Chapter 2 - Family Secrets

Attention:  Generation X and their villians,as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of MarvelComics.  The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copywrighted is a chance happening.
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Relatively Dangerous
Family Secrets
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             Yvette had woken up early today. She wanted to help out in preparing aroom for this new student. Nobody was up yet, so she decided to go getbreakfast for herself. Since Rich had arrived, she had started to livea new life, different from her life in Yugoslavia, and much different thanher imprisonment by Emplate. She went to the main building and went tothe kitchen.  Yvette figured that she would have a quiet breakfastof Apple Jacks and a glass of apple juice.  She did enjoy apples,even back when her mother used to give them to her. She was quite surprisedto see Sean Cassidy, one of the teachers, awake and in the kitchen. "Sean,I'm surprised you're up."
             He looked at her and said, "I'm not the only one up." He motioned to somepeople in the room. At the counter, Emma was making a cup of coffee, andfrom what Jubilee and some of the others said, it was the only thing shecould make safely. She glanced over at the table and saw Rich sitting there,and it was obvious that he didn't sleep well.
             She watched as he looked at her and said, "Hi, love. I think I have badnews." She realized what that meant. Rich had had another nightmare. Shedecided to approach him, for when his powers latched onto hers, they couldmentally talk in her native tongue, and that was usually how he told hermost of his secrets. As she approached, Rich said {I think someone frommy past is coming after me.}
             She was confused by this. Rich never said much about anyone who he mademad. {Is it Emplate? If he is coming, then we have to hide.} She was stillafraid of Emplate, and she felt safe attacking him only when he was weak,so weak he would disappear.
             {No, but for some reason that I cannot explain, I wish it was.} He wasmore worried then ever, but luckily, he was not mad at it.
             {Who could scare you that much, enough to make you wish Emplate was attacking?}She could tell she asked the wrong question when Rich instantly tensedup. She pulled back so he wouldn't cut her. She watched as his claws madecuts into the table. Sean and Emma ran over and she decided not to pressany further. Rich would tell her when he was ready. She then turned toface Sean and Emma.
             "What did ye say to the lad, Yvette?" Sean was worried by how fast thatRich had tensed up.
             "I think I asked him a very sensitive question that he is not ready toanswer yet," she replied honestly.
             "Yvette," Emma said, "you know Rich better than any of us. Is there anythinghe might have done that made someone mad at him."
             She thought about it for a moment, and all she could remember was justthe little rivalries he had growing up. "Most that I remember is the guyshe never got along with in school."
             "That could be a problem, because the attacker in Rich's dream is female."Yvette started to worry about this. She wondered if it might be a girlwho might have loved him, but he didn't feel love for them.
             Yvette started to voice her thought when she heard Paige Guthrie gasp."Omigosh, what happened to Rich?" Paige was apparently shocked by the factthat Rich was mimicking her abilities.
             Yvette looked at her and said, "Rich had another nightmare, and somethingabout it appears to have hit a sensitive spot in his past." She hoped thatwould satisfy Paige's curiosity.  She sometimes wondered if Rich'sattempts to patch things up between Paige and Jono were mistaken as interest.
             Paige swallowed and asked the same question that everyone would probablyask, "Is Emplate going to attack?" The look of worry was evident. Everyonewas told about the dream after Emplate's attack, and everyone had a fearthat Rich would have another nightmare like that.
             Emma looked at Paige and said, "I don't believe it is. Rich allowed meto mentally examine his dream." Yvette finally realized that this nightmarehad really scared him, for him to allow Emma to go into his mind. Emmathen said, "The attacker in Rich's dream was female, which could mean anything."
             Yvette decided to voice her opinion. "Emma, I think it might be a girlthat who might have had feelings for him."
             Paige looked at her and said, "If that is the case, Yvette, you betterbe careful, because it might be something like the movie, 'The Crush'.Your life might be in danger."
             Yvette was just about to say something when she felt a hand on her shoulder.She looked back to see Rich standing there and saying, "I wonder if thatis it. A girl that had feelings for me, but I didn't have feelings for.That would be better than what I was thinking." She looked somewhat relievedwhen he said that. "I'll tell you about the worse fear later." He thenmentally said to her, {Give me some time alone to think of how to tellyou about that, Okay, love.}
             Yvette smiled at the love in her life and said, "Okay, I'll see you later."She watched as he left the kitchen. She looked at everyone and said, "Ithink he is going to tell me something later, should I ask him if I cantell you about it." Sean and Emma nodded and Yvette went to get her breakfast.

             Monet St. Croix had just woken up and looked out on the day. It was a niceday, especially for the new student to arrive on.  She had gottendressed in one of her nicer outfits, but then all her outfits were nice.She left the girl's dorm and walked towards the main building. On her way,she saw Rich walking in her direction. He looked as if he was lost in thought.She walked over to him and said, "Is there something troubling you, Rich?"
             He noticed her and stopped moving, so that he would not latch on to hermutant ability. He then said, "Nothing you can help me with. In fact, youare the last person to ask for help in this matter."
             She was shocked at what he said. She argued about what he said, "How canyou be sure about that? I can probably help with your problem."
             "Have you told them the truth of Marius? The truth of your abilities, oreven your sisters?"  He had hit a nerve, but then he seemed to begood when it came to arguing with someone. He continue, "In the two monthsI've been here, what they know about you and what I know differs by sucha leap that Neil Armstrong wouldn't try and take a shot at making it."Monet couldn't deny that he most likely knew the truth about the firsttwo, but the truth about the twins was almost impossible.
             "Rich, I don't think the time is right to tell them about everything. Youfound out about my brother by misfortune. As for the truth of my abilities,that I had to tell you. When it comes to my younger sisters, I cannot yettell anyone about them." She hoped that he hadn't latched onto her abilities,but due to her distance from him, he probably had.
             "I offer my sympathies to that little family secret, but I must find theright way to tell Yvette about one person I fear as much as Emplate." Monetfinally realized that Rich harbored a skeleton in his closet that musthave haunted him for most his life.
             "Is something bothering you, Rich?" She noticed the worried look on hisface and remembered seeing it before.
             Just as he was about to say something, the unmistakable voice of Jubileesaid, "From what Paige just told me, he had another nightmare." She turnedto face Jubilee. Jubilee was obviously ready for the day, and she was notalone. Everett was right by her side. The two had become as close as Richand Penny had been. Monet wouldn't admit it, but she had feelings for Everett.
             She was just about to say something when Rich said, "Too many cooks spoilingthe broth." She knew it was an old cliché, and Rich usually talkedin old clichés. She turned and saw Rich fly off. Maybe he neededto be alone to think about this.
             When Everett and Jubilee were close enough, Everett said, "I think thisone really has him scared. From what Paige said, Penny asked him a questionabout it and he tensed up. He put a couple nasty cuts in the table." Everettwatched as Rich flew behind one of the buildings.
             "I hope he remembers that he won't have my ability for long. But wherecould he go to be alone." Monet had wondered about that. She usually hadher autism to pull her out this world and into her own fantasy realm.
             "Well, since Beast took Artie, Franklin and Leech to the X-Men's temporaryhome, he might disappear to the tree house. He might get at least an hourof peace. Angelo, Jono, and Mondo are going to work on their abilitiestoday." Jubilee finished off.  Monet realized that Rich was not goingto get the peace and quiet he needed to think. She then went with themto get breakfast.

             Jono looked around the Biosphere. Skin, Mondo and he felt that they hadto train their abilities more. After Mondo's experience being capturedby Black Tom, all of them had been training. Today, the three of them werepracticing using their abilities to stop a threat. Emma always thoughtthat the best way was to practice against each other. Jono figured thatAngelo would probably take high ground, but it was Mondo that was moredangerous, for he had the best cover. Mondo's mutant ability could allowhim to become anything organic. Jono looked around for Mondo. It was unnerving,because Mondo could be right underneath his feet. Jono looked up aroundthe trees. He was near the tree house, and odds were that Angelo wouldn'thide there, but then last place to look was the place something you werelooking for was. As Jono started to approach the tree house, what lookedlike vines almost hit him. He looked up and saw a figure in the trees.It was Angelo. He said to his teammate, "Good try, but the timing wasoff." With that, Jono let a blast loose and knocked Angelo from thetree.
             Angelo stood up and said, "You got me, but I think we might both get caughtnow." Then Angelo lost his balance, and Jono realized that the ground wasmoving. They were standing right on top of Mondo.
             As Mondo knocked them in two directions, Angelo off in the direction ofthe control room, he in the direction of the tree house, Mondo said, "DidI do well with waiting?" Mondo returned to his normal form.
             "Not bad. You probably would have surprised half the guys I use to hangwith."
            "Very good. You waited for a moment to catch us off guard. That is agood offensive maneuver." Mondo smiled knowing that he did well."Ithink we have all learned that surprise is a good weapon."
             Surprise was also a bad thing. When his ability manifested, it took himand Gayle by surprise, and left both of them with wounds. He was aboutto say about the cons of surprise when all of a sudden, a familiar voicewent, "Oh Sh..," and an explosion took out the wall of the tree house,as Rich came flying out, looking like Jono did. It was with good reflexesthat Angelo used his abilities to bring Rich to the ground before Richhit a tree. Rich looked around, and since he was near Jono, he psionicallysaid, "I think I should have asked someone about this, huh?"
             Mondo walked over and said, "Something wrong, my friend. You can tell me"Mondo always treated Rich as a friend for life, due to the fact that Richwas the one that saved him from Black Tom. Almost everyone else was treatedas a friend.
            "I was just thinking about something. I had a nightmare last night."Jono remember what had happened last time, but now was a time to be readyin case this one came true. He then noticed that Rich looked very tired.
            "Is there anything we should worry about with this nightmare?" Jonohoped that it could be dismissed, and he was hoping that Paige was notgoing to be hurt, although he still hadn't told her he was sorry aboutThanksgiving.
            "Not that I can think of right now. Although, I think I have finallydecided about what I was thinking about." Jono watched as Rich madea motion as if he was yawning. Rich then looked at his hand and said, "Forgotthat like this, I have no mouth. Right now, I think our biggest worry willbe explaining to Artie, Franklin and Leech why their tree house has a wallmissing."
             Angelo responded to that by saying, "Don't worry. Everett and I can getit patched up before the kids return." Jono was somewhat relaxed at knowingthat he was not included on that project. He decided that soon, he wouldtry to patch things up with Paige.
             Mondo then said to Rich, "What do we know about this new student that willbe arriving today." Jono figured that Mondo asked the question to changethe mood of the situation.
             Rich then reached into a pocket and pulled out the letter he had receiveda few weeks ago.  "According to what Bastion had said in the letter,she is about Jubilee's age. Her name is Daria.  As for her ability,that is a mystery. Other than that, we have to wait and see what Dariasays when she gets here. Does that answer any questions?"
             Jono then said, "Any idea why we are all going to meet her?" Hethought it was unusual for everyone to be going to meet her.
            "All the letter said was that it would be best for her protection."
            "Maybe Emplate will be less likely to attack if we are all there."
             "That sounds right," Angelo said in agreement. Jono remembered that Emplatehad attacked him the moment he got off the plane. That was an experiencehe wished no one to share.
            "Well, I think I better be going. There is something I must talk toYvette about before we have to leave for the airport." With that Richheaded out of the Biosphere. Jono figured it might be a while before Richdecided to talk to anyone, knowing that Rich had to let his ability leavehim.
             Jono turned back to Angelo and Mondo and said, "Do you think we shouldcontinue with training?"
             Angelo turned to him and said, "Si, I still have to catch the both of youoff guard." With that, the trio returned to practicing.

             Jubilee looked around. She didn't know much about Daria, but she hope thatshe would like her part of the decorating. Almost everybody who was helpingset up the room had added their own touch to the room. Jubilee decidedto help Penny put up the curtain that Penny had picked out. Monet, whowas watching them, said "I think to the left."
             Jubilee was a little frustrated that Monet was giving her instructionson how to hang a curtain. The two had a called a truce back at Emma's Canadianhouse, after they were rescued from Toad. But, Monet did have a way ofgetting on ones nerves. She said, "Monet, if you want to help, why don'tyou come up her and help us."
             Monet responded quickly and calmly. "I am helping by watching from here.I can see what you can't see. Besides, it is a suggestion."
             Everett, who was helping Paige get the bed ready, said, "I think it looksfine, Jubes." At least Everett was on her side.
             Paige turned her head and looked at the curtain and said, "Ah think a littleto the right."  Terrific, one for left, one for right, and one forfine. Jubilee had to agree with Monet that it was best for a person notnear the curtain to judge.
             Regardless of that, Jubilee turned her head and said, "What do you think,Penny?" She always thought of Penny as a sister, and after Rich's arrival,Penny expressed the same thoughts.
             Penny looked at her and said, "Well, sis, I think we need a tie-breaker."She then said, "And go easy on Monet. It wasn't an order she gave." Jubileerealized what Penny meant. She had been a slave of Emplate for a long timebefore being brought to the school. She would know the difference betweenMonet and Emplate best. Again, if it wasn't for Rich, she would have nevertold the stories about what he did to her. Sometimes, they all wished thatshe hadn't.
             Jubilee had to agree with Penny and shouted, "Could somebody help us figureout which way to move the curtain?" It was almost a plea than a request.
             Just as she finished speaking, she heard Rich's voice say, "Half an inchto the left and it will look great." Well, at least that was better thanMonet just saying to the left. She and Penny moved the curtain and thenbacked away from it. The red curtain looked lovely in the sunlight. Rich was right about the look and it was almost instantaneously that Pennywas by his side.
             "You're right. It does look great." She was smiling as the two look atthe curtains. Rich was smiling as well. He seemed to appear a bit drainedas he yawned. The nightmare he had had that night must have woken him upon little sleep.
             Rich looked Penny in the eyes and said, "Yvette, could we go someplaceand talk, alone."  Jubilee noticed a look of recognition in her eyesas she nodded. Rich must have wanted to tell her about something he didn'twant everybody to know yet. Rich had told Penny many secrets about hislife since the two had been seeing each other. They all found out aboutthat when Rich went into his depression.
             Penny turned to everybody and said, "I'm going to leave for a while. Ihope I am not leaving at a bad time." Everybody understood what was goingon and she left with Rich.
             Paige broke the silence when she said "Ah wonder if that has anything withwhat she asked him this morning. Ah remember that it struck a nerve withhim."
             Jubilee wondered what it was Penny had asked Rich. "Do you know what sheasked, Paige?" Jubilee could not think of a single time, other than duringhis depression, that Penny had ever struck a nerve with Rich.
             "Ah wish Ah did know, but Ah don't."
             Monet had bit her lower lip. She knew something, and Jubilee turned toface her. "What is it, Monet?"
             Monet looked at her and said, "I think it is a skeleton that he has inhis closet. A secret he wished he would never face again."
             "Like you and Emplate?" Everyone knew the connection between Monet andEmplate, but they didn't know how deep it went.
             "I don't know, but for some reason, I think there is some connection."
             "Well," Everett said to everyone, "if it is anything like that. It can'tbe worse than Emplate." Deep down, Jubilee hoped it wouldn't be like whatshe had faced once. When she used to hang with Wolverine, they got pulledinto the Mojoverse, and she had to deal with a version of herself thatworked for Mojo.

             As he walked with Yvette back to the main building, Rich decided to tellher about the one person he feared more than Emplate. With her ability,he psionically said, {Love, I want to tell you about something from mypast.}
             She looked at him and responded. {What is it?}
             He decided to start from the beginning of how it began, {You remember mementioning my uncle, the one with the mutant ability to see the future.}
             {Yes.}
             He yawned. Fatigue was catching up with him. {He used to be in the army,and he took a nasty blow. Afterward, he couldn't have children, so he wasforced to adopt.}
             {That must have been terrible, I mean to not be able to be a father naturally.My folks told me about it when I was about to have a younger sister.}
             {Well, they did adopt. It was a couple years after he married my mother'ssister. The first child was a boy, which was a baby.  Everybody lovedthat child, and thought him adorable.}
             {What happened then?}
             {Years later, the boy wanted a sister, or brother. They caved in and adopteda girl. She came from a broken home. No one believed she was the problem,not until a few days later.}
             He could see the concern in her eyes. She stopped the story and said, {Rich,I think you should tell Sean and Emma about this.} They were in the mainbuilding now, and fatigue was really hitting him. He wanted to finish thisstory, but he couldn't keep awake.
             He looked into Yvette's blue eyes and said, {I think I will, but I thinkI better rest first.  Please wake me before we have to leave to getDaria from the airport. It might the only way to avert this nightmare.}
             Yvette nodded and they walked over to the lounge. Rich decided to lie downon the sofa and rest a while. He needed the sleep, and the rest. As hedrifted off into dreamland, he felt Yvette kiss him on cheek and say, "Don'tworry, I'll always protect you, as you protected me." He felt better hearingsomething like that as sleep took him to his dreams.

             Sean was with Emma in his office. In a few hours, they had to go to theairport. The fact that Rich had another nightmare only made things morecomplicated. He and Emma were still thinking about it as they were planningout Daria's first few days here.  He was about to ask her about theBiosphere session when Emma said something disturbing. "Sean, do you thinkthat Daria is who is threatening Rich?"
             "Now, that is a daft idea, Emma. What would Rich have to worry about fromher?"  Although, he wouldn't admit that he had had the same thought.
             Emma had a simple answer for that. "It is similar to what a child goesthrough when a new child is going to be born. Maybe he feels threatenedby her presence. We know that the attacker is a female mutant."
             "And that is a reason to suspect Daria? We don't even know what the girl'sabilities are?"  Sean then started to think along the same lines thatEmma was. That was disturbing, to think that the new student was the onewho would attack Rich.
             "We know that she was in Bastion's care. Who knows how that might havewarped her mind?"  Emma was about to continue when there was a knockingat the door.
             "Come in," Sean said. The door opened and Yvette came into his office.He probably knew why she was here. He motioned for her to sit down andthen said, "Did he say anything?"
             Yvette looked a little concerned when she said, "It is something that hewould tell you in his own words. All I can say is that it must have beena daughter of his uncle." Sean noticed the look that Emma was giving him.
             Before Emma could say anything, Sean remembered Rich had two uncles. Helooked at Yvette and asked, "Was it his uncle on his mother's side?" Whenshe nodded, they were now faced with an unknown attacker again, but therewas relief that it wasn't Daria. Now all they had to do was figure outwho wanted to attack Rich. "Can Rich elaborate on who it might be?"
             Yvette just looked at him and said, "The lack of sleep has caught up him.He's asleep in the lounge." Sean hoped that Rich would wake up before theyhad to pick up Daria. In his mind, Sean could see Yvette staying behinduntil Rich awoke, and they might not see the two ever again. The thoughtthat it wasn't Emplate offered little assurance. For all that could happen,this unknown attack could be working for Emplate, but Emplate didn't haveany female mutant Hellions.
             Sean noticed Emma leaning over to Yvette. He heard her say, "Yvette, whydon't you keep an eye on Rich and wake him if he has another nightmare."He watched as Yvette nodded in agreement and left the office. Sean wasa bit suspicious about that when Emma said, "No, I didn't use my powerson her. But now, we have to wonder who might be the problem, and I thinkRich would be very upset if we called his family for help."
             "Aye. But what other choice do we have? We have little time left beforewe have to leave for Logan airport."
             Emma just looked and said, "If we are forced to leave Rich and Yvette here,then we will leave someone to protect them."  Emma was being smartabout this. She was remembering Rich's wishes, and the fact that Rich didn'twant his family to know about the problems here was top on the list. Seanthen wondered if that might be the one thing Rich would regret.
 

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