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Upstairs in the darkness of the storage room Atif and Billy had completely tuned out the world. It wasn’t until Atif’s watch started to beep that either of them thought about the time. Atif pulled back from the deep kiss he’d been enjoying, taking his hands off from around Billy to look at his watch. He pressed the side button to stop it from beeping and sighed as he looked at the hour. “Oh crap.”, Atif groaned. Billy sighed at the beeping and rested his head on Atif’s shoulder as he dealt with the watch. “What’s wrong?”, Billy asked. “The time. I should have been downstairs nearly ten minutes ago.”, Atif explained holding up his watch. Billy turned his head enough to look at the watch before sighing. “I don’t want to go back downstairs.”, Billy playfully whined before kissing Atif’s neck just above his collar. “I want to just stay up here with you.”, Billy whispered as he kissed up Atif’s neck to his ear. Atif let out a “mmm” but sighed his rational brain kicking in. “I know. I would rather stay here too. But we both know that can’t happen right now. We should get back to our groups before they send search parties out. I’m certain when the Academy students realize you’re missing they will come looking and I’ll get the blame for kidnapping you or something.”, Atif said shaking his head.

“You mean I’m not your hostage?”, Billy teased. “Your friends would think I casted a spell on you or something to get you to come with me.”, Billy joked. “In a way didn’t you? Cause I’m certainly under some type of influence.”, Atif teased. Billy smirked before kissing Atif’s lips. “That’s right, I have you under my spell. So is it working? You going to stay up here the rest of the night?”, Billy asked. Atif smirked shaking his head. “It’s working but I can’t stay up here. Rational brain is wining over the side that just wants to make out till the new year and beyond.”, Atif said slipping under Billy’s arm to move away from the wall. Billy sighed. “Then not working enough. Stupid rational brain.”, Billy grumbled. He turned and leaned against the wall, his eyes having fully adjusted to the dark he watched as Atif adjusted his shirt and hair to make sure he didn’t look too disheveled.

Atif sighed looking over at Billy. “I hate that it’s like this. I hate having to sneak around. Not telling my own twin about us.”, Atif said frowning. Billy nodded pushing off the wall and helping to fix Atif’s shirt collar. “I know. I don’t like it either. I never lie to Tommy. But I don’t want my mom to freak out and you know kill you. I love you and don’t want to lose you.”, Billy said. Atif frowned. “I love you too. I just. I mean at what point do we stop worrying about how our moms or our friends are going to feel about us? What point do we step out of the closet holding hands? I mean we are both out to our friends and families as gay. So when do we come out as a couple?”, Atif asked. Billy sighed and gently rubbed Atif’s cheek. “You’re the seer. You tell me when we come out and how bad the reaction is.”, Billy whispered before kissing Atif’s other cheek. Atif closed his eyes and tried for a vision but what he saw wasn’t anything about him and Billy. It was a more detailed version of his long standing vision. He pulled back from Billy blinking the white light of his powers from his eyes shaking his head, his heart pounding. Billy watched with concern and placed a hand on Atif’s shoulder. “What is it? What did you see?”, Billy asked. “Your mom. All this time...all these years I’ve seen this and tonight I see it clear. Oh god it’s her. She’s the one...”, Atif rambled his whole body shaking.

Billy pulled Atif into a tight hug. “It’s alright. I’m here. Just calm down. What about my mom? What do you mean all these years? What did you see?”, Billy asked. Atif took a few deep breaths trying to control himself but he continued to shake and even felt tears starting to form. “She’s the one that kills him. She’s behind the purple light.”, Atif said still mostly rambling. Billy pulled back and pressed his forehead against Atif’s to look in him in the eyes. He didn’t like seeing the tears forming. “Who does my mom kill? What are you talking about sweetie?”, Billy asked again. “Landon. She kills Landon. I don’t know why and I have yet to find a way to stop it.”, Atif said closing his eyes trying to keep the tears back. “Landon? She wouldn’t have a reason to. Tell me the vision. Maybe I can help?”, Billy requested. “I’ve had the same vision since I was nine. There’s a blast of purple light and then when I look down Landon, maybe teens early twenties in age is dead at my feet. And just now when you asked what I saw for us I tried to get a vision and instead of seeing our fate I got a clearer view of Landon’s. I see your mom raising her hands and the blast of purple light coming from them. Then Landon stands in front of it, the blast hits him in the chest and he falls back to my feet dead. I’ve been trying for years to figure out what the purple light was. Now I know it’s her. I just don’t know why.”, Atif explained.

Billy shook his head. “I don’t know either. Landon hasn’t done anything to get my mom angry. Sure she sees him as a future threat because you all follow him so willingly. She doesn’t like the idea that he could be the new Charles Xavier figure of the X-Men.”, Billy said puzzled. “The new Charles Xavier? What?”, Atif asked. “You are a team leader right Atif? Your school puts two people in charge of a team of younger mutants right?”, Billy asked. Atif nodded. “Yeah. So?”, Atif asked confused. “But even you and the other team leaders you all follow Landon. He inspires all of you. In all seriousness would you follow Landon into battle? Would you risk your life for him? For what he stands for? For what he believes in?”, Billy explained. Atif took a breath and thought about it. “Well yeah. Of course I would follow him. Landon is a strong leader. He’s always got a great strategy and plan in place. He’s been my best friend my whole life so yeah I’d risk my life for him because he’d risk it for me. He stands for the same things I do. He wants to protect the people he cares most about in this world. He wants there to be peace between everyone and there no longer be this ‘us vs them’ crap between mutants and humans.”, Atif answered. Billy nodded. “And that is why my mom sees him as a future Charles Xavier type. How much about your founder do you know?”, Billy asked. “What I’ve been told by my mom and other X-Men who knew him. And what Landon’s told me since he’s the mutant historian. He founded the school to help mutants like himself learn to control their powers and eventually formed the X-Men to be able to go out and help to create peace not only amongst mutants but between mutants and humans. The X-Men were founded to protect mutants and humans a like.”, Atif said thinking about it. “Right. My grandfather helped found that, but he believed mutants should rule over humans and Charles didn’t so they split. The X-Men rallied behind Xavier because they believed in him and what he stood for, the same way your generation of students believes in Landon. And my mom doesn’t want there to be someone out there like that. Though I don’t know why she’d act so early in his life…”, Billy explained.

“The X-Men follow Duncan. Shouldn’t he be your mother’s concern.”, Atif countered. Billy shook his head. “The current X-Men do yes. But the new generation, your generation will you follow Duncan or would you follow Landon?”, Billy asked. Atif sighed. “Landon of course. I mean I respect Duncan. But he hides so much from us. Landon doesn’t. So I mean I guess I could see it. How he could be a threat in that way to your mom. We all respect and love him. But that doesn’t tell me why so early.”, Atif said shaking his head. “No it doesn’t. The way my mom talks about it is that I’d be the one having to deal with Landon. Not that I ever plan to fight your friend. He’s your best friend I couldn’t hurt him. But my mom has been trying to groom me to take her role as leader when I’m old enough.”, Billy said. “So there’s gotta be something. Something big that Landon does to get her after him. And you can’t think of anything?”, Billy asked. Atif sighed he hadn’t told Billy about the mystery that he and the others, under Landon’s leadership, had been investigating since they were kids. But as he thought about it he realized something the vision started when they started looking into the mystery. “It has something to do with a mystery we have been investigating since we were kids. It was when we started the investigation that the vision first happened.”, Atif explained.

“Mystery? What mystery?”, Billy questioned. “Something that all the adults, at least on our side of the ‘tracks’ keep hidden. It has something to do with the night the institute was attacked by the Friends of Humanity. Because whatever happened from that it caused Landon’s dad and the whole Haven to not talk to Lily’s mom. And we’ve found things like old news articles about how your Aunt was having Warren indicted on treason charges. Yet nothing was never mentioned in any article we could find after the attack. It’s just little things not adding up. The adults clam up and tell us they can’t talk about and that they won’t talk about.”, Atif explained. “Your adults aren’t the only ones keeping whatever secret that is. I remember after Lily ran away. Her mom came back and said something about Demitri implying that if she or any of the acolytes made a move to force Lily back it’d restart a war. Kim seemed confused by it, but the mention of it bothered my mom. I remember watching her cast a spell to find something out, it’s fuzzy because of how long ago it was but it was to find out what Demitri knew.”, Billy explained. “So your mom knows the secret too? Then that must be it. Landon figures out the secret, opens the metaphoric pandora’s box and draws your mother’s ire.”, Atif concluded.

“So tell Landon to stop. Tell him about the vision and tell him to stop looking into the mystery.”, Billy suggested. Atif laughed. “I have told him. He’s known about the vision since he was fourteen. He doesn’t care. Why do you think he doesn’t date? He figures his time is limited so why break hearts. Landon won’t give up on the mystery. He wants to know, it’s like air to him he needs to know that badly. He wants his family whole again. And that can’t happen if his dad and Lily’s mom won’t talk. He thinks finding the secret will put a stop to their issues.”, Atif explained. “I just thought he was in the closet or something.”, Billy said honestly. Atif laughed. “Sweetheart if Landon was gay I wouldn’t have needed to date you.”, Atif admitted. Billy laughed shaking his head. ”Seriously?”, Billy asked. Atif laughed shrugging. “Come on admit it Billy he is cute. He’s just heterosexual, but beyond that..”, Atif said. Billy laughed and nodded. “Fine I’ll give you that. But I prefer red heads.”, Billy teased messing with Atif’s hair. Billy sighed and looked at his feet, Atif was trusting him with a rather insider type secret. “Does the rest of your gang know about the vision?”, Billy asked. Atif shook his head. “Ashley, me and Landon are the only ones. Landon hasn’t wanted to tell the others. I mean how do you tell your sister and cousin you know you are going to die? And Rose lost her dad, Landon doesn’t think she could take knowing she was going to lose him.”, Atif admitted. “So you have told me something you haven't told some of your best friends. You have that much trust in me?”, Billy questioned. Atif took Billy’s hands in his. “Of course I do. I trust you with my heart why wouldn’t I trust you with this.”, Atif said with a soft smile.

“Then it’s only fair I have as much trust in you.”, Billy said with a sigh. “What do you mean?”, Atif asked. “When I was eight something really weird happened to me.”, Billy started. “I was still coming into my powers and I sleep teleported.”, Billy continued. “Yeah that can happen. Kurt’s an adult and still does sometimes.”, Atif said. “But I went somewhere weird. The neyaphem’s port through their home dimension which is kind of like hell. But I didn’t. I was standing in a castle. It was sunny out, still early but the sun was there. It was some where I’d never been and something I’d never seen.”, Billy explained. “So you teleported to a castle on the other side of the globe, would explain how it could be night here but day there.”, Atif stated. Billy nodded. “But it was less the castle that makes this weird. And I don’t know how this is going to be received. But I saw someone. Well not just someone I saw Wolverine. And well he freaked out about the fact I could see him. He tried to come closer and well I was eight and he was the Academy equivalent to the boogie man. I freaked out. The whole castle started to shake, Wolverine wanted me to take him with me and next thing I know I’m in my bed and Tommy’s looking at me demanding to know where the hell I was. I haven’t told anyone other than Tommy about that night. I thought it was some nightmare.”, Billy admitted. Atif blinked. “You saw Logan! You saw Wolverine? Our Wolverine? Rose’s DAD!? This is huge. This is epic! A castle you said right? When was this?”, Atif asked his mind racing. “Summer time, before school started the year I was eight.”, Billy said confused. “Rose was at her brother Hudson’s castle. She said there was an earthquake that summer. Logan was at Hudson’s castle! You were at Hudson’s castle!”, Atif said squeezing Billy’s hands. “Do you know what this means?”, Atif questioned. Billy shook his head. “That I went to purgatory and saw a dead guy?”, Billy questioned. “No it means Logan is ALIVE!”, Atif squealed.

Logan was never far from any of the kids and he was wandering the club when he heard a squeal from upstairs and followed the sound. He went up the stairs and through the door, plus side of not being tangible. He heard Atif squeal again saying something about his being alive. “YES! Finally they figured this out!”, Logan said accidentally knocking over some boxes. Atif quickly spun to look at the boxes. Billy however was startled enough he teleported, yet found himself in the same spot. Billy looked around and he saw Logan getting up from the boxes. “Atif…sweetie please say you see this.”, Billy said reaching for Atif but not being able to grab him. Atif looked around “Billy? Billy where did you go?”, Atif asked confused. “Where the hell am I?”, Billy questioned. Logan turned and looked at Billy. “You’re in my personal hell compliments of your mother.”, Logan explained standing up.

“Atif can’t see or hear you here. I’m just glad you finally figured it out. So look I don’t know how much time you have on this side of the veil. So just tell Atif to check the danger room computer for an entry under his dad’s codename the night of the attack. I need you kids to get me out of here. Atif is right I’m alive. I didn’t die when your mom’s hex hit me I got sucked into this place.”, Logan explained. “What do you mean my mom’s hex? You died fighting the FOH.”, Billy said shaking his head. “No I didn’t. Just tell Atif to find the danger room session under his dad’s codename from the night of the attack. Then talk to John. He may have been keeping this secret from the kids all these years but confronted with facts and evidence he won’t lie to them. You have to help them, you have to help me. If your mom is going after Landon I can do something. I’ve taken her hex before and I’ll do it again if it’ll save that kid. He’s a good kid and these kids can’t lose him.”, Logan pleaded. Billy stuttered. “Umm.. alright. But how. What do you think I can do?”, Billy asked. “You’re Wanda’s kid. You are the only one who can undo what she did. I’m asking a lot I know. I’m asking you to not only betray but go against your mom. And it’s going to be your decision after you all learn the full truth of what happened. You’ll have to decide between your loyalty to her and your own heart. I just really hope you pick your heart. Because Atif is a good kid.”, Logan said.

“Billy? This isn’t funny…”, Atif said starting to get worried. Before Billy could say anything to Logan, Logan disappeared and Atif hugged him. “There you are. Jesus you gave me a heart attack.”, Atif exclaimed. Billy looked past Atif, returning the hug, to the fallen boxes but no longer saw Logan. “I think I’m the one having the heart attack. We need to go to your school.”, Billy said. Atif pulled back and looked at Billy like he was insane. “Look I don’t know how to explain his so I’m going to just say it. When the boxes fell it was Wolverine. He’s here in whatever dimension he’s in. When I got scared I teleported but reappeared there instead of next to you. He said we need to find your dad’s danger room session from the night of the attack and then confront his brother. He said..well he said my mom put him in that dimension and it wasn’t the FOH he fell to. And apparently as her son I can bring him back.”, Billy said his face as white as a sheet. Atif blinked. “Holy shit this is huge. I need to. I need to tell the others. Forget this party. Forget the gig.”, Atif said starting to pace then stopped.

“Wait your mom? But for you to bring Logan back…”, Atif said now starting to get worried. “I’d need my mom’s spell book and a shit ton of power.”, Billy said. “But to get her book, to save Logan.”, Atif said his expression concerned. Billy nodded. “If I help you guys I have to betray my mom. But Logan said he could save Landon. And I know how important Landon is to all of you. I couldn’t live with myself if I could have done something to save him and then my mom kills him. I mean I’m not sure I can live with knowing she took Rose’s dad away from her. No kid should go without their parents.”, Billy said. “So..you are going to help us?”, Atif questioned. Billy lifted Atif’s chin and kissed him. “I’ll do anything for you. I love you Atif Tanner Alston. And even if it means betraying my mom and the acolytes I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you are happy and safe.”, Billy said with a smile. “But I’d say wait till after the party.”, Billy suggested. Atif shook his head. “I can’t. This isn’t something I can sit on. I can’t take you with me to the school. But I will call you after we confront John.”, Atif said giving Billy a kiss. “And by the way. I love you William Erik Maximoff.”, Atif said with a smile before racing down the stairs to find the others.

He skidded to a stop at the booth. “Lily. We go now. Grab Ashley. I’ll get the band.”, Atif said quickly. Lily looked at him like he had three heads. “They are in the middle of playing a gig. They can’t just walk out.”, Lily protested. Rachel and Blaire both looked at him confused. “This is important. It’s HUGE! It’s the key.”, Atif said rambling. “Key?”, Blaire and Rachel said raising their eyebrows. “Key to what Atif?”, Lily asked turning fully in her spot. “Pandora’s box.”, Atif said. Lily’s eyes went wide. “Alright I’ll grab your sister. Rachel, Blaire you are on your own.”, Lily said getting up from the table and heading to the dance floor. She pulled Ashley away from Xavier. “Hey.. Lily.”, Ashley grumbled. “Oh you’ll live. Your brother found the key.”, Lily said. “The key to what?”, Ashley asked confused. “Pandora’s box. We need to go now.”, Lily explained. Ashley’s eyes went wide. “Umm right. Okay.”, Ashley said turning to Xavier. She gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “I am super sorry about this Xavier. I’ve had a great night and I was really looking forward to kissing you at midnight. But I gotta go. Very important team business.”, Ashley said quickly following Lily who was already heading for the stage. Atif was leaning on the stairs trying to get Landon’s attention. But he couldn’t because the music was so loud and Landon and the others were just in the zone. Atif sighed. “I can’t get Landon’s attention..”, Atif grumbled as his sister and Lily rushed over. Lily groaned. “Alright I’ve got this.”, Lily said and with a twitch of her nose one of his drum sticks flew from his hand and into hers.

Landon stopped mid beat and turned glaring off stage. Rose and Cora Lee stopped playing and looked back at Landon who nodded to Lily, Atif, and Ashley. “Sorry about that folks, technical difficulties…”, Cora Lee said. Landon quickly ran from his seat to the stairs and grabbed his stick. “What the fuck is wrong with you? We are in the middle of playing a gig.”, Landon asked. “I found the key. We need to move now.”, Atif said. Landon blinked. “What? You found a way to end the mystery? Umm..shit. Hold on. Don’t move..”, Landon said getting up and rushing over to Cora Lee. “Atif found the key to our mystery. We need to go.”, Landon whispered before moving to Rose who looked really confused. “Atif found the key to our mystery. We gotta go, now.”, Landon whispered. Cora Lee’s eyes went wide and she quickly set her bass in its stand. She rushed over to the stairs to where Atif, Lily and Ashley waited. “Seriously? You couldn’t have waited till after midnight? I had plans…”, Cora Lee said looking across the club to Malcolm who like the rest of the club were watching in confusion. “You don’t think we all didn’t have midnight plans. Trust me we had plans.”, Atif said. “But this is huge. And I’m not waiting for the new year." Rose tried to remain calm as she set her guitar down turning her hand a bit shaky to look at Landon. “We are sure he found the key?”, Rose asked. Landon nodded. “Atif wouldn’t have come to interrupt the gig if he wasn’t 100%.”, Landon said grabbing her hands. And walking her to the stairs. “What’s so huge about this that couldn’t wait till after midnight?”, Cora Lee asked. “Logan’s alive. I don’t think it gets more huge.”, Atif said. The whole group’s mouths fell open and Rose stumbled back against Landon who put his arms around her so she didn’t fall. “Alright. It’s alright Rose.”, he said making sure she was stable before letting her go. “So we agree we don’t wait. I’ll end our set and we go now. Start for the van.”, Landon instructed moving to the front of the stage.

He saw his Dad making his way through the crowd, he saw all the confused faces in the crowd and in the back at the booth he saw Rachel and she looked worried. Landon took a deep breath looking at her and forced a smile to try and make her feel less worried. Rachel saw him smile and that his eyes were directly on her. It didn’t make her less scared for him, she knew him well enough to know his fake smile from a real one. When she saw all the institute team leaders start to gather the only thought she had was ‘Is this the night he dies? Have I lost my chance to tell him how I feel?’ David reached the stage and looked up at Landon. “What the hell is going on?”, David questioned. “I apologize for the interruption. I know you all came out here tonight to have a good time and listen to some good music provided by myself, my little sister and our friend Rose. But something urgent has come up. Something that cannot wait. So on behalf of Meddling Kids I’m sorry. But we are done for the night. Have a great New Year and I hope to see you all next year.”, Landon said taking off his mic. “What do you mean you have to go? Go where Landon?”, David asked grabbing Landon’s leg. Landon sighed and looked down at his dad’s hand. “In your own words, it’s not your business and you wouldn’t understand. Bye dad.”, Landon said pulling his leg back and heading off the stage following the others as they headed for the door. David turned watching them at a loss for words. He thought about doing something, locking the doors or anything, but he saw the look in Landon’s eyes. It was a rather familiar look. It was the same one he had when he made the decision to find the X-Men and to fight the Acolytes to save Aislinn. Something big was going down.

Billy was walking out in time to hear Landon’s speech. He watched not able to do anything but make sure his cell was on and he was ready for when Atif called. Tommy was stopped, unmoving in his confusion as he watched Lily and her friends start to run for the door. He wanted to chase after her. To find out what happened. He wasn’t the only one worried. Malcolm kept his eyes locked on Cora Lee till she disappeared out the front doors. Merrick looked around confused, granted he had no stake in whatever was going on, but like it or not half of the people rushing out of the building were his blood. Rachel rushed from the booth and ran for the door just in time she caught Landon by the arm. “Landon..”, she said her voice cracking a little. Landon turned a little and sighed. “It’ll be alright. No worries. No fear.”, Landon said turning to leave. Rachel leaned up and just managed to kiss his cheek before he was gone running for his van with the others. Rachel sighed watching them pull out of the parking spot and race off. “Please be safe…”, Rachel whispered walking back into the club spinning the bracelet around and around on her wrist.

David grabbed his cell phone and called Sadria, but got no answer so he left a message telling her something was up because her twins, his cousin, Rose and his kids just dropped everything in the middle of a gig and left. He was about to call Aurelia when he noticed Rachel. He frowned and walked over to her placing a hand on hers to stop her from spinning the bracelet. “You’ll take your arm off at that speed kid.”, David said softly. Rachel looked down at the hand covering hers and heard the familiar words but in a different voice. She looked up and saw David, who was a pierced older version of Landon in appearance. Her blue eyes already brimming with tears and hearing him say nearly the exact same words and do nearly the exact same thing that Landon had earlier in the night she just started to cry. “Whoa… um. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Please stop..”, David said taking his hand back. “Why are you crying? What did I do? What did I say?’, David questioned. “I’m..I’m sorry Mr. Bryant. It’s not you I swear.”, she said sniffling and wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. “I..I wish I could tell you, but I can’t right now. It wasn’t you. Really.”, Rachel sniffled her voice still cracking. “Are you worried about your cousin? She’s with Landon. My boy will keep her safe.”, He said searching his pockets for a tissue. Rachel shook her head. “I’m not worried about Rose. She’ll be safe with him..he’ll always play hero till he is one.”, she said her eyes shining a little as she felt the tears starting again. Thinking about why Rose was so safe and who might be in danger because of it just made her want to cry again. “S..sorry. It’s just what you said was almost exactly what Landon said earlier.”, she explained spinning her bracelet again. It suddenly clicked in David’s head. “You’re worried about my son…”, David said with a sigh. Rachel blinked and looked up at him realizing she shouldn’t worry David. “I..Yeah..I mean. They’re X-men.”, she said softly. “And suddenly leaving like that..it’d be like if they were cops and all suddenly cleared out. They didn’t tell me what was going on. Secret Mutant Business as Jacob says. But it still makes me worried.”, Rachel said trying to play the situation off.

Hearing the phrase ‘secret mutant business’ got David thinking. “They are students not X-Men. And whatever this is, isn’t X-Men business or Mikali would have been the one leaving not my kids. No the way Landon spoke to me, the words he used…something is going down. I know that look in his eyes. I get that same look every time I’ve made my mind up to go do something dangerous and possibly stupid.”, David said shaking his head starting to worry about what his kids were getting themselves into. Rachel tilted her head looking at him. “I’m just worried. Landon means..well he means a lot to me.”, she said softly looking down. David raised a pierced brow looking down at her. He knew Landon had a crush on Rose, but wasn’t aware if there was any other girls..any other Howletts that held his heart. He knew that Landon looked out for Rachel, often defending her from Merrick. He also knew that Landon had gone through a lot of trouble making that masquerade ball special for Rachel even if he said it was ‘just friends’. He had used the ‘just friends’ line too when he first started spending time around Aislinn, look where that got him. “Does he know that? And back up to the secret mutant business. What do you mean?”, David questioned. Rachel shook her head. “No. I mean maybe? He knows he is my friend.”, she admitted looking up at David. “It’s just what Jacob says a lot. Anytime mutants get all hushed around him. Like when you, Solangel and Demitri do. He calls it secrete mutant business. Sort of an inside joke between us because there are things we don’t get told because we are humans.”, Rachel explained.

David nodded. The only time any of the Haven mutants clammed up around Jacob was if the topic of the attacks and the weeks that followed was brought up. Which that was only brought up when Landon and his group started asking questions. Questions that none of them could answer. David sighed his shoulders sinking as he knew what the kids rushed off about. They were going to get themselves in trouble, killed or possibly have their memories wiped looking into this mystery. But he couldn’t tell any of that to Rachel. John would have his head on a pike if he did. So he chose to focus on the other subject. “My son, well he may be my son but when it comes to girl he’s dense. So trust me, if you want him to know it’s not just friends for you then you better say it.”, David suggested. “I..I don’t think it matters if he knows Mr. Bryant. Landon isn’t interested in me, I know he’s interested in a couple other girls.”, Rachel said starting to spin the bracelet again. David sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Of course it matters. Bryant men never know what’s best for them till the right one is starting them down and sometimes literally slapping their face. But none the less don’t worry about Landon. He’s a smart kid and he can take on whatever comes.”, David said trying to reassure her, though in his mind he added ‘I hope’. Rachel nodded focusing on the bracelet as she spun it starting to leave a red mark. “I just worry.”, she said. “Just remember what I said about Bryant men need to be slapped in the face with the right answer.”, he said dialing Aurelia. Rachel chuckled a little sadly. “I don’t think I am the right answer Mr. Bryant.”, she admitted. “I’ve heard something like that before. Just more Scottish accent was used. I married her…”, David stated with a smirk as he listened to the ringing of the phone. Rachel blinked looking at him.

Aurelia had been heading downstairs to the quiet bar, having closed for the night, despite the protest of her regulars. But she needed the quiet as another year was closing and she was still without Logan. She pulled her phone out answering it. “Aurelia Faith Howlett.”, she greeted. David sighed relieved that one of the parents could answer their phone. “It’s Crow. We’ve got a problem.”, David greeted. “Rachel go enjoy the rest of the night. The DJ is starting up and your friends, especially Xavier, look rather scared.”, David suggested both so her friends could maybe be less concerned and so she couldn’t hear what he had to say to her aunt. Rachel nodded and headed back to the booth where Xavier, Blaire, Bianca, Gabriel, and Hope had all gathered wanting to know what happened. “What? Someone start a fight?”, Aurelia asked. “Rachel? Rachel is with you? Don’t tell me that jackass Merrick is bothering her again.”, Aurelia questioned. “No Demitri’s baby brother hasn’t moved from the booth his crew claimed for the night. The issue is our kids. I already tried Sadria but she must be out with Azriel.”, David answered walking away to his office where it would be quieter. “What’s going on with the kids?”, she asked walking into the bar closing the door behind her before clicking on the lights.

Logan had left the club and decided for his last hours before, hopefully, the kids saved him he would enjoy a cigar in his pub. He was about half way through it when the door started to open. He had thought he would be alone, so it startled him and he set the cigar down still smoking in the tray. “Well Atif, Ashley, and Lily all stormed my stage and then our kids not only stopped mid song they ended the gig right then and there. Landon excused them and they all just ran out.”, David explained. Aurelia looked over and blinked sniffing a bit. “Wait they stopped the gig? They have been working for weeks.”, Aurelia questioned. She suddenly snarled and her eyes turned wolfish, prowling the bar. “Someone is here..”, she said looking around but seeing no one. But then she spotted the cigar and rushed to the bar picking it up. She sniffed the cigar and her eyes went wide. “Logan?”, she questioned spinning to look around the bar. “Thus my concern. I confronted Landon. And he used my words against me. Saying it’s not my business and that I wouldn’t understand. Wait did you just say Logan? What have you been smoking?”, David questioned confused. “Not what I’ve been smoking. Someone broke into his safe and one of his cigars is lit in the tray at the pub.”, Aurelia explained walking around the bar. She crouched down popping the panel to the safe and used her key to unlock it. And sure enough one cigar was missing. “H..how? My key is the only key…”, she stammered confused.

“It’s not possible. If Logan was around I’d know it. I haven’t sensed adamantium, other than your ring, since the day he went missing.”, David countered with logic a rare and almost Landon like moment for him. “Someone...someone got into his safe.”, she said grabbing the cigar and taking a long drag off it before exhaling. “And the cigar tastes just like him…just like the other one…”, Aurelia said now lost in her own thoughts. She blinked returning to the subject at hand. “What did you mean earlier? About Landon using your words. Why would he do that?”, Aurelia questioned. “Okay that’s freaky. But one thing at a time. Any time Landon or any of the kids have started questioning about why I don’t talk to Kim or what happened when the institute burned. I tell them it’s not their business and they wouldn’t understand.”, David explained. Aurelia blinked. “Your son doesn’t use other people’s plans or words unless it’s to make a point.”, she said putting the cigar out. “I’ll track them down. They left together right?”, Aurelia questioned. “I know he doesn’t. He had the same look I get when I’m determined to do something dangerous and probably stupid. The same look I had when I decided to find the bunker and to go save Aislinn. Whatever is going on it’s about that. And I am rather afraid of what’s going to happen if they find it all out. I don’t know what the other side will do and well I’ll kill Duncan if he even touches one of my kids. And yes they took the van shouldn’t be too hard to track down. Call me when you find them.”, David said. “I know. And I’ll find them. I’ll call you then.”, Aurelia said putting the phone down. She shifted into her wolf form and bolted into the night running through the town trying to smell out the kids and the van.

Billy walked over to his brother and hung his head. Tommy looked at Billy confused. “What’s wrong? What’s happening? Why did Lily and her group all run off?”, Tommy asked. Billy frowned a little. “You know…”, Tommy said grabbing his brother by the arm and pulling him off to a corner away from everyone. Malcolm turned and noticed his cousins and followed. “What’s going on?”, Malcolm asked. “He knows why Lily and them left. What is going on Billy?”, Tommy demanded. “Wait you know why Cora Lee left? Why?”, Malcolm questioned. Billy pulled his cousins out to the alley. “One why does it matter to you two?”, Billy questioned. Tommy and Malcolm both went silent. “Tell me or I say nothing.”, Billy demanded. “Fine. I’ve been dating Lily for nearly two years. I know I’m a horrible twin brother for not telling you.”, Tommy blurted. Billy and Malcolm both looked at Tommy and blinked. “Umm we’ll discuss that later I guess. So what’s your stake in this Malcolm?”, Billy said turning to his cousin. Malcolm sighed and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “I’m dating Cora Lee. At least I think that’s what we are doing. I was her mystery guy at the dance.”, Malcolm admitted. Now it was Tommy and Billy looking at Malcolm stunned. “Alright so we all have more than blood in common. We have a serious weak spot for x-men. And apparently my twin and I have a soft spot for red heads.”, Billy said shaking his head. Tommy and Malcolm looked at him puzzled. “Soft spot for red heads? What is going on Billy? We spilled out stake in this now talk.”, Malcolm demanded. Billy sighed and nodded. “I’ve been seeing Atif Alston. Thus my joke about red heads. But that’s not why they all left. It’s going to be hard to explain this to you guys. But I’m about to betray mom and I may never get to see you after this because if I’m not dead I won’t be welcomed back at the Academy.”, Billy explained.

Tommy blinked shaking his head. “What are you talking about? Betray mom? Are you insane? What’s going on Billy?”, he demanded his voice taking an rare serious tone. Malcolm folded his arms across his chest and waited. “Remember when we were kids Tommy. When I saw Wolverine?”, Billy asked. Malcolm blinked. “Saw Wolverine?”, he questioned. Tommy nodded. “Yeah I remember. But it was a nightmare or something from your sleep-porting.”, Tommy said not sure how this had anything to do with anything. “It wasn’t a dream or a nightmare. I teleported to this in between dimension. It over laps with ours we just can’t see it. The castle I saw was in Mandipoor, it was Hudson Howlett’s castle. And it was really Wolverine, he isn’t dead but in that dimension, that limbo.”, Billy explained. “Wait what? How do you know any of this? What happened?”, Tommy asked. “Look I was with Atif tonight and we were talking about coming out as a couple I joked that he’s the seer so he should be able to see how badly that news would be taken. He didn’t see what would happen for us but got a clearer vision of one he’s apparently had since he was nine.”, Billy explained.

“What vision?”, Malcolm asked. “Of my mom killing Landon. We talked it through and the first time he got the vision it all lines up with his friends trying to find out why Crow and Pretender don’t talk and what really happened to Wolverine. I explained to Atif about my teleporting and seeing Wolverine. He put the pieces together. And remember when Lily ran away and Kim came home and told mom something about Demitri warning to not to start a war again?”, Billy explained. Tommy nodded. “Yeah I remember I thought it was crazy talk though.”, Tommy said. “Well it wasn’t. Our mom knows what really happened with the X-Men. I don’t think any of the other adults do though. But when it all clicked for Atif and I, a stack of boxes fell over. It started us. Startled me to the point I teleported, and landed in that dimension again. I found myself next to Atif though he couldn’t see me and looking directly at Wolverine who’d knocked the boxes over.”, Billy explained.

Tommy and Malcolm were now hanging on every word. “He explained to me why I am able to get into that dimension and why I can see him. Our mom put him there with a hex ball. He hadn’t fallen to the FOH he fell to her. He told me to instruct Atif to go to their school and a find a session file under his dad’s codename from the night the institute burned and then take that to his brother. He also told me I was the only one who had the ability to save him. To save Wolverine I need mom’s spell book and well a shit ton of power. But getting the book won’t be easy nor finding enough power beyond my own to cast the spell to open the veil between that dimension and ours. Though even talking about doing this is treason. And I just don’t know what will happen after this is over. I don’t know if being her son, her first born even if by three minutes will be enough for her to not kill me for this. I know I won’t be able to go to the institute so I’m either dead or I’m on the streets.”, Billy said.

Malcolm shook his head. “Then don’t do it.”, Malcolm said. Billy looked at Malcolm and shook his head. “I have to do this. My mom has apparently done something really terrible. She took away someone’s dad. Atif’s friends mean the world to him. And I love Atif with everything I’ve got. And I’ll do anything for him. Because when it comes to choosing between my mom the woman who’s only groomed to me take over her ‘throne’ and the boy who has shown me love and kindness I will pick Atif every time. I’m waiting for him to call me so we can plan what we do next. I need to figure out how to get the book.”, Billy explained. “I’ll help you then.”, Tommy volunteered. “Tommy I can’t ask that of you.”, Billy said shaking his head no. “You aren’t asking. I’m telling you. I’m faster than sound brother. I can get in and out of our academy without anyone seeing me. Plus you are doing this for Atif. Well he’s not the only one who’s friends are everything. Lily would risk her life for her friends’ happiness. So I’ll risk mine for hers. So I’m in. We are twins. We either die together or we become street rates together.”, Tommy said with a smile extending his hand to Billy. Billy nodded taking his brother’s hand and pulling him into a hug.

Malcolm sighed. “I can’t sit back and do nothing…”, Malcolm said. “You can’t risk it though Malcolm. We do something mom has to deal with us. You do something she’ll not just deal with you she’ll take it out on your mom and dad.”, Billy argued. Malcolm slammed his fists against the building lightening streaking across the cloudless sky. Billy looked up at the lightening. “Calm down Malcolm. The sky doesn’t have a cloud and you are creating lightening…”, Billy said an idea forming. “I think I know how you can help without any direct involvement.”, Billy said. Malcolm raised an eyebrow to his cousin “How?”, Malcolm asked. “When we need it you take out the power, not just to the school because that’d be obvious take the whole block down. Your power you could fry the transformer, it’ll look like an electrical overload. We can use the black out for Tommy to get in even easier in the confusion of people checking the fuse box.”, Billy explained. Malcolm nodded smiling. “I can do that.”, Malcolm agreed. “Alright so when Atif texts me we split up. Tommy comes with me to the meeting place and you go to that transformer and wait for my cue.”, Billy instructed. “Final question.”, Malcolm said. “Yes?”, Billy asked. “What about the other kids in the building? How do we do this without them realizing we are gone?”, Malcolm asked. “Tell them I’m sick and you two are taking me home. They won’t think anything of it.”, Tommy said. “They won’t believe you’re sick.”, Malcolm said. “They will when I force myself to throw up on the floor at their feet.”, Tommy said with a grin. Billy laughed and shook his head. “You truly are sick my brother.”, Billy said still laughing.

Across town Landon had pulled up to the institute and the whole gang, in their party clothes ran into the building and for the elevator to the danger room control room. As they ran through the halls to the control room everyone was looking at Atif. Atif slid into the chair and started typing trying to find the file. “So Atif you going to explain to us how you found the key? How you know Logan is alive?”, Landon questioned. “Yes how do you know my dad is alive?”, Rose questioned folding her arms. “You guys aren’t going to like it.”, Atif admitted with a sigh. “Just tell us.”, Ashley demanded. “Fine Billy Maximoff. He’s how I know.”, Atif said still typing. “Maximoff!? What the hell?”, Cora Lee asked. “Look he may be a cocky guy but he’s really actual very sweet and I love him.”, Atif admitted. Ashley blinked. “LOVE?”, Ashley questioned. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all sooner, but well this was what I expected as a reaction denial and anger. But we’ve been together for a while. But look at it this way guys without him I wouldn’t have found the key and we wouldn’t have a chance to find the truth and save Logan.”, Atif said. “Explain fully now please.”, Landon said folding his arms.

“Alright we all know part of Billy’s power is he can sort of teleport just not like Kurt and his family. Well when he was little he sleep-ported. He didn’t go to the brimstone dimension like Kurt does. He went into like a limbo. A dimension that overlaps with ours. He was at a castle, and that’s when he first saw Logan. He was eight so Logan kind of scared him and he started to screaming. Remember the earthquake Rose?”, Atif explained. Rose nodded. “Yeah it freaked me out.”, Rose said. “Well that was caused by Billy. Because the castle he saw your dad in was Hudson’s. And tonight Billy and I were together upstairs in the club. We were talking about…”, Atif said glancing to Landon. Landon raised an eyebrow. “Things.”, Atif said. Landon nodded figuring that the pause was that he told Billy about the vision. “And well when talking thing through it all started to click. Logan being alive, all the clues we’ve found. Billy had even over heard some stuff from the night Lily ran away. Basically Demitri had said something warning Kim not to start a war again. Kim seemed clueless on it but his mom didn’t. So Wanda knows what happened back then too, but the other Acolytes apparently don’t.”, Atif explained.

Cora Lee rubbed her temples the information overloading her. “Alright well what are you looking for and how do you know to look for it?”, Rose asked. “I’m looking for a session from the night of the attack. It should be here under my dad’s codename Creature. Logan said it would be here and that with whatever is in this session we can take to John and get the truth. And then well then Billy has to defy is mom if we are going to get Logan free.”, Atif said with a sigh. “So then we aren’t freeing my dad..”, Rose muttered. Landon sighed and rolled Atif out of the way. “You are searching wrong. Let a master at work. Now keep explaining how you got the information.”, Landon said starting a new query to find the file correctly. “Well a stack of boxes fell. Startled us both. Startled Billy to the point he teleported, he apparently ended up in the limbo. Logan had knocked the boxes over. Logan told him we needed to find this file and take it to his brother for answers. And Rose we are getting him back. Billy is going to help us. I apparently mean more to him than his mom.”, Atif stated. “Alright so we crack the secrete and Billy opens Pandora’s box. What’s he need to get Logan out?”, Landon said still filtering through the files. “He needs his mom’s book, which is going to be a problem to get since it’s at the academy. Then he needs a major power source because his alone won’t be enough to open the door.”, Atif explained. “Alright so recon on the Academy to get the book. And we’ll figure something out about power. Shit if he needs it he can use mine. And here’s the file Logan wanted us to find..”, Landon said hitting play.

On the monitor an image appeared. Someone shifting from animal form to animal form as the systematically took down a sentinel. As the sentinel hit the ground the now panther shifted standing up to be a man with blonde hair and brown eyes, a man whom Ashley looked a great deal like. Ashley and Atif both froze staring at the screen. “Dad..”, they said in unison. They’d seen pictures of him. But here he was on video and he was epic taking down the sentinel. Suddenly in the video the alarms started going off and the recording followed watching Tanner leave the danger room. The file had been spliced and surveillance footage had been added to it. Because as the screen switched it showed Sadria, rather pregnant fighting off soldiers. “Mom. But those are military uniforms and insignias not FOH.”, Ashley pointed out. They watched as a shield protected Sadria from bullets and water from vases flew at soldiers knocking them down. “Damn you two were epic in the womb.”, Lily said with a smile. Atif and Ashley nodded they’d been told they’d helped their mother fend off attackers but they’d been told it was FOH not military. Without warning from behind they saw Pyro jab a needle into their mother’s neck and her go limp and be handed off to the soldiers.

“Pyro…but. He’s an acolyte he wouldn’t act without Wanda’s say so.”, Lily said shaking her head. In the video there was a yell of anger “SADRIA!!!” the voice shouted and out ran Tanner tackling Pyro. The group watched on as the two struggled. Ashley and Atif looked away as Pyro torched their father. Landon, Lily, Cora Lee and Rose couldn’t look either. Ashley started to cry. “Pyro did it. Pryo killed our dad…”, Ashley said shaking her head. Atif was crying but silent his mind trying to figure out how he could tell Billy that his dad died at the hands of Billy’s dad. Rose and Cora Lee hugged Ashley. Lily wrapped her arms around Atif hugging him tight. Landon sighed and looked over to his friends. He had no words. Atif sniffled a little before talking. “We can’t bring my dad back. But we can get Rose’s so let’s focus and do that okay?”, Atif requested. Landon nodded and started downloading the file to his tablet.

“Let’s go then.”, Rose agreed heading for the door. However the door was blocked by a rather large red wolf. “Uh oh..”, Rose said stopping in her tracks. Landon got up to follow and sighed seeing the wolf. “God damn it. My dad called you didn’t he.”, Landon said shaking his head. Aurelia looked to the monitor seeing the video replaying and transformed back to her human form. “Where did you find that!? How did you even known to look for it!? What are you kids doing!? And damn right your dad called me.”, Aurelia demanded though her voice went soft when she looked at the tear stained faces of Atif and Ashley. Lily quickly turned the video off. Cora Lee gulped a little but everyone seemed to look to Landon. “We are getting answers, Professor. So unless you want to disclose the full truth about what’s on that video. About what happened that night and following it. We have nothing to discuss and we will be on our way to talk to ‘Honest’ John.”, Landon said holding firm.

“I..I can’t talk to you about it. You kids don’t know what you are getting into with this. What kind of trouble you will be in. Duncan won’t allow…”, Aurelia said. “We deserve the truth. And we are going to get it tonight. It’s fine if you are scared of Duncan. I’m not. We have our orders and we are going to follow them till the mission is complete.”, Landon said. Atif, Ashley, Lily and Cora Lee moved to stand behind Landon, timidly giving their support. “What do you mean orders? What mission?”, Aurelia demanded. “From dad. Dad’s alive and we are going to rescue him.”, Rose blurted out. Aurelia’s eyes went wide as she looked to Rose and then to the others. Landon nodded. “See now. I know enough about Logan to know I’m not going to disobey his orders. He wanted us to find this video, to confront his brother and get the truth so we can set him free. And that’s what will happen.”, Landon said firmly. “What do you mean set him free?”, Aurelia asked. “He’s in a limbo dimension created from we guess Wanda’s hex ball hitting him. Wic..Billy Maximoff has seen him, has talked to him and can save him.”, Landon said stopping himself from using Billy’s codename since it was the name he would have used before when talking about him as an enemy now he talked about him as a friend.

“Maximoff? You are trusting Scarlet Bitch’s kid?”, Aurelia questioned. “Atif trusts him therefore we do professor. So either get on board or get out of our way.”, Landon stated. Aurelia looked to Atif questioningly. “He’s my boyfriend professor. He’s not lying he saw Logan tonight how else would he know for us to find this file? And Billy is willing to help us save Logan. We just need the truth.”, Atif said. “Fine. Just not here. I’ll come with you to John’s I doubt he’ll talk to you otherwise.”, Aurelia agreed. “Very well then.”, Landon said passing her the others following him. As the kids climbed back into the van Aurelia watched them her heart pounding with the excitement of possibly seeing Logan again but also pounding with fear of what Wanda will do in retaliation against the kids. And as the van pulled out Aurelia shifted back to her wolf form all heading across town to John’s house. Aurelia wasn’t too sure that John would tell the kids anything even if he did want to. He was honor bound to his promise to Duncan just like she was. But with the possibility of Logan being brought back to them it made that promise seem insignificant and breakable. The drive over was quite everyone’s minds racing with a thousand questions and thinking of the possible answers to them. Atif and Ashley still trying to stop thinking about what they’d seen on the monitor. Rose thinking about what it would mean to her mom to have her dad back, she wasn’t sure how this was going to go down. She’d only recently been give full disclosure to know that Logan might not be her real dad. If what Atif said was true, if he could see what happened in their world would he accept her as his like Hudson, Amiko and John or would he reject her like Cero and Kirra.

Description
Upstairs in the darkness of the storage room Atif and Billy had completely tuned out the world. It wasn’t until Atif’s watch started to beep that either of them thought about the time. Atif pulled back from the deep kiss he’d been enjoying, taking his hands off from around Billy to look at his watch. He pressed the side button to stop it from beeping and sighed as he looked at the hour. “Oh crap.”, Atif groaned. Billy sighed at the beeping and rested his head on Atif’s shoulder as he dealt with the watch. “What’s wrong?”, Billy asked. “The time. I should have been downstairs nearly ten minutes ago.”, Atif explained holding up his watch. Billy turned his head enough to look at the watch before sighing. “I don’t want to go back downstairs.”, Billy playfully whined before kissing Atif’s neck just above his collar. “I want to just stay up here with you.”, Billy whispered as he kissed up Atif’s neck to his ear. Atif let out a “mmm” but sighed his rational brain kicking in. “I know. I would rather stay here too. But we both know that can’t happen right now. We should get back to our groups before they send search parties out. I’m certain when the Academy students realize you’re missing they will come looking and I’ll get the blame for kidnapping you or something.”, Atif said shaking his head.

“You mean I’m not your hostage?”, Billy teased. “Your friends would think I casted a spell on you or something to get you to come with me.”, Billy joked. “In a way didn’t you? Cause I’m certainly under some type of influence.”, Atif teased. Billy smirked before kissing Atif’s lips. “That’s right, I have you under my spell. So is it working? You going to stay up here the rest of the night?”, Billy asked. Atif smirked shaking his head. “It’s working but I can’t stay up here. Rational brain is wining over the side that just wants to make out till the new year and beyond.”, Atif said slipping under Billy’s arm to move away from the wall. Billy sighed. “Then not working enough. Stupid rational brain.”, Billy grumbled. He turned and leaned against the wall, his eyes having fully adjusted to the dark he watched as Atif adjusted his shirt and hair to make sure he didn’t look too disheveled.

Atif sighed looking over at Billy. “I hate that it’s like this. I hate having to sneak around. Not telling my own twin about us.”, Atif said frowning. Billy nodded pushing off the wall and helping to fix Atif’s shirt collar. “I know. I don’t like it either. I never lie to Tommy. But I don’t want my mom to freak out and you know kill you. I love you and don’t want to lose you.”, Billy said. Atif frowned. “I love you too. I just. I mean at what point do we stop worrying about how our moms or our friends are going to feel about us? What point do we step out of the closet holding hands? I mean we are both out to our friends and families as gay. So when do we come out as a couple?”, Atif asked. Billy sighed and gently rubbed Atif’s cheek. “You’re the seer. You tell me when we come out and how bad the reaction is.”, Billy whispered before kissing Atif’s other cheek. Atif closed his eyes and tried for a vision but what he saw wasn’t anything about him and Billy. It was a more detailed version of his long standing vision. He pulled back from Billy blinking the white light of his powers from his eyes shaking his head, his heart pounding. Billy watched with concern and placed a hand on Atif’s shoulder. “What is it? What did you see?”, Billy asked. “Your mom. All this time...all these years I’ve seen this and tonight I see it clear. Oh god it’s her. She’s the one...”, Atif rambled his whole body shaking.

Billy pulled Atif into a tight hug. “It’s alright. I’m here. Just calm down. What about my mom? What do you mean all these years? What did you see?”, Billy asked. Atif took a few deep breaths trying to control himself but he continued to shake and even felt tears starting to form. “She’s the one that kills him. She’s behind the purple light.”, Atif said still mostly rambling. Billy pulled back and pressed his forehead against Atif’s to look in him in the eyes. He didn’t like seeing the tears forming. “Who does my mom kill? What are you talking about sweetie?”, Billy asked again. “Landon. She kills Landon. I don’t know why and I have yet to find a way to stop it.”, Atif said closing his eyes trying to keep the tears back. “Landon? She wouldn’t have a reason to. Tell me the vision. Maybe I can help?”, Billy requested. “I’ve had the same vision since I was nine. There’s a blast of purple light and then when I look down Landon, maybe teens early twenties in age is dead at my feet. And just now when you asked what I saw for us I tried to get a vision and instead of seeing our fate I got a clearer view of Landon’s. I see your mom raising her hands and the blast of purple light coming from them. Then Landon stands in front of it, the blast hits him in the chest and he falls back to my feet dead. I’ve been trying for years to figure out what the purple light was. Now I know it’s her. I just don’t know why.”, Atif explained.

Billy shook his head. “I don’t know either. Landon hasn’t done anything to get my mom angry. Sure she sees him as a future threat because you all follow him so willingly. She doesn’t like the idea that he could be the new Charles Xavier figure of the X-Men.”, Billy said puzzled. “The new Charles Xavier? What?”, Atif asked. “You are a team leader right Atif? Your school puts two people in charge of a team of younger mutants right?”, Billy asked. Atif nodded. “Yeah. So?”, Atif asked confused. “But even you and the other team leaders you all follow Landon. He inspires all of you. In all seriousness would you follow Landon into battle? Would you risk your life for him? For what he stands for? For what he believes in?”, Billy explained. Atif took a breath and thought about it. “Well yeah. Of course I would follow him. Landon is a strong leader. He’s always got a great strategy and plan in place. He’s been my best friend my whole life so yeah I’d risk my life for him because he’d risk it for me. He stands for the same things I do. He wants to protect the people he cares most about in this world. He wants there to be peace between everyone and there no longer be this ‘us vs them’ crap between mutants and humans.”, Atif answered. Billy nodded. “And that is why my mom sees him as a future Charles Xavier type. How much about your founder do you know?”, Billy asked. “What I’ve been told by my mom and other X-Men who knew him. And what Landon’s told me since he’s the mutant historian. He founded the school to help mutants like himself learn to control their powers and eventually formed the X-Men to be able to go out and help to create peace not only amongst mutants but between mutants and humans. The X-Men were founded to protect mutants and humans a like.”, Atif said thinking about it. “Right. My grandfather helped found that, but he believed mutants should rule over humans and Charles didn’t so they split. The X-Men rallied behind Xavier because they believed in him and what he stood for, the same way your generation of students believes in Landon. And my mom doesn’t want there to be someone out there like that. Though I don’t know why she’d act so early in his life…”, Billy explained.

“The X-Men follow Duncan. Shouldn’t he be your mother’s concern.”, Atif countered. Billy shook his head. “The current X-Men do yes. But the new generation, your generation will you follow Duncan or would you follow Landon?”, Billy asked. Atif sighed. “Landon of course. I mean I respect Duncan. But he hides so much from us. Landon doesn’t. So I mean I guess I could see it. How he could be a threat in that way to your mom. We all respect and love him. But that doesn’t tell me why so early.”, Atif said shaking his head. “No it doesn’t. The way my mom talks about it is that I’d be the one having to deal with Landon. Not that I ever plan to fight your friend. He’s your best friend I couldn’t hurt him. But my mom has been trying to groom me to take her role as leader when I’m old enough.”, Billy said. “So there’s gotta be something. Something big that Landon does to get her after him. And you can’t think of anything?”, Billy asked. Atif sighed he hadn’t told Billy about the mystery that he and the others, under Landon’s leadership, had been investigating since they were kids. But as he thought about it he realized something the vision started when they started looking into the mystery. “It has something to do with a mystery we have been investigating since we were kids. It was when we started the investigation that the vision first happened.”, Atif explained.

“Mystery? What mystery?”, Billy questioned. “Something that all the adults, at least on our side of the ‘tracks’ keep hidden. It has something to do with the night the institute was attacked by the Friends of Humanity. Because whatever happened from that it caused Landon’s dad and the whole Haven to not talk to Lily’s mom. And we’ve found things like old news articles about how your Aunt was having Warren indicted on treason charges. Yet nothing was never mentioned in any article we could find after the attack. It’s just little things not adding up. The adults clam up and tell us they can’t talk about and that they won’t talk about.”, Atif explained. “Your adults aren’t the only ones keeping whatever secret that is. I remember after Lily ran away. Her mom came back and said something about Demitri implying that if she or any of the acolytes made a move to force Lily back it’d restart a war. Kim seemed confused by it, but the mention of it bothered my mom. I remember watching her cast a spell to find something out, it’s fuzzy because of how long ago it was but it was to find out what Demitri knew.”, Billy explained. “So your mom knows the secret too? Then that must be it. Landon figures out the secret, opens the metaphoric pandora’s box and draws your mother’s ire.”, Atif concluded.

“So tell Landon to stop. Tell him about the vision and tell him to stop looking into the mystery.”, Billy suggested. Atif laughed. “I have told him. He’s known about the vision since he was fourteen. He doesn’t care. Why do you think he doesn’t date? He figures his time is limited so why break hearts. Landon won’t give up on the mystery. He wants to know, it’s like air to him he needs to know that badly. He wants his family whole again. And that can’t happen if his dad and Lily’s mom won’t talk. He thinks finding the secret will put a stop to their issues.”, Atif explained. “I just thought he was in the closet or something.”, Billy said honestly. Atif laughed. “Sweetheart if Landon was gay I wouldn’t have needed to date you.”, Atif admitted. Billy laughed shaking his head. ”Seriously?”, Billy asked. Atif laughed shrugging. “Come on admit it Billy he is cute. He’s just heterosexual, but beyond that..”, Atif said. Billy laughed and nodded. “Fine I’ll give you that. But I prefer red heads.”, Billy teased messing with Atif’s hair. Billy sighed and looked at his feet, Atif was trusting him with a rather insider type secret. “Does the rest of your gang know about the vision?”, Billy asked. Atif shook his head. “Ashley, me and Landon are the only ones. Landon hasn’t wanted to tell the others. I mean how do you tell your sister and cousin you know you are going to die? And Rose lost her dad, Landon doesn’t think she could take knowing she was going to lose him.”, Atif admitted. “So you have told me something you haven't told some of your best friends. You have that much trust in me?”, Billy questioned. Atif took Billy’s hands in his. “Of course I do. I trust you with my heart why wouldn’t I trust you with this.”, Atif said with a soft smile.

“Then it’s only fair I have as much trust in you.”, Billy said with a sigh. “What do you mean?”, Atif asked. “When I was eight something really weird happened to me.”, Billy started. “I was still coming into my powers and I sleep teleported.”, Billy continued. “Yeah that can happen. Kurt’s an adult and still does sometimes.”, Atif said. “But I went somewhere weird. The neyaphem’s port through their home dimension which is kind of like hell. But I didn’t. I was standing in a castle. It was sunny out, still early but the sun was there. It was some where I’d never been and something I’d never seen.”, Billy explained. “So you teleported to a castle on the other side of the globe, would explain how it could be night here but day there.”, Atif stated. Billy nodded. “But it was less the castle that makes this weird. And I don’t know how this is going to be received. But I saw someone. Well not just someone I saw Wolverine. And well he freaked out about the fact I could see him. He tried to come closer and well I was eight and he was the Academy equivalent to the boogie man. I freaked out. The whole castle started to shake, Wolverine wanted me to take him with me and next thing I know I’m in my bed and Tommy’s looking at me demanding to know where the hell I was. I haven’t told anyone other than Tommy about that night. I thought it was some nightmare.”, Billy admitted. Atif blinked. “You saw Logan! You saw Wolverine? Our Wolverine? Rose’s DAD!? This is huge. This is epic! A castle you said right? When was this?”, Atif asked his mind racing. “Summer time, before school started the year I was eight.”, Billy said confused. “Rose was at her brother Hudson’s castle. She said there was an earthquake that summer. Logan was at Hudson’s castle! You were at Hudson’s castle!”, Atif said squeezing Billy’s hands. “Do you know what this means?”, Atif questioned. Billy shook his head. “That I went to purgatory and saw a dead guy?”, Billy questioned. “No it means Logan is ALIVE!”, Atif squealed.

Logan was never far from any of the kids and he was wandering the club when he heard a squeal from upstairs and followed the sound. He went up the stairs and through the door, plus side of not being tangible. He heard Atif squeal again saying something about his being alive. “YES! Finally they figured this out!”, Logan said accidentally knocking over some boxes. Atif quickly spun to look at the boxes. Billy however was startled enough he teleported, yet found himself in the same spot. Billy looked around and he saw Logan getting up from the boxes. “Atif…sweetie please say you see this.”, Billy said reaching for Atif but not being able to grab him. Atif looked around “Billy? Billy where did you go?”, Atif asked confused. “Where the hell am I?”, Billy questioned. Logan turned and looked at Billy. “You’re in my personal hell compliments of your mother.”, Logan explained standing up.

“Atif can’t see or hear you here. I’m just glad you finally figured it out. So look I don’t know how much time you have on this side of the veil. So just tell Atif to check the danger room computer for an entry under his dad’s codename the night of the attack. I need you kids to get me out of here. Atif is right I’m alive. I didn’t die when your mom’s hex hit me I got sucked into this place.”, Logan explained. “What do you mean my mom’s hex? You died fighting the FOH.”, Billy said shaking his head. “No I didn’t. Just tell Atif to find the danger room session under his dad’s codename from the night of the attack. Then talk to John. He may have been keeping this secret from the kids all these years but confronted with facts and evidence he won’t lie to them. You have to help them, you have to help me. If your mom is going after Landon I can do something. I’ve taken her hex before and I’ll do it again if it’ll save that kid. He’s a good kid and these kids can’t lose him.”, Logan pleaded. Billy stuttered. “Umm.. alright. But how. What do you think I can do?”, Billy asked. “You’re Wanda’s kid. You are the only one who can undo what she did. I’m asking a lot I know. I’m asking you to not only betray but go against your mom. And it’s going to be your decision after you all learn the full truth of what happened. You’ll have to decide between your loyalty to her and your own heart. I just really hope you pick your heart. Because Atif is a good kid.”, Logan said.

“Billy? This isn’t funny…”, Atif said starting to get worried. Before Billy could say anything to Logan, Logan disappeared and Atif hugged him. “There you are. Jesus you gave me a heart attack.”, Atif exclaimed. Billy looked past Atif, returning the hug, to the fallen boxes but no longer saw Logan. “I think I’m the one having the heart attack. We need to go to your school.”, Billy said. Atif pulled back and looked at Billy like he was insane. “Look I don’t know how to explain his so I’m going to just say it. When the boxes fell it was Wolverine. He’s here in whatever dimension he’s in. When I got scared I teleported but reappeared there instead of next to you. He said we need to find your dad’s danger room session from the night of the attack and then confront his brother. He said..well he said my mom put him in that dimension and it wasn’t the FOH he fell to. And apparently as her son I can bring him back.”, Billy said his face as white as a sheet. Atif blinked. “Holy shit this is huge. I need to. I need to tell the others. Forget this party. Forget the gig.”, Atif said starting to pace then stopped.

“Wait your mom? But for you to bring Logan back…”, Atif said now starting to get worried. “I’d need my mom’s spell book and a shit ton of power.”, Billy said. “But to get her book, to save Logan.”, Atif said his expression concerned. Billy nodded. “If I help you guys I have to betray my mom. But Logan said he could save Landon. And I know how important Landon is to all of you. I couldn’t live with myself if I could have done something to save him and then my mom kills him. I mean I’m not sure I can live with knowing she took Rose’s dad away from her. No kid should go without their parents.”, Billy said. “So..you are going to help us?”, Atif questioned. Billy lifted Atif’s chin and kissed him. “I’ll do anything for you. I love you Atif Tanner Alston. And even if it means betraying my mom and the acolytes I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you are happy and safe.”, Billy said with a smile. “But I’d say wait till after the party.”, Billy suggested. Atif shook his head. “I can’t. This isn’t something I can sit on. I can’t take you with me to the school. But I will call you after we confront John.”, Atif said giving Billy a kiss. “And by the way. I love you William Erik Maximoff.”, Atif said with a smile before racing down the stairs to find the others.

He skidded to a stop at the booth. “Lily. We go now. Grab Ashley. I’ll get the band.”, Atif said quickly. Lily looked at him like he had three heads. “They are in the middle of playing a gig. They can’t just walk out.”, Lily protested. Rachel and Blaire both looked at him confused. “This is important. It’s HUGE! It’s the key.”, Atif said rambling. “Key?”, Blaire and Rachel said raising their eyebrows. “Key to what Atif?”, Lily asked turning fully in her spot. “Pandora’s box.”, Atif said. Lily’s eyes went wide. “Alright I’ll grab your sister. Rachel, Blaire you are on your own.”, Lily said getting up from the table and heading to the dance floor. She pulled Ashley away from Xavier. “Hey.. Lily.”, Ashley grumbled. “Oh you’ll live. Your brother found the key.”, Lily said. “The key to what?”, Ashley asked confused. “Pandora’s box. We need to go now.”, Lily explained. Ashley’s eyes went wide. “Umm right. Okay.”, Ashley said turning to Xavier. She gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “I am super sorry about this Xavier. I’ve had a great night and I was really looking forward to kissing you at midnight. But I gotta go. Very important team business.”, Ashley said quickly following Lily who was already heading for the stage. Atif was leaning on the stairs trying to get Landon’s attention. But he couldn’t because the music was so loud and Landon and the others were just in the zone. Atif sighed. “I can’t get Landon’s attention..”, Atif grumbled as his sister and Lily rushed over. Lily groaned. “Alright I’ve got this.”, Lily said and with a twitch of her nose one of his drum sticks flew from his hand and into hers.

Landon stopped mid beat and turned glaring off stage. Rose and Cora Lee stopped playing and looked back at Landon who nodded to Lily, Atif, and Ashley. “Sorry about that folks, technical difficulties…”, Cora Lee said. Landon quickly ran from his seat to the stairs and grabbed his stick. “What the fuck is wrong with you? We are in the middle of playing a gig.”, Landon asked. “I found the key. We need to move now.”, Atif said. Landon blinked. “What? You found a way to end the mystery? Umm..shit. Hold on. Don’t move..”, Landon said getting up and rushing over to Cora Lee. “Atif found the key to our mystery. We need to go.”, Landon whispered before moving to Rose who looked really confused. “Atif found the key to our mystery. We gotta go, now.”, Landon whispered. Cora Lee’s eyes went wide and she quickly set her bass in its stand. She rushed over to the stairs to where Atif, Lily and Ashley waited. “Seriously? You couldn’t have waited till after midnight? I had plans…”, Cora Lee said looking across the club to Malcolm who like the rest of the club were watching in confusion. “You don’t think we all didn’t have midnight plans. Trust me we had plans.”, Atif said. “But this is huge. And I’m not waiting for the new year." Rose tried to remain calm as she set her guitar down turning her hand a bit shaky to look at Landon. “We are sure he found the key?”, Rose asked. Landon nodded. “Atif wouldn’t have come to interrupt the gig if he wasn’t 100%.”, Landon said grabbing her hands. And walking her to the stairs. “What’s so huge about this that couldn’t wait till after midnight?”, Cora Lee asked. “Logan’s alive. I don’t think it gets more huge.”, Atif said. The whole group’s mouths fell open and Rose stumbled back against Landon who put his arms around her so she didn’t fall. “Alright. It’s alright Rose.”, he said making sure she was stable before letting her go. “So we agree we don’t wait. I’ll end our set and we go now. Start for the van.”, Landon instructed moving to the front of the stage.

He saw his Dad making his way through the crowd, he saw all the confused faces in the crowd and in the back at the booth he saw Rachel and she looked worried. Landon took a deep breath looking at her and forced a smile to try and make her feel less worried. Rachel saw him smile and that his eyes were directly on her. It didn’t make her less scared for him, she knew him well enough to know his fake smile from a real one. When she saw all the institute team leaders start to gather the only thought she had was ‘Is this the night he dies? Have I lost my chance to tell him how I feel?’ David reached the stage and looked up at Landon. “What the hell is going on?”, David questioned. “I apologize for the interruption. I know you all came out here tonight to have a good time and listen to some good music provided by myself, my little sister and our friend Rose. But something urgent has come up. Something that cannot wait. So on behalf of Meddling Kids I’m sorry. But we are done for the night. Have a great New Year and I hope to see you all next year.”, Landon said taking off his mic. “What do you mean you have to go? Go where Landon?”, David asked grabbing Landon’s leg. Landon sighed and looked down at his dad’s hand. “In your own words, it’s not your business and you wouldn’t understand. Bye dad.”, Landon said pulling his leg back and heading off the stage following the others as they headed for the door. David turned watching them at a loss for words. He thought about doing something, locking the doors or anything, but he saw the look in Landon’s eyes. It was a rather familiar look. It was the same one he had when he made the decision to find the X-Men and to fight the Acolytes to save Aislinn. Something big was going down.

Billy was walking out in time to hear Landon’s speech. He watched not able to do anything but make sure his cell was on and he was ready for when Atif called. Tommy was stopped, unmoving in his confusion as he watched Lily and her friends start to run for the door. He wanted to chase after her. To find out what happened. He wasn’t the only one worried. Malcolm kept his eyes locked on Cora Lee till she disappeared out the front doors. Merrick looked around confused, granted he had no stake in whatever was going on, but like it or not half of the people rushing out of the building were his blood. Rachel rushed from the booth and ran for the door just in time she caught Landon by the arm. “Landon..”, she said her voice cracking a little. Landon turned a little and sighed. “It’ll be alright. No worries. No fear.”, Landon said turning to leave. Rachel leaned up and just managed to kiss his cheek before he was gone running for his van with the others. Rachel sighed watching them pull out of the parking spot and race off. “Please be safe…”, Rachel whispered walking back into the club spinning the bracelet around and around on her wrist.

David grabbed his cell phone and called Sadria, but got no answer so he left a message telling her something was up because her twins, his cousin, Rose and his kids just dropped everything in the middle of a gig and left. He was about to call Aurelia when he noticed Rachel. He frowned and walked over to her placing a hand on hers to stop her from spinning the bracelet. “You’ll take your arm off at that speed kid.”, David said softly. Rachel looked down at the hand covering hers and heard the familiar words but in a different voice. She looked up and saw David, who was a pierced older version of Landon in appearance. Her blue eyes already brimming with tears and hearing him say nearly the exact same words and do nearly the exact same thing that Landon had earlier in the night she just started to cry. “Whoa… um. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Please stop..”, David said taking his hand back. “Why are you crying? What did I do? What did I say?’, David questioned. “I’m..I’m sorry Mr. Bryant. It’s not you I swear.”, she said sniffling and wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. “I..I wish I could tell you, but I can’t right now. It wasn’t you. Really.”, Rachel sniffled her voice still cracking. “Are you worried about your cousin? She’s with Landon. My boy will keep her safe.”, He said searching his pockets for a tissue. Rachel shook her head. “I’m not worried about Rose. She’ll be safe with him..he’ll always play hero till he is one.”, she said her eyes shining a little as she felt the tears starting again. Thinking about why Rose was so safe and who might be in danger because of it just made her want to cry again. “S..sorry. It’s just what you said was almost exactly what Landon said earlier.”, she explained spinning her bracelet again. It suddenly clicked in David’s head. “You’re worried about my son…”, David said with a sigh. Rachel blinked and looked up at him realizing she shouldn’t worry David. “I..Yeah..I mean. They’re X-men.”, she said softly. “And suddenly leaving like that..it’d be like if they were cops and all suddenly cleared out. They didn’t tell me what was going on. Secret Mutant Business as Jacob says. But it still makes me worried.”, Rachel said trying to play the situation off.

Hearing the phrase ‘secret mutant business’ got David thinking. “They are students not X-Men. And whatever this is, isn’t X-Men business or Mikali would have been the one leaving not my kids. No the way Landon spoke to me, the words he used…something is going down. I know that look in his eyes. I get that same look every time I’ve made my mind up to go do something dangerous and possibly stupid.”, David said shaking his head starting to worry about what his kids were getting themselves into. Rachel tilted her head looking at him. “I’m just worried. Landon means..well he means a lot to me.”, she said softly looking down. David raised a pierced brow looking down at her. He knew Landon had a crush on Rose, but wasn’t aware if there was any other girls..any other Howletts that held his heart. He knew that Landon looked out for Rachel, often defending her from Merrick. He also knew that Landon had gone through a lot of trouble making that masquerade ball special for Rachel even if he said it was ‘just friends’. He had used the ‘just friends’ line too when he first started spending time around Aislinn, look where that got him. “Does he know that? And back up to the secret mutant business. What do you mean?”, David questioned. Rachel shook her head. “No. I mean maybe? He knows he is my friend.”, she admitted looking up at David. “It’s just what Jacob says a lot. Anytime mutants get all hushed around him. Like when you, Solangel and Demitri do. He calls it secrete mutant business. Sort of an inside joke between us because there are things we don’t get told because we are humans.”, Rachel explained.

David nodded. The only time any of the Haven mutants clammed up around Jacob was if the topic of the attacks and the weeks that followed was brought up. Which that was only brought up when Landon and his group started asking questions. Questions that none of them could answer. David sighed his shoulders sinking as he knew what the kids rushed off about. They were going to get themselves in trouble, killed or possibly have their memories wiped looking into this mystery. But he couldn’t tell any of that to Rachel. John would have his head on a pike if he did. So he chose to focus on the other subject. “My son, well he may be my son but when it comes to girl he’s dense. So trust me, if you want him to know it’s not just friends for you then you better say it.”, David suggested. “I..I don’t think it matters if he knows Mr. Bryant. Landon isn’t interested in me, I know he’s interested in a couple other girls.”, Rachel said starting to spin the bracelet again. David sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Of course it matters. Bryant men never know what’s best for them till the right one is starting them down and sometimes literally slapping their face. But none the less don’t worry about Landon. He’s a smart kid and he can take on whatever comes.”, David said trying to reassure her, though in his mind he added ‘I hope’. Rachel nodded focusing on the bracelet as she spun it starting to leave a red mark. “I just worry.”, she said. “Just remember what I said about Bryant men need to be slapped in the face with the right answer.”, he said dialing Aurelia. Rachel chuckled a little sadly. “I don’t think I am the right answer Mr. Bryant.”, she admitted. “I’ve heard something like that before. Just more Scottish accent was used. I married her…”, David stated with a smirk as he listened to the ringing of the phone. Rachel blinked looking at him.

Aurelia had been heading downstairs to the quiet bar, having closed for the night, despite the protest of her regulars. But she needed the quiet as another year was closing and she was still without Logan. She pulled her phone out answering it. “Aurelia Faith Howlett.”, she greeted. David sighed relieved that one of the parents could answer their phone. “It’s Crow. We’ve got a problem.”, David greeted. “Rachel go enjoy the rest of the night. The DJ is starting up and your friends, especially Xavier, look rather scared.”, David suggested both so her friends could maybe be less concerned and so she couldn’t hear what he had to say to her aunt. Rachel nodded and headed back to the booth where Xavier, Blaire, Bianca, Gabriel, and Hope had all gathered wanting to know what happened. “What? Someone start a fight?”, Aurelia asked. “Rachel? Rachel is with you? Don’t tell me that jackass Merrick is bothering her again.”, Aurelia questioned. “No Demitri’s baby brother hasn’t moved from the booth his crew claimed for the night. The issue is our kids. I already tried Sadria but she must be out with Azriel.”, David answered walking away to his office where it would be quieter. “What’s going on with the kids?”, she asked walking into the bar closing the door behind her before clicking on the lights.

Logan had left the club and decided for his last hours before, hopefully, the kids saved him he would enjoy a cigar in his pub. He was about half way through it when the door started to open. He had thought he would be alone, so it startled him and he set the cigar down still smoking in the tray. “Well Atif, Ashley, and Lily all stormed my stage and then our kids not only stopped mid song they ended the gig right then and there. Landon excused them and they all just ran out.”, David explained. Aurelia looked over and blinked sniffing a bit. “Wait they stopped the gig? They have been working for weeks.”, Aurelia questioned. She suddenly snarled and her eyes turned wolfish, prowling the bar. “Someone is here..”, she said looking around but seeing no one. But then she spotted the cigar and rushed to the bar picking it up. She sniffed the cigar and her eyes went wide. “Logan?”, she questioned spinning to look around the bar. “Thus my concern. I confronted Landon. And he used my words against me. Saying it’s not my business and that I wouldn’t understand. Wait did you just say Logan? What have you been smoking?”, David questioned confused. “Not what I’ve been smoking. Someone broke into his safe and one of his cigars is lit in the tray at the pub.”, Aurelia explained walking around the bar. She crouched down popping the panel to the safe and used her key to unlock it. And sure enough one cigar was missing. “H..how? My key is the only key…”, she stammered confused.

“It’s not possible. If Logan was around I’d know it. I haven’t sensed adamantium, other than your ring, since the day he went missing.”, David countered with logic a rare and almost Landon like moment for him. “Someone...someone got into his safe.”, she said grabbing the cigar and taking a long drag off it before exhaling. “And the cigar tastes just like him…just like the other one…”, Aurelia said now lost in her own thoughts. She blinked returning to the subject at hand. “What did you mean earlier? About Landon using your words. Why would he do that?”, Aurelia questioned. “Okay that’s freaky. But one thing at a time. Any time Landon or any of the kids have started questioning about why I don’t talk to Kim or what happened when the institute burned. I tell them it’s not their business and they wouldn’t understand.”, David explained. Aurelia blinked. “Your son doesn’t use other people’s plans or words unless it’s to make a point.”, she said putting the cigar out. “I’ll track them down. They left together right?”, Aurelia questioned. “I know he doesn’t. He had the same look I get when I’m determined to do something dangerous and probably stupid. The same look I had when I decided to find the bunker and to go save Aislinn. Whatever is going on it’s about that. And I am rather afraid of what’s going to happen if they find it all out. I don’t know what the other side will do and well I’ll kill Duncan if he even touches one of my kids. And yes they took the van shouldn’t be too hard to track down. Call me when you find them.”, David said. “I know. And I’ll find them. I’ll call you then.”, Aurelia said putting the phone down. She shifted into her wolf form and bolted into the night running through the town trying to smell out the kids and the van.

Billy walked over to his brother and hung his head. Tommy looked at Billy confused. “What’s wrong? What’s happening? Why did Lily and her group all run off?”, Tommy asked. Billy frowned a little. “You know…”, Tommy said grabbing his brother by the arm and pulling him off to a corner away from everyone. Malcolm turned and noticed his cousins and followed. “What’s going on?”, Malcolm asked. “He knows why Lily and them left. What is going on Billy?”, Tommy demanded. “Wait you know why Cora Lee left? Why?”, Malcolm questioned. Billy pulled his cousins out to the alley. “One why does it matter to you two?”, Billy questioned. Tommy and Malcolm both went silent. “Tell me or I say nothing.”, Billy demanded. “Fine. I’ve been dating Lily for nearly two years. I know I’m a horrible twin brother for not telling you.”, Tommy blurted. Billy and Malcolm both looked at Tommy and blinked. “Umm we’ll discuss that later I guess. So what’s your stake in this Malcolm?”, Billy said turning to his cousin. Malcolm sighed and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “I’m dating Cora Lee. At least I think that’s what we are doing. I was her mystery guy at the dance.”, Malcolm admitted. Now it was Tommy and Billy looking at Malcolm stunned. “Alright so we all have more than blood in common. We have a serious weak spot for x-men. And apparently my twin and I have a soft spot for red heads.”, Billy said shaking his head. Tommy and Malcolm looked at him puzzled. “Soft spot for red heads? What is going on Billy? We spilled out stake in this now talk.”, Malcolm demanded. Billy sighed and nodded. “I’ve been seeing Atif Alston. Thus my joke about red heads. But that’s not why they all left. It’s going to be hard to explain this to you guys. But I’m about to betray mom and I may never get to see you after this because if I’m not dead I won’t be welcomed back at the Academy.”, Billy explained.

Tommy blinked shaking his head. “What are you talking about? Betray mom? Are you insane? What’s going on Billy?”, he demanded his voice taking an rare serious tone. Malcolm folded his arms across his chest and waited. “Remember when we were kids Tommy. When I saw Wolverine?”, Billy asked. Malcolm blinked. “Saw Wolverine?”, he questioned. Tommy nodded. “Yeah I remember. But it was a nightmare or something from your sleep-porting.”, Tommy said not sure how this had anything to do with anything. “It wasn’t a dream or a nightmare. I teleported to this in between dimension. It over laps with ours we just can’t see it. The castle I saw was in Mandipoor, it was Hudson Howlett’s castle. And it was really Wolverine, he isn’t dead but in that dimension, that limbo.”, Billy explained. “Wait what? How do you know any of this? What happened?”, Tommy asked. “Look I was with Atif tonight and we were talking about coming out as a couple I joked that he’s the seer so he should be able to see how badly that news would be taken. He didn’t see what would happen for us but got a clearer vision of one he’s apparently had since he was nine.”, Billy explained.

“What vision?”, Malcolm asked. “Of my mom killing Landon. We talked it through and the first time he got the vision it all lines up with his friends trying to find out why Crow and Pretender don’t talk and what really happened to Wolverine. I explained to Atif about my teleporting and seeing Wolverine. He put the pieces together. And remember when Lily ran away and Kim came home and told mom something about Demitri warning to not to start a war again?”, Billy explained. Tommy nodded. “Yeah I remember I thought it was crazy talk though.”, Tommy said. “Well it wasn’t. Our mom knows what really happened with the X-Men. I don’t think any of the other adults do though. But when it all clicked for Atif and I, a stack of boxes fell over. It started us. Startled me to the point I teleported, and landed in that dimension again. I found myself next to Atif though he couldn’t see me and looking directly at Wolverine who’d knocked the boxes over.”, Billy explained.

Tommy and Malcolm were now hanging on every word. “He explained to me why I am able to get into that dimension and why I can see him. Our mom put him there with a hex ball. He hadn’t fallen to the FOH he fell to her. He told me to instruct Atif to go to their school and a find a session file under his dad’s codename from the night the institute burned and then take that to his brother. He also told me I was the only one who had the ability to save him. To save Wolverine I need mom’s spell book and well a shit ton of power. But getting the book won’t be easy nor finding enough power beyond my own to cast the spell to open the veil between that dimension and ours. Though even talking about doing this is treason. And I just don’t know what will happen after this is over. I don’t know if being her son, her first born even if by three minutes will be enough for her to not kill me for this. I know I won’t be able to go to the institute so I’m either dead or I’m on the streets.”, Billy said.

Malcolm shook his head. “Then don’t do it.”, Malcolm said. Billy looked at Malcolm and shook his head. “I have to do this. My mom has apparently done something really terrible. She took away someone’s dad. Atif’s friends mean the world to him. And I love Atif with everything I’ve got. And I’ll do anything for him. Because when it comes to choosing between my mom the woman who’s only groomed to me take over her ‘throne’ and the boy who has shown me love and kindness I will pick Atif every time. I’m waiting for him to call me so we can plan what we do next. I need to figure out how to get the book.”, Billy explained. “I’ll help you then.”, Tommy volunteered. “Tommy I can’t ask that of you.”, Billy said shaking his head no. “You aren’t asking. I’m telling you. I’m faster than sound brother. I can get in and out of our academy without anyone seeing me. Plus you are doing this for Atif. Well he’s not the only one who’s friends are everything. Lily would risk her life for her friends’ happiness. So I’ll risk mine for hers. So I’m in. We are twins. We either die together or we become street rates together.”, Tommy said with a smile extending his hand to Billy. Billy nodded taking his brother’s hand and pulling him into a hug.

Malcolm sighed. “I can’t sit back and do nothing…”, Malcolm said. “You can’t risk it though Malcolm. We do something mom has to deal with us. You do something she’ll not just deal with you she’ll take it out on your mom and dad.”, Billy argued. Malcolm slammed his fists against the building lightening streaking across the cloudless sky. Billy looked up at the lightening. “Calm down Malcolm. The sky doesn’t have a cloud and you are creating lightening…”, Billy said an idea forming. “I think I know how you can help without any direct involvement.”, Billy said. Malcolm raised an eyebrow to his cousin “How?”, Malcolm asked. “When we need it you take out the power, not just to the school because that’d be obvious take the whole block down. Your power you could fry the transformer, it’ll look like an electrical overload. We can use the black out for Tommy to get in even easier in the confusion of people checking the fuse box.”, Billy explained. Malcolm nodded smiling. “I can do that.”, Malcolm agreed. “Alright so when Atif texts me we split up. Tommy comes with me to the meeting place and you go to that transformer and wait for my cue.”, Billy instructed. “Final question.”, Malcolm said. “Yes?”, Billy asked. “What about the other kids in the building? How do we do this without them realizing we are gone?”, Malcolm asked. “Tell them I’m sick and you two are taking me home. They won’t think anything of it.”, Tommy said. “They won’t believe you’re sick.”, Malcolm said. “They will when I force myself to throw up on the floor at their feet.”, Tommy said with a grin. Billy laughed and shook his head. “You truly are sick my brother.”, Billy said still laughing.

Across town Landon had pulled up to the institute and the whole gang, in their party clothes ran into the building and for the elevator to the danger room control room. As they ran through the halls to the control room everyone was looking at Atif. Atif slid into the chair and started typing trying to find the file. “So Atif you going to explain to us how you found the key? How you know Logan is alive?”, Landon questioned. “Yes how do you know my dad is alive?”, Rose questioned folding her arms. “You guys aren’t going to like it.”, Atif admitted with a sigh. “Just tell us.”, Ashley demanded. “Fine Billy Maximoff. He’s how I know.”, Atif said still typing. “Maximoff!? What the hell?”, Cora Lee asked. “Look he may be a cocky guy but he’s really actual very sweet and I love him.”, Atif admitted. Ashley blinked. “LOVE?”, Ashley questioned. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all sooner, but well this was what I expected as a reaction denial and anger. But we’ve been together for a while. But look at it this way guys without him I wouldn’t have found the key and we wouldn’t have a chance to find the truth and save Logan.”, Atif said. “Explain fully now please.”, Landon said folding his arms.

“Alright we all know part of Billy’s power is he can sort of teleport just not like Kurt and his family. Well when he was little he sleep-ported. He didn’t go to the brimstone dimension like Kurt does. He went into like a limbo. A dimension that overlaps with ours. He was at a castle, and that’s when he first saw Logan. He was eight so Logan kind of scared him and he started to screaming. Remember the earthquake Rose?”, Atif explained. Rose nodded. “Yeah it freaked me out.”, Rose said. “Well that was caused by Billy. Because the castle he saw your dad in was Hudson’s. And tonight Billy and I were together upstairs in the club. We were talking about…”, Atif said glancing to Landon. Landon raised an eyebrow. “Things.”, Atif said. Landon nodded figuring that the pause was that he told Billy about the vision. “And well when talking thing through it all started to click. Logan being alive, all the clues we’ve found. Billy had even over heard some stuff from the night Lily ran away. Basically Demitri had said something warning Kim not to start a war again. Kim seemed clueless on it but his mom didn’t. So Wanda knows what happened back then too, but the other Acolytes apparently don’t.”, Atif explained.

Cora Lee rubbed her temples the information overloading her. “Alright well what are you looking for and how do you know to look for it?”, Rose asked. “I’m looking for a session from the night of the attack. It should be here under my dad’s codename Creature. Logan said it would be here and that with whatever is in this session we can take to John and get the truth. And then well then Billy has to defy is mom if we are going to get Logan free.”, Atif said with a sigh. “So then we aren’t freeing my dad..”, Rose muttered. Landon sighed and rolled Atif out of the way. “You are searching wrong. Let a master at work. Now keep explaining how you got the information.”, Landon said starting a new query to find the file correctly. “Well a stack of boxes fell. Startled us both. Startled Billy to the point he teleported, he apparently ended up in the limbo. Logan had knocked the boxes over. Logan told him we needed to find this file and take it to his brother for answers. And Rose we are getting him back. Billy is going to help us. I apparently mean more to him than his mom.”, Atif stated. “Alright so we crack the secrete and Billy opens Pandora’s box. What’s he need to get Logan out?”, Landon said still filtering through the files. “He needs his mom’s book, which is going to be a problem to get since it’s at the academy. Then he needs a major power source because his alone won’t be enough to open the door.”, Atif explained. “Alright so recon on the Academy to get the book. And we’ll figure something out about power. Shit if he needs it he can use mine. And here’s the file Logan wanted us to find..”, Landon said hitting play.

On the monitor an image appeared. Someone shifting from animal form to animal form as the systematically took down a sentinel. As the sentinel hit the ground the now panther shifted standing up to be a man with blonde hair and brown eyes, a man whom Ashley looked a great deal like. Ashley and Atif both froze staring at the screen. “Dad..”, they said in unison. They’d seen pictures of him. But here he was on video and he was epic taking down the sentinel. Suddenly in the video the alarms started going off and the recording followed watching Tanner leave the danger room. The file had been spliced and surveillance footage had been added to it. Because as the screen switched it showed Sadria, rather pregnant fighting off soldiers. “Mom. But those are military uniforms and insignias not FOH.”, Ashley pointed out. They watched as a shield protected Sadria from bullets and water from vases flew at soldiers knocking them down. “Damn you two were epic in the womb.”, Lily said with a smile. Atif and Ashley nodded they’d been told they’d helped their mother fend off attackers but they’d been told it was FOH not military. Without warning from behind they saw Pyro jab a needle into their mother’s neck and her go limp and be handed off to the soldiers.

“Pyro…but. He’s an acolyte he wouldn’t act without Wanda’s say so.”, Lily said shaking her head. In the video there was a yell of anger “SADRIA!!!” the voice shouted and out ran Tanner tackling Pyro. The group watched on as the two struggled. Ashley and Atif looked away as Pyro torched their father. Landon, Lily, Cora Lee and Rose couldn’t look either. Ashley started to cry. “Pyro did it. Pryo killed our dad…”, Ashley said shaking her head. Atif was crying but silent his mind trying to figure out how he could tell Billy that his dad died at the hands of Billy’s dad. Rose and Cora Lee hugged Ashley. Lily wrapped her arms around Atif hugging him tight. Landon sighed and looked over to his friends. He had no words. Atif sniffled a little before talking. “We can’t bring my dad back. But we can get Rose’s so let’s focus and do that okay?”, Atif requested. Landon nodded and started downloading the file to his tablet.

“Let’s go then.”, Rose agreed heading for the door. However the door was blocked by a rather large red wolf. “Uh oh..”, Rose said stopping in her tracks. Landon got up to follow and sighed seeing the wolf. “God damn it. My dad called you didn’t he.”, Landon said shaking his head. Aurelia looked to the monitor seeing the video replaying and transformed back to her human form. “Where did you find that!? How did you even known to look for it!? What are you kids doing!? And damn right your dad called me.”, Aurelia demanded though her voice went soft when she looked at the tear stained faces of Atif and Ashley. Lily quickly turned the video off. Cora Lee gulped a little but everyone seemed to look to Landon. “We are getting answers, Professor. So unless you want to disclose the full truth about what’s on that video. About what happened that night and following it. We have nothing to discuss and we will be on our way to talk to ‘Honest’ John.”, Landon said holding firm.

“I..I can’t talk to you about it. You kids don’t know what you are getting into with this. What kind of trouble you will be in. Duncan won’t allow…”, Aurelia said. “We deserve the truth. And we are going to get it tonight. It’s fine if you are scared of Duncan. I’m not. We have our orders and we are going to follow them till the mission is complete.”, Landon said. Atif, Ashley, Lily and Cora Lee moved to stand behind Landon, timidly giving their support. “What do you mean orders? What mission?”, Aurelia demanded. “From dad. Dad’s alive and we are going to rescue him.”, Rose blurted out. Aurelia’s eyes went wide as she looked to Rose and then to the others. Landon nodded. “See now. I know enough about Logan to know I’m not going to disobey his orders. He wanted us to find this video, to confront his brother and get the truth so we can set him free. And that’s what will happen.”, Landon said firmly. “What do you mean set him free?”, Aurelia asked. “He’s in a limbo dimension created from we guess Wanda’s hex ball hitting him. Wic..Billy Maximoff has seen him, has talked to him and can save him.”, Landon said stopping himself from using Billy’s codename since it was the name he would have used before when talking about him as an enemy now he talked about him as a friend.

“Maximoff? You are trusting Scarlet Bitch’s kid?”, Aurelia questioned. “Atif trusts him therefore we do professor. So either get on board or get out of our way.”, Landon stated. Aurelia looked to Atif questioningly. “He’s my boyfriend professor. He’s not lying he saw Logan tonight how else would he know for us to find this file? And Billy is willing to help us save Logan. We just need the truth.”, Atif said. “Fine. Just not here. I’ll come with you to John’s I doubt he’ll talk to you otherwise.”, Aurelia agreed. “Very well then.”, Landon said passing her the others following him. As the kids climbed back into the van Aurelia watched them her heart pounding with the excitement of possibly seeing Logan again but also pounding with fear of what Wanda will do in retaliation against the kids. And as the van pulled out Aurelia shifted back to her wolf form all heading across town to John’s house. Aurelia wasn’t too sure that John would tell the kids anything even if he did want to. He was honor bound to his promise to Duncan just like she was. But with the possibility of Logan being brought back to them it made that promise seem insignificant and breakable. The drive over was quite everyone’s minds racing with a thousand questions and thinking of the possible answers to them. Atif and Ashley still trying to stop thinking about what they’d seen on the monitor. Rose thinking about what it would mean to her mom to have her dad back, she wasn’t sure how this was going to go down. She’d only recently been give full disclosure to know that Logan might not be her real dad. If what Atif said was true, if he could see what happened in their world would he accept her as his like Hudson, Amiko and John or would he reject her like Cero and Kirra.