As Logan drove in silence, Ken sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly out the window. The weight of the day pressed on him—leaving Wade behind gnawed at his insides like a festering wound, and no matter how much he brooded, nothing made it better. He hated being so far from his brother, hated feeling helpless.
Behind him, Logan and Pyro's conversation caught his attention, though he kept his eyes fixed on the road outside.
"So, Wolverine," Pyro said, his voice cutting through the tense quiet, "what's worse: freezing to death or burning to death?"
Logan rolled his eyes, clearly over the endless barrage of questions, but he still answered,
"Burning's worse, but freezing lasts longer. Neither are fun."
Ken stiffened at the mention of freezing. His mind flashed back to the cold—the bone-chilling, soul-sucking cold that Stryker had forced him to endure. He could still feel it sometimes, like a phantom pain creeping in on colder nights.
"Is it really that bad," Pyro's voice sounded small. "Burning, I mean?"
Logan glanced at the rearview mirror, his frown deepening. "It's painful, yeah. Why?"
There was a pause, and then, Pyro said quietly, "My mother burned to death."
Logan grunted softly. "Do you wanna talk about it or something?"
"No," Pyro shot back quickly, defensive. "I don't need you to get all Ward Cleaver on me and offer up a therapy session."
Logan raised an eyebrow, already feeling his patience thinning. "I didn't offer you a therapy session, kid. I offered to pretend to listen."
Before Pyro could reply, Ken, half-asleep and clearly on edge, shifted in his seat. "Freezing's worse," he mumbled, his voice thick with exhaustion.
Logan blinked, not expecting the interjection. He glanced at Ken, whose eyes were still closed, though his expression was tight. "What?"
Ken shifted again, turning his head toward Logan without opening his eyes. "I've been frozen before," he said, his voice lower now. "By Stryker."
Logan's stomach tightened. "You never told me that."
"He froze me multiple times. Part of his experiments. Wanted to see me heal the froze bites or something. I am half convinced he just wanted to see me suffer."
Ken swallowed, his fists clenching in his lap. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but now it was out there. He could feel Logan's eyes on him, waiting for more, and he could sense the concern beneath his father's rough exterior.
Logan blinked, stunned. "You never told me that," he said, his voice softer than usual.
Ken shrugged, still avoiding his father's gaze. "I told Wade," he said, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "He understood. Stryker froze him... and burned him too. Sometimes both at the same times. He went through the same things I did."
Logan cursed under his breath, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as he processed the weight of what Ken had just revealed. Both of his son had suffered, and Logan had been left in the dark.
Ken's voice hardened, feeling anger bubbling beneath his father. "I guess... I didn't think you needed to know. It was all in the past… Talking with Wade already made it better." He wasn't trying to sound cold, but the bitterness in his tone couldn't be masked. It wasn't that he didn't care about Logan; he did. But talking about it with his dad than his brother—it felt different, harder.
Behind them, Pyro shifted uncomfortably, the weight of the conversation settling in the car. Bobby was still asleep, and Jubilee stirred slightly, murmuring in her sleep. The quiet tension was thick in the air now, more suffocating than the cold night outside.
Ken stirred again, clearly tired of the tension. "Can we please just stop talking about this?" he muttered, his voice laced with irritation. "Put the radio on or something, I'm trying to sleep, and you guys are making me depressed."
Logan flipped through the radio stations again, finally settling on some soft alternative rock. Ken, thankfully, sighed in relief as the low hum of the music filled the car. Well, Pyro too, for different reason.
"You're my hero, Wolverine," Pyro said, the gratitude in his tone as he started humming the songs.
"No one cares," Ken grumbled from the passenger seat, his eyes closed again, trying to get comfortable. He missed his brother, and he almost positive that he heard an explosion at the directions of the mansion. Hell, his father probably heard it too, super-hearing and all.
He could only hope his brother is safe.
-
The sun had been up for a few hours when Bobby and Jubilee finally stirred from their slumber.
Logan had ditched the back roads in favor of the interstate by then, deciding that hiding in plain sight was the way to go.
For once, he thanked whatever higher power was responsible for Scott's taste. The electric blue Mazda didn't scream "Stealth," but at least it wasn't that ridiculous Ferrari red or, God forbid, canary yellow. To the casual eye, it seemed like any other generic sports car. If he stayed with the flow of morning rush hour traffic, they weren't going to run into any problems.
As far as Logan figured, they'd left the mansion with a full tank of gas, and he hadn't stopped anywhere along the way. He knew his clothes had blood on them and barely held up anymore, the teens were all still in their pajamas. Well, Ken is in his pajama with a battle gear that Wade made him wear... Stopping anywhere was asking for trouble.
The problem with that was, despite being almost adults, none of the three teens were at all shy about letting Logan know how cranky they were getting. Bobby was hungry, Jubilee needed to use the bathroom, and John had expressed, more than once, that he was a horrid combination of the two. Hell, Ken seemed be more mature than the teens and he was only 8 years old. 8 years old with Wade's influences too.
By the time ten rolled around, Bobby perked up in the back seat, squinting out the window like he finally recognized the suburbs they were rolling through. "We're close," he muttered, then started giving directions like Logan was some glorified chauffeur. Thank god he was feeling worried for his other kid he left back there to care about.
Logan grunted as they pulled into the driveway of your average, white-picket-fence, American Dream home. It was almost too normal. Logan's eyes darted around. The garage was locked, which was annoying. Hiding the car would've been a smart move, but instead, the damn thing had to sit out there like a beacon to anyone who might be looking for them.
Bobby knocked on the door a few times, his heart clearly thumping in his chest. After getting no answer, he fished out a hidden key from a potted plant by the front step.
"Handy," Pyro drawled, flicking his lighter open and closed, clearly unimpressed by the family-friendly spy tactics.
"Forgot my keys a lot when I was a kid," Bobby mumbled. "Once had to make one outta ice just to get inside."
Logan didn't bother hiding his smirk. Of course, the kid would make an ice key. He was about to say something sarcastic when Bobby opened the door, stepping inside and calling, "Mom? Dad? Ronny?"
The house was as quiet as a graveyard. Bobby's pulse calmed a bit, his shoulders dropping as he sighed in relief. "Looks like we've got the place to ourselves. Maybe I should call—"
"No." Logan's voice was like a whip crack. "You never know who's listening."
"What, you think they tapped my parents' phones?"
Logan shot him a look. "Those troops were serious, and they were Stryker's, if my memories serve me right, he was more dangerous than Magneto. I'm saying that we need to be careful."
"I'll go look for some clean clothes then, I guess you'll need those," Bobby said, "John, don't burn anything while I'm gone."
"I'll help you," Jubilee followed Bobby while still yawning, clearly eager to do anything that didn't involve pissing off Logan.
Pyro sneered. "I'll do my best," he said, flipping Bobby the bird. Bobby returned the gesture as he headed upstairs.
Logan rubbed at the bridge of his nose. Teenagers. He moved toward the kitchen, only to be interrupted by the faint beep of the odd cell phone in his pocket—the one John had found in the car the night before. He pulled it out, extending the sides the way Ken had shown him. Nothing but static.
"Hello?" he tried, feeling stupid. No response. He gave it a little whack against the counter, because why not? "Marie? Storm? Jean? Cyke? Hank? Chuck?" Still nothing.
With a sigh, Logan tossed the useless thing onto the counter and opened the fridge. The contents weren't exactly inspiring—juices, sports drinks, and a lone Miller Genuine Draft. Not exactly top shelf, but at this point, beggars couldn't be choosers. He popped the cap and downed half the bottle in one go.
A faint clicking noise caught his attention. Pyro, of course, was snapping his lighter open and closed in the hallway. But something about the kid's focus was off. He wasn't playing with fire this time—he was staring at the family photos lining the wall. Logan stayed quiet, watching the kid's face twist with envy and bitterness as he scowled at each picture like they'd personally insulted him.
Logan let him stew in his brooding. The kid had his demons. Hell, didn't they all? But before he could get too philosophical about it, his instincts kicked in. Claws out. He spun around, ready to attack—and then promptly felt like an idiot when he realized he'd just threatened a cat.
The feline was not impressed. It sauntered up to him, purring, like it couldn't care less that it had almost been impaled. Logan retracted his claws, scratching behind the cat's ears. "Guess I like cats," he muttered to himself while petting it. Though, if anyone asked, he'd deny it. Wonder if Laura would like one? Maybe he could persuade Marie to buy one for the family. If they survives this.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps—too late. Logan looked up just in time to see Bobby's parents and little brother walking through the back door. They froze, their eyes immediately locking onto the bloodstains on what left on Logan's shirt.
"Who the hell are you?" Bobby's father barked, stepping protectively in front of his son. The mother, on the other hand, went straight for the cat, pulling it away from Logan like he'd been threatening it instead of, you know, petting it.
"Right," John muttered from the threshold, staring at the family with a bored expression. "Screw the kid. Save your cat."
Logan didn't have an answer that would defuse the situation, so he just pointed toward the staircase as Bobby came stumbling down, panic written all over his face.
"Uh… Mom, Dad, this is… Professor Howlett. He's, uh, one of my teachers." He as he handed Logan a clean shirt, he shot him a look that screamed, Help me out here, but Logan just raised an eyebrow.
Kid dug his own grave with that one.
"And that's my roommate, John," Bobby continued, pointing at Pyro. "And Jubilee, my classmate… and Ken. Professor Howlett's son."
The silence was deafening. Bobby's pulse was loud in Logan's ears until finally, it slowed. Decision made.
"Mom, Dad? There's something I need to tell you—"
Before he could finish, the doorbell rang. Tension crackled in the air like electricity. Logan glanced at Bobby, then cautiously opened the door.
It was just his son, smiling with his stupid smile at him. Thank god he made it alive.
Wade grinned back at him like an idiot, holding up a pizza box like he was delivering the pizza itself.
"Anyone order pizza?"
"WADE!" Ken cheered from the living room, immediately running to hug Wade who happily return it. "I thought you were gone!"
"Pfft. Please, Ken. It's gonna take more than some off-brand female Sabretooth and a bunch of Craigslist's soldiers to take me down."
Logan blinked. "How the hell did you find us?"
Wade's grin widened as he pulled out from Ken's hug as the boy still refused to let him go from the hug. "Pizza guy's bike, Cyke's cars got wrecked real bad because the explosions—Uggh, I hope he got it insured." He pointed his thumb at a red scooter that park near a fire hydrant, a busted fire hydrant that pouring out water.
"That scooter?"
"The break is loose..."
Wade then put down the pizza box down then went lounging in the sofa like he own the places, of course. "So, after the mansion blew up, I called local pizza place to deliver the pizza and stole his bike—don't worry I gave him a big tips. I am not a monster! Also, I may or may not have slapped a GPS tracker on all of your clothes. Learned my lesson from the last time, y'know?"
Bobby's father, still bewildered, demanded, "Who the hell is this guy? What soldiers? Explosions? Bobby, what the hell is going on?"
Bobby sighed. "Mom, Dad… this is Wade. He's… Professor Logan's older son."
Wade flashed a devilish grin. "Oh, is this the meet-cute with the in-laws? Did you tell them about us already, Bobby-bear?"
"Bobby-bear??? In-laws??? Bobby what's—"
"NO! I AM NOT GAY MOM!!!"
Ohh! I LOVE THIS SONGS!!!
Anyway, don't worry about the author right now, he's in the safe hand...
Muehuehuehehe!!!
XOXO
-Wade W Wilson
"I AM NOT GAY!" Bobby shouted, his face the color of a tomato on fire. He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. "I... am a mutant."
(Owwwh, he's still in the closet…)
It's not until the next 16 years he gonna have his came out story. You just outed him not cool!
Wade gasped dramatically, putting his hand in forehead while clutching his chest. "You hurt me, Bobby-bear! I thought we had something special!" Wade's theatrics earned him a sharp look and hard slap in the back of his head from Logan.
"Shut up, Wade," Logan growled.
Bobby's family just stared in shock. His mom clasped her hands together as if trying to hold in all the overwhelming emotions. His dad opened and closed his mouth like a malfunctioning robot.
Bobby took a deep breath, preparing to explain how his "school for the gifted" was, in fact, more like a school for "specials mutants," and not just a fancy prep school. His voice wavered, and his awkwardness was more palpable than Jubilee's bedazzled sunglasses in Wade's opinion.
Sensing the rising tension and Bobby's struggle to articulate his words, Jubilee stepped in like a pro she is. "Alright, everybody. Let's just... breathe for a second, yeah? Maybe sit down? That might help. Clear the tension yeah?"
Wade shot her a thumbs-up. "Nice save, Jubes. I'll actually getting really hungry here, and the Pizza I just bought gonna be cold."
Jubilee just slaps him in the back of his head. "It's not for you, dumbass!!! Read the room a little!"
"Owh, that hurt! What's up with women and their need to hurt me today!!!"
(Because they are so into you dude! What else!)
"Really!!! I know I am sexy, but—"
It's because you are being a jerk, they also really hate you…
'Ouch, You didn't have to crush a man's confident like that, Bold! Now, I am depressed!'
Once everyone sat down, Mrs. Drake excused herself to make tea, offering some to everyone as her shaky hands gathered cups. Her eyes darted toward Logan's beer in his hand, but she wisely chose not to comment. Ken and Jubilee politely declined, while John looked at her as if she'd offered him battery acid. Can't blame him, if Wade got fire related power, he might be hated water too.
"I hardly like drinking water," John stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Liquids taste bad enough without adding all kinds of crazy flavors."
Logan gave the back of John's shoulder a firm grip and gave him a hard look. He also shot Wade a sharp look when he saw him about to open his mouth. Okay then, he'll be polite this time.
"Thank you for your tea, Mrs. Drake, it is delicious!" Wade shot her a warm look. Well, about as warm as his mask look in the outside. He didn't really care, Logan wanted him to be polite, he'll be polite, in his own terms.
Really dude?
'Hey! She offered us!!! Beside tea and pizza could work!'
(Well, we did thank her at least! Also tea and pizza would definitely work!)
Mrs. Drake only gave him a small smile, and awkwardly settled down to sit beside her husband and younger son. Wade just shot Logan another looks as of saying, you happy now? Which Logan just answered with another gruff that only Ken and Wade could hear. Victory!!!
As everyone settled in, Bobby awkwardly began to explain Xavier's school, fumbling through details of his "gifted" friends. "It's not like I was trying to lie," Bobby said, wringing his hands, "It's just... complicated."
"So... when did you first know you were a..." Mrs. Drake struggled with the word.
"A mutant," Pyro helpfully supplied, flicking his lighter for what felt like the millionth time.
Mrs. Drake shot him an irritated look. "Would you cut that out?" she asked in an agitated voice.
Wade leaned over and gave Pyro a light whack on the head. "Ease up, flame boy. They already think we're freaks of a nature. No need to burn things up—yet." And that earned another slap from Logan to the back of his head. Okay, that's need to stop! Why people just like slapping the back of his head?
(Because it's very slapable!)
Because you made them an easy target.
With an exaggerated huff, Pyro flicked the lighter one last time before shoving it in his pocket. He gave Wade a not-quite-scowl that Wade answered with a grin.
"We actually thought Bobby was going to a school for the gifted," Mr. Drake finally spoke up, trying to make sense of everything. "We just didn't realize..."
"That it was more 'Sky High' than 'Dead Poets Society?'" Wade piped in.
Jubilee shot Wade a warning look. "Can you not make this worse for him?"
Wade threw up his hands in mock innocence. "I was only clarifying! And Sky High is a good movie! I'm helpin' him!"
Mr. Drake ignored their exchange and turned back to Bobby. "Why didn't you tell us? What were you thinking? We're your parents! How could you keep something like this from us?"
"Dad, You don't understand—"
"Obviously!"
"Dad!"
Mrs. Drake tried to intervene. "We still love you, Bobby. It's just that... this mutant problem, it's—"
Logan, leaning against the wall, gave her a hard look. "What mutant problem?"
"... complicated," she finished lamely, looking away from Logan after a moment. Logan continued to glare at her when her husband chimed in again.
"You lied, Bobby. Xavier lied. To my face! What am I supposed to believe about him now, or this school of his? Or you?" Bobby flinched, but Wade was sure that only he had noticed it—well, maybe Logan and Ken too, super-sense and all. "You show up without a word of warning or explanation, apparently without even clothes of your own to wear! What's that supposed to mean? How many other secrets are there? And what exactly are you professor of, Mr. Howlett?"
Logan raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest threateningly. "History" he said half sarcastically. Hah! Wade get it. Classic pops.
(If only our mom is also here too see this,)
Personally, I like when he said he was art's professor, the art of slicing and dicing things. Suit him the most.
"Look, you should see what our Bobby-bear can do," Wade said, his tone turning cheeky. "His powers are... pretty cool." He elbowed at Pyro and Ken, who just smirked at him. Finally, the one who appreciated his humor. He'll take a smirk or two.
Bobby, taking the cue, reached out to his mother's teacup and lightly tapped the surface. The liquid instantly froze solid, and Mrs. Drake's eyes widened as she turned the cup upside down, the frozen tea clinking onto the saucer. The family gawked, and the room went silent.
"I can do a lot more than that," Bobby said with quiet pride.
The cat that had been walking back and forth between Logan and Ken for attention now raced to the coffee table and jumped up, licking the frozen treat as though it hadn't eaten anything but dry cat food in ages.
Wade heard heavy breathing coming from the boy that sat on the other side of Bobby's mother. Slightly younger than Bobby, the boy had been brooding with his arms crossed and glaring at the fireplace since the conversation had begun. He now got up and stormed up the stairs like an angry toddler and slammed a door loudly.
"Oh, Ronny..." Mrs. Drake watched him leave, shaking her head. "This is all my fault."
Pyro, unable to resist, spoke up with his trademark grin. "Actually, they found out it's the male side that carries the mutant gene, so..." he pointed to Mr. Drake with a click of his tongue "it's his fault."
Wade chuckled lightly. "Yeah, could confirm! We all inherited more of our dad's... talents than our mom's." Ken just snorted at his remark. Another one, he'll take a snort too!
Jubilee just rolls her eyes at the boys' antics, "Just shut up all of you!"
Before the conversation could spiral even further, Logan clapped Wade on the shoulder. "Alright, that's enough. Wade, Pyro, Jubilee, Ken—come with me. I need your help with something."
Wade raised an eyebrow but followed Logan into the kitchen, Pyro, Jubilee and Ken trailing behind
(Owhh, but I still wanted to see the coming out scene!!!)
Just let them sort it out as a family first, we've been making their family situation bad enough already.
-
Logan leaned against the counter, arms crossed, Pyro was still flicking his lighter, and Wade was humming the X-Files theme, completely undeterred by the seriousness of the moment. Ken, who had been unusually quiet since they arrived, looked his brother like he was expecting Wade gonna be gone at any second. Well, one more to that kid trauma list. Sigh, He really is a shitty father.
Logan called on Wade, he then pointed to a device from the car, sitting half-disassembled on the kitchen table. "You're good with tech. Tell me how this thing works."
Wade tilted his head. "Ooh, a secret mutant Bat-Phone? Please tell me it shoots lasers? Oh, this is juicy—gimme a sec." He crouched down, fiddling with the device, but Logan wasn't finished.
"What do you need this for, anyway? Oh, don't tell me! Mini grappling hook? Explosive chimichanga dispenser? Or, wait—" Wade asked, flipping a small metal gadget over in his hand.
"Just make it work normally like a phone, kid," Logan replied gruffly, pacing the kitchen. He was trying to get a hold of Marie, Hank, Jean—anyone on their side. He knew they were safe, but it didn't sit well with him that they hadn't heard from them.
"So," Logan's voice lowered, "Please tell me if I am wrong, but did you blow up the mansion again after we gone? Because I am sure I heard an explosions from the mansion directions that night."
Wade blinked innocently. "Define 'blow up.' Because, technically, I just made a minor alteration to the mansion's HVAC system… which then triggered a chain reaction… that may or may not have caused a tiny explosion in the kitchen and gas's pipes which then blew up the whole mansion."
Logan shot him a look. "You did blow up the mansion."
"Allegedly blew up the mansion, Technically I only blew up the kitchen." Wade corrected, not looking up from his work. "And really, the mansion will be blow up every few months anyway, and I only do it for like three times in three years! You guys should see that as consistency."
Logan grunted, shaking his head. "You and 'consistency' don't belong in the same sentence."
"Hey, I'm very consistently inconsistent. That's something, right?"
"Yeah, right."
Jubilee smirked from across the room. "Hey, at least this time it for a cause. He did save us by blowing up the mansion."
"Allegedly," Wade said cheerfully, "But yeah! Where's my thanks!!!"
Wade fidgeted with the device for a moment longer before it let out a sharp beep. "Boom. Done. You're welcome, by the way," Wade said, standing up and wiping imaginary dust off his hands like he'd just conquered a mountain.
Logan stared at him for a long moment, then took the device. The thing beeped a couple of times before finally connecting, and Logan waited as the signal bounced around. Ken and Jubilee hovered closer, curious. Wade leaned back, clearly pleased with himself.
"Do we get cool codenames on this thing?" Wade asked, looking at Logan with wide, expectant eyes. "I called dibs on Captain Deadpool!"
"Shut up, Wade," Logan muttered as the call finally went through.
"I know, too much right? Let's just roll with Deadpool!"
There was a click, and then Hank's voice came over the line. "Logan? Thank heavens. Where are you?"
"We're at Bobby Drake's house," Logan replied gruffly. "Everyone's fine—well, mostly. Wade, Ken, Jubilee, Pyro, and Bobby are all with me."
"Wade, Ken?" Marie's voice broke in, relief filled her voices. "Are they alright? Wade blown up the mansion again, did he? I heard the explosions."
"Allegedly blew up the mansion, also Ken was alright! So it was a win for me!" Wade grinned and whispered to Ken, "She knows me so well."
"We're safe for now," Hank replied. "I've got Rogue and the kids with me. We're at one of my old friend's safe houses. Lost contact for a bit, but thankfully, no one's been captured."
Logan exhaled slowly. "Good. Any word from Jean or Storm?"
There was a pause before Hank responded, and then Logan heard a familiar voice cutting through the static.
"Logan, it's Storm. Where are you?"
"Good timing, We're at Bobby Drake's house," Logan said, rubbing his forehead. "Do you know where it is? Could you pick us up?"
"Okay, I know where that is, we'll be there in 5 minutes," Jean replied.
"Did you hear anything from Charles and Scott?" Hank asked suddenly.
"No, not a word from any of them," Jean answered, "We still trying to get in contact,"
Wade piped up from his chair, not content to be left out. "Hey! Can someone tell Storm that I miss her terribly, and I can't wait to bask in her glorious goddess presence again?"
Jean chuckled softly on the other end. "I think she heard you, Wade."
Logan ignored him, refocusing on the comm. "We'll be ready when you arrive. Keep in touch."
"Understood," Marie said. "Stay safe, Sugar."
Last fic for mass update, because I am on the mood this week... BTW, this arc is set in 1999 and Bobby Drake coming out issue is in 2015, hence 16 years. I also wanted to do Tony Stark little arc with him being kidnapped in 2000 not 2008. Also! before I forget, should I made Tony mutant or at least knew Charles Xavier and were the one who finance the school along with Warren Worthington III? About Tony being mutants, it is because I read some fanfic in Ao3 and FFnet with him being a Empath/Techno telepath and the plot intrigued me cause with him actually having a secret identity hiding and that he was actually a mutant. Or should I just made a new fic about it? Idk, him being a mutant actually really cool for this fic plot. Maybe I'll made a new fix but in the same universe? Whaddya think?
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