Complications of Life
Chapter One:
“Roy?” whispered a groggy and blurry eyed blond haired young man from the top bunk of the bunk bed against the far wall of the room. He’d been awakened by the door to the bed room squeaking as it opened and closed. Blinking a bit his eyes focused enough in the dark room to recognize that it was indeed his identical twin that had come silently into the room. If it hadn’t been for the squeaky door, he probably wouldn’t have noticed older brother’s entrance. “What time is it?”
“Go back to sleep Austin,” Roy whispered, carefully placing his shoulder bag down. His whisper was slightly strained as if he was trying to hide something from his twin. “I believe it’s around four in the morning.” Roy kept his back towards the bunk bed as he spoke. He knelt down and moved the shoulder bag so that his body was blocking it from his twin’s line of sight. Opening the shoulder bag he retrieved several thick envelopes before closing it and shoving the bag under the dresser he was in front of.
“Four? And you’re just getting back now?” Austin asked incredulously, throwing back his blankets and hopped out of bed. He landed with a soft thud of his bare feet on the carpeted floor boards. “What’s that you’re trying to hide?” Austin practically demanded as went quickly over to his twin, but kept his voice to a whisper. With his long strides, Austin stood at his twin’s side in a matter of seconds and snatched one of three envelopes out of Roy’s hands. Roy had been trying to place the envelopes inside the top draw of the dresser.
“Give it back!” Roy hissed as he dropped the other two envelopes into the already full draw. He turned to snatch the envelope back, but Austin danced out of his reach. Roy glared venomously at his younger brother. He was irritated and tired as it was and didn’t want to deal with his brother’s antics at this moment. “I’m not joking. Give it back.”
As Austin held it in his grip he knew what was in the envelope, but his hopeful expression faded into disappointment as he glanced at its contents: a thick stack of hundred dollar bills. “You’re gambling again?” He’d hoped that that part in Roy’s life had been over and done with as had the rest of their family. “How long?”
“The matter doesn’t concern you.” Roy snapped marching over and hastily grabbing the envelope out of his twin’s hand. “Now drop it.”
“The hell it doesn’t concern me.” Austin hissed mirroring his brother’s glare with his own. Roy turned away and began to walk back across the room to the dresser. Austin was on his heels in a matter of seconds. He reached out to grab hold of his twin’s left arm, only for Roy to immediately recoil with a pained expression sprawled across his face. Surprised Austin let go and watched as Roy’s left arm hung slightly elongated and limp at his twin’s side. Roy’s right hand still held the thick envelope, but a bit tighter now. “You’re arm is broken. Who broke it?”
Silently Roy turned to fully cross the room and drop the thick envelope into the top draw along side the other thick envelopes, which lined the draw and closed it. He stood there a moment before walking back over to Austin. “It was nothing I couldn’t handle.” He said in a casual tone like they were discussing the weather. “Just some sore losers accusing me of cheating during the game.” Roy leaned his left arm against the metal frame of the bunk bed and a sickening pop sounded as his shoulder popped back into place. “It’s not as bad as it sounds.”
“How bad is it then?” Austin demanded his voice rising slightly, “You’re gambling. How bad is it?”
“Austin, can we please talk tomorrow? I have to get some sleep.” Roy said as he sat down on his bed and slipped his shoes off his feet. He didn’t bother discarding any other clothing as he lay down on the bottom bunk. “I promise we will talk to…” Roy trailed off since he drifted off mid sentence.
Austin stared at his sleeping twin a moment before easily climbing back into the top bunk. He would have to tell their dad and step-mother about this at some point. He knew they would be livid that Roy was gambling again. “Roy, you are an idiot.”
*****
“Have you told the ‘rent’s yet?” Roy asked as he glanced at over at Austin, who sat in the front passenger seat of the ninety six mustang. They were driving from their family’s house in Brooklyn to Winchester County to pick up their younger sister from her boarding school: Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. It was their sister’s last day before summer vacation. Usually their father would have driven out to get her, but Roy had volunteered to get her instead.
“No, not yet, but I will.” Austin replied staring out the window, watching the scenery slowly pass. They’d started out early enough, but it seemed that there had been some accident farther up ahead. It resulted in them being stuck in a traffic jam for the time being. “They’re going to kill you when they find out.”
“I realize that.” Roy muttered returning his eyes back to the road before him. They were moving slightly quicker now, which he hoped was a good sign. A heavy silence settled between them as neither one was too happy with the other right now. The traffic jam rolled slowly, but steadily forwards as the minutes passed. After twenty minutes of sitting in silence, Roy reached over and turned on one of the local radio stations. However almost instantly Austin had reached over and shut it off to Roy’s dismay.
“Why can’t we listen to the radio?” Roy inquired breaking the silence.
“Why can’t you stop gambling?” Austin countered changing the subject altogether.
“I believe I’ve that explained before.” Roy retorted focusing on the road and cars around him. They were passing the scene of the accident now, but neither young man seemed to notice or rather care at the moment.
Austin rolled his eyes, “You want a thrill? Go sky diving or, better yet, join SHIELD like me.”
“I am not joining SHIELD. I will not be a government dog.” Roy snapped now wishing he’d left Austin behind at the house. “If you remember, another reason was that it’s stress relieving.”
“Alright then, you want stress relief? Go train instead of wasting all your time and money.”
“I don’t I have–”
“That’s a load of crap and you know it.” Austin stated cutting Roy off mid-sentence. “If you have time to gamble then you have time to train.”
“Whatever.” Roy sighed knowing it wasn’t the best retort to end the conversation. He’d heard all the reasons and things he could do instead of gambling before, three years before to be exact. It was when he and Austin were seniors at their high school.
******
Nichole smiled to herself as she placed her last article of clothing into her suitcase and zipped it shut. She had spent all morning pulling out the dusty suitcases and filling each one with her belongings. She had no classes today as it was technically the first day of summer vacation and yesterday had been full of special activities and good-byes to her classmates and teachers. She’d see them in about three months, which was when the school break would end. Turning around to glance at her room, her long reddish brown hair fell over her shoulder. As far as she could tell she hadn’t forgotten anything, but if she did, she knew the Head Mistress would mail it to her.
“Oh Nick, you haven’t left yet?”
Nichole instantly knew the voice and turned to face her friend smiling brightly, “Nope, not yet Scott. My brothers must have run into traffic.”
“There’s always traffic.” Scott said shrugging slightly as he leaned on the door frame. “Maybe they forgot about you.”
“I doubt that.” Nichole replied taking a seat on her bed. The two had hung out occasionally and had a couple classes together. “Roy’s too over protective to forget.”
“Which one is Roy again?”
“He has dark brown hair and Austin has blond hair.”
“Aren’t they supposed to be identical twins?”
“Austin dyes his hair.”
“Right, I knew that.”
*****
“Hold it.” Austin ordered as Roy was about to exit the parked car. The rest of the ride to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters had been endured in complete silence between the brothers. Not even the radio had been allowed to be on at any point during the ride as it would only be an excuse to start another argument between them and neither really wanted that. Roy froze with his hand on the door handle of the driver’s side door and waited for his twin to continue. “Last night you said that some sore losers accused you of cheating. I want to know weather or not they were mutants.”
“Yes, last night I played a game of poker with some mutants.” Roy replied opening his door and exiting the car. He had a hunch as to why Austin wanted to know that, but he didn’t put much thought into it right now. Roy had other things to attend to at the moment. Closing the door hard, Roy began walking towards the large school building with Austin following close behind. Up the large cement drive way and marble front steps and through the front door, the two found themselves in the midst’s of mutants of various ages hurrying every which way.
“Good-afternoon boys,” Storm greeted them from the stair case before them and motioned for them to follow her. “Nick has been excitingly awaiting your arrival. Did you hit traffic on your drive here?”
“It’s nice to see you again, Ms. Monroe.” Roy replied as he and Austin caught up with Storm and followed her up the stairs to the second floor.
“We got stuck in a traffic jam, but luckily it didn’t last too long.” Austin stated, answering Storm’s question. “Otherwise it was uneventful.”
“That’s good. Nick has been doing quite well.” Storm said as they past several rooms that were empty of occupants. “She has improved much in controlling her power, though there is much more Nick needs to work on.” They turned a corner and Storm led them down another hall, but stopped in front of a room a couple doors down on the left side of the hall. “Scott” Storm said addressing the boy who was leaning on the door frame, “have you and Nick said your good-byes? Her brother’s are here to pick her up.”
“Oh y-yeah…” Scott said glancing up at the older mutant and moved aside so that the others could enter the room. He turned his gaze back to his friend, “See you after break, Nick.”
“You bet, Scott.” Nick said grinning as she slid off her bed, “Where else am I going to go?”
Scott shrugged, “I’ll be seeing you then.” He turned and walked out of the room without another word, probably to go talk with one of the other students.
“Have a great summer, Nick.” Storm said walking over to her and placed a hand on her shoulders. “And remember to practice what you’ve learned this year over the break.”
“Yes, Ms. Monroe, I will.” Nick replied still grinning. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Alright, I’ll leave you in your brother’s capable hands.” Storm replied retracting her hand from Nick’s shoulder and briefly turned her gaze to Austin and Roy to wish them a “Have a safe drive home” before exiting the room as well. She would no doubt help another person find their relative.
“Roy, I’ve missed you!” Nick exclaimed as she rushed over and hugged her eldest brother.
“What about me?” Austin teased as Nick released Roy from the hug. “Didn’t you miss me?”
“Of course I did!” Nick giggled and hugged Austin next. “Do you guys miss me?”
“Of course we did,” Austin replied kneeling down so that he was eye-level with Nick. “Dad and Mom missed you too. They’d be here, but they’re both at an important work related meeting.”
“Are these your only two suit cases?” Roy asked having gone over to the bed. He placed one suitcase under his right arm and the other held in his right hand. Usually he’d use his left arm to do such things, but it was a bit sore from last night. “And you didn’t forget anything?”
“Everything I need is in those two bags.” Nick said matter-of-factly glancing over her shoulder.
“Alright, let’s get going then.” Roy said exiting the room followed by Nick and Austin.
*****
“I wish they’d all quit starring.” Claire stated as she, her father and an elderly Hank McCoy were led through the halls of SHIELD’s New York City base. They were to meet with the Head of SHILED to discuss a possible alliance between their two groups. “I can practically feel every pair of eyes burning into us.”
“Well, you could have gone shopping or whatever it is teenage girls do.” Her father retorted, earning a glare from Claire. “You still could.”
“I still don’t see why you’re so against Claire being here, Logan.” Hank said glancing at his friend from the corner of his eye and then addressed the younger mutant. “The staring get’s better once you get used to it, Claire. In fact I’ve hardly noticed it myself.”
“That’s easy for you to say.” Claire retorted and then added in a much lower tone, “Not all of us are giant blue gorillas.”
“If you all will take a seat, Director Fury will be right with you.” The agent that had been their guide said and left the room. She had led them to a conference room with glass walls and a large circle table stationed in the center of the room, which was surrounded with comfy seeming chairs. Hank walked over to the one of the chair’s and sat down in it.
“These are as comfortable as they appear to be.” Hank stated leaning back in his chair, a delighted expression sprawling over his face, while Logan and Claire remained standing. Logan stood with his arms crossed over his chest, while Claire stood with her hands in the pockets of her jacket.
“Anyone else think that the glass wall represents how fragile an alliance will be?” Claire asked no one specific as the door to the room opened behind them.
“How perceptive of you Ms. Howlett,” Fury’s voiced sounded as he walked over to what was apparently the head of the round table. Fury was followed closely by Agent Hill, who stood off to the side when Fury stopped at the head of the table. “It will be like walking on egg shells, but in the long run the alliance will be beneficial for everyone. Don’t you agree Captain Rogers?”
“Yes, Sir, I do.” Steve replied having come into the room a couple seconds after Fury and Hill. “The more allies we have in the event of another extraterrestrial attack the better.”
“After the attack twenty years ago the X-Men offered you our assistance.” Wolverine stated locking eyes with Fury, “The offered was denied.”
“Logan, that’s in the past. It doesn’t matter.” Beast berated from his chair, “What matter’s is that we’re here to discuss the future.”
“Why did you, twenty years later, request a meeting with us? You made it clear then that the X-Men were potential threats.” Wolverine continued like Beast had never spoken in the first place. “Why now do you want an alliance?”
“There has always been great opposition against mutants,” Fury replied calmly, “However with the return of the Mutant Registration Act my superiors are now more willing to accept your offer.”
“Typical egotistical politicians,” Claire said an irritated edge to her calm voice. “That bill never should have been reinstated. Mutants shouldn’t be forced to reveal themselves.”
“I agree,” Beast replied, “No good will come of it. Sometimes I wonder if the politicians have forgotten the incident brought upon by the Cure.”
“Trust me, Mr. McCoy, no one has forgotten Magneto’s Brotherhood.” Fury replied before returning his gaze back to Logan, “However, back to the matter at hand, will you or will you not align yourselves with us.”
“Ms. Monroe, Logan and I have discussed the matter thoroughly,” Beast began drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “As you may know Mr. and Mrs. Rogers daughter is a student of ours. She is a very bright and inquisitive child with great potential.”
“Excuse me, Mr. McCoy, but what does our daughter have to do with this?” Agent Hill asked quite confused by the elderly mutant’s direction of the conversation.
“Ms. Monroe would like to know, if we decline your offer would we loose her?”
“No,” Steve replied shaking his head slightly and exchanging a quick look with his wife, “Nichole will still receive her education at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, weather you choose to accept or decline Director Fury’s offer.”
“Oh good,” Beast replied smiling before going into a sudden coughing fit. He took a white handkerchief from his pocket and held it over his mouth. Claire went over to sit next to him in one of the empty chairs and placed a hand on his shoulder. It lasted only a minute, but one side of the handkerchief was already stained with a bit of red.
“Do you need a doctor, Mr. McCoy?” Fury inquired ready to send for a medic if need be.
“No thank you, Director. I apologize for the interruption.” Beast replied stuffing the blood stained handkerchief back into his pocket. “Now, where was I…?”
“Mr. Rogers just assured us Nick would continue to go to the school.” Claire gently reminded him as she removed her hand from his shoulder. “Even we declined their offer.”
“Ah yes, thank you Claire,” Beast said nodding slightly before continuing, “Ms. Monroe, Logan and I have discussed the matter thoroughly over the past several days. We have come to the conclusion to accept your offer one condition.”
“And what is that condition, Mr. McCoy?”
“That the Cure is used” it was Logan instead of Beast who’d responded, “only as a last resort against any mutants.”
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