that quickly engulfed everyone around.

Kitty rallied Jubilee and the younger mutants into Team Chaos, their weaponry consisting of oversized water guns, pool noodles, and raw unpredictability. Jubilee's fireworks sparkled overhead like mini firecrackers, dazzling Team Chaos's victims into submission.

Jean, never one to back down from a challenge, quickly organized Team Control, roping in Rogue, Storm, and even Scott. The latter joined reluctantly, grumbling about his ruined hair but staying to impress Jean—though he would never admit it.

Logan, the self-proclaimed "neutral party," sat on a poolside lounge chair nursing a cold drink. "Y'all are acting like kids," he muttered, though his words were drowned out by the rising screams and laughter.

Jubilee led a surprise attack on Team Control's water gun stash, distracting Storm with a burst of sparkles while Kitty phased through Scott, stealing a key weapon. "Stop phasing through people!" Scott yelled, shaking a water gun that had been sabotaged to spray backward.

"You snooze, you lose, Summers!" Kitty teased, darting away just as a miniature whirlwind sent her and Jubilee splashing into the shallow end.

"Nice one, Storm!" Jean cheered, holding her hand up for a high five. Storm smirked, brushing a few stray water droplets from her white hair.

Logan's neutrality ended when Kitty phased through him, using him as a human shield. Soaked and fuming, he grabbed a bucket of water and dumped it over her head. "Dammit, Pryde! You're dead meat."

Kitty gasped, dripping wet. "Oh, it's on, old man!" She lunged at him with a pool noodle, earning cheers and jeers from both teams.

I decided to keep things interesting. With a subtle burst of telekinesis, I redirected a stray splash toward Jubilee and Kitty.

"Hey! No powers!" Jubilee shrieked, shaking her fist at me.

I held my hands up in mock innocence. "Technically, I'm not on a team."

"Traitor!" Kitty yelled, but before she could retaliate, Logan dumped another bucket of water over her.

Pixie flew around, spraying water, while Kurt teleported around shooting his water gun.

As the water war raged, the lines between teams blurred, with mutants switching sides, forming alliances, and then betraying them moments later. The climax came near the diving board, where Jean and Kitty faced off in a dramatic standoff, each armed with a pool noodle. The air buzzed with tension, though it was clear from their grins that this was all part of their game.

"You've been a pain in my ass all day," Jean said, mock-serious as she pointed the noodle at Kitty like a sword.

"And you've been bossing me around all year," Kitty retorted, sticking out her tongue.

Before they could clash, Jubilee and Rogue appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Jean from behind and dunking her into the water. Jean surfaced, sputtering but laughing, and responded with a telekinetic wave that drenched everyone within ten feet.

"Jean! No powers!" Rogue protested, but her grin said she didn't really mind.

"Don't start a war you can't finish!" Jean quipped, her green eyes sparkling with mischief.

By the time the battle ended, the pool area was a warzone of drenched towels, abandoned water guns, and exhausted mutants. Even Logan, the gruffest of the bunch, couldn't suppress a smirk.

"You people are nuts," he muttered, wringing out his shirt.

"Admit it, you had fun," I teased.

Jean, Kitty, and I slumped against the pool's edge, catching our breath. The rivalry between the two seemed to have cooled—for now.

"Alright," Kitty panted, holding out a soggy hand. "Truce?"

"For now," Jean replied, shaking it. Of course, she couldn't resist one last playful splash.

"You're impossible," Kitty muttered, though her laughter betrayed her words. Floating on her back, she gazed up at the darkening sky. "You know what? This was a good day."

Jean glanced at me, her smile softening. "Maybe. But Team Control still wins."

"Win? Pretty sure it was a draw," I said, raising an eyebrow.

Jean's smirk turned sly. "In that case…" Using her telekinesis, she lifted a wave of water and drenched me completely.

...

As the sun dipped low, the sky turned brilliant shades of orange and pink. We gathered near the wave pool, the day's energy giving way to a peaceful camaraderie.

"This was a good day, Aron. We don't get many of these," Storm said with a smile as she watched the others, still lost in excitement.

"No, we don't," I agreed, watching Kitty playfully splash Warren in the fading light.

For a moment, everything felt right. No threats, no battles—just us, a group of people finding joy in a world that often demanded too much.

Soon, we wrapped up our party...

The bus ride home was quiet, the earlier chatter replaced with a contented exhaustion. Jubilee and Rogue whispered conspiratorially, while Scott and Hank exchanged knowing smiles.

Jean rested her head on my right shoulder and Kitty rested her head on my left shoulder and gave a tired but happy smile.

"You really nailed it today," Kitty murmured.

....

The next morning, the mansion buzzed with the subdued energy of a Sunday. Sunlight streamed through the windows, painting golden streaks across the floors. The air smelled faintly of coffee and toast, and the muffled sound of laughter drifted from the kitchen.

I rolled over in bed, blinking against the light as the events of the previous day filtered back into my mind. The water war, the laughter, Jean and Kitty leaning against me on the bus ride home. A rare, genuine smile crept onto my face.

My peace was short-lived. A sharp knock on the door jolted me upright.

"Aron! Breakfast!" Kitty's voice rang out, accompanied by another series of knocks. "If you don't hurry, Logan's gonna eat all the bacon again."

I groaned, dragging myself out of bed. "Tell him to leave some, or I'll phase his bacon into the walls."

Her laugh echoed from the hallway. "You'd have to fight me for it first!"

Throwing on a t-shirt and some sweats, I shuffled down to the kitchen. The usual chaos awaited me. Jubilee sat perched on the counter, swinging her legs and animatedly recounting something to Kurt, who was flipping pancakes with the kind of precision only teleportation could provide. Rogue sipped her coffee, looking half-asleep but content, while Storm read the morning paper, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Jean stood by the stove, hair pulled into a messy bun, concentrating on stirring scrambled eggs. She caught my eye and gave me a small, warm smile that made the room feel a little brighter.

Kitty, true to her word, was guarding the plate of bacon like a sentinel, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You're late," she teased.

"Could've let me sleep in," I retorted, snatching a piece of bacon from the plate before she could react.

"Oh, it's on," she growled, lunging for me. I dodged, laughing, but before the situation could escalate, Logan's gruff voice cut through the kitchen.

"Can't y'all have one quiet morning?" He walked in, hair still damp from his early run, and grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Where's the fun in that?" Jubilee quipped, tossing a blueberry at him.

He caught it mid-air and ate it.

The breakfast chatter soon turned into plans for the day. Kurt suggested a movie marathon, Jubilee wanted to hit the mall with Rogue and Kitty, and Boddy proposed taking the younger mutants for some combat training.

Jean leaned over to me as I buttered a piece of toast. "What about you? What's your plan for today?"

I shrugged. "Haven't decided. Might join the movie crowd, or maybe hit the Danger Room for a bit. What about you?"

Her eyes twinkled. "I was thinking of taking some quiet time in the garden. You're welcome to join if you want."

Kitty, overhearing, smirked. "Careful, Aron. She's got plans to rope you into pulling weeds."

"Don't listen to her," Jean said, rolling her eyes. "I just need some peace after yesterday. My ears are still ringing and I think I got some water in my ears..."

"Yesterday was amazing, though," Jubilee said, her voice softer now. "We should do stuff like that more often."

"Agreed," Storm said, setting down her paper. "Next one is on me."

As breakfast wound down, I couldn't help but think about how rare mornings like this were—full of laughter, good food, and a sense of family. Hope, it lasts forever.

....

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