Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

August, 2005

All of the teachers encouraged him to do this. Bobby had been planning on online courses to get an Accounting degree and then teaching math while helping out with the finances and being on the team. Instead, they talked about needing to leave for a short time, finding an identity outside of the academy. It was great that he wanted to help out, stay and work with the school, but he needed to have something purely for himself. A life outside. Professor Xavier also said that it would be enlightening to see the world from a different perspective. See why they had to work on informing people about mutants.

Figuring further from the school would be better, he ended up choosing a smaller college out in California. The Professor could have helped him into Big Ten schools, or Ivy League, or even over into England and Oxford, but there was something about the college that caught his attention. The older man also agreed, as a smaller school would be easier to see people and persuade them, cautiously, though. Although, why California, the man didn't know. It wasn't about the mystery over rapes that had been plaguing the campus, or the town nearby that had gone through several terrible deaths either, no matter how much Kitty insisted. Something just called Bobby to the college.

Bright and sunny with a little more warmth than he was used to, Bobby got off the plane and stood around after getting the trunk that Scott dug up for use. Being far away, he brought clothes and small items, after talking to his roommate over what he could supply. The guy wanted to bring his electronics, TV, radio, alarm, microwave and refrigerator and that was perfectly alright with him. It took a while, but he found seniors that were greeting new, incoming students that didn't have connections so far. He approached the group and one of the guys did a double take on him. “Robert Drake?” he asked, confused.

“Yeah,” he said, “I go by Bobby most of the time.”

“All right, Bobby. I'm Danny. You got your papers, right?” he led, waving later to his friends and walking off. “Don't want to get in trouble already.” He tapped the backpack he had and followed the guy out to the parking lot.

Hearst College was bustling with new and old students along with their family and faculty. Bobby tried following the map, but he kept bumping into people and apologizing that he put it away and just went with the lines that were forming out of necessity.

“Troy? Hey, Troy!” He thought he saw the name for his dorm when someone came up by him. “Troy, why you ignoring me, man?” the guy asked.

“Umm, because my name's not Troy,” he said, confused. The guy didn't look familiar to him.

There was a surprised and confused expression on his face before he laughed, “Right, I get it. This is to avoid Ronnie.”

Ronnie? That makes no sense. Ronnie's still in high school. “I have no clue who you're talking about.”

“Troy, come on, it's Wallace.”

Okay, time to gently stop this guy. “Hi, Wallace, my name's Bobby,” he introduced. “I'm pretty sure I've never been a Troy.”

It took a minute for him to catch up. “Bobby?”

“Bobby Drake,” he repeated, holding out his hand.

The guy shook it. “Wallace Fennel. Damn. You look a lot like Troy.”

“I've gathered.”

“Sure you weren't adopted from a pair of twins.”

God damn freak. We should have never accepted you. “No, not adopted.”

He shook his head. “Damn, dude. I was wondering if Troy was still coming here and I thought I had my answer.”

“Well, maybe you'll still get it.”

“See ya later, Drake.”

“Later, Fennel.”

He did finally found his dorm and dropped his stuff off, his roommate's traces already felt by him taking the bed by the window and the mini-fridge and microwave already plugged in and other stuff out and waiting. Fine by him, he rather be away from the heater as well. Why would the place need a heater was beyond him.

Bobby went out later in the afternoon, after more of the students were settled and roaming about, interacting with other students. Several groups were going around to the new students, offering pamphlets and talking about their beliefs. A girl ran up to him and handed him a pamphlet on the Friends of Humanity branch. He should have known that the organization was out here. The crowds that he was used to was directly in his face and angry, boycotting places that were friendly to mutants. To see them quiet and willing to argue their position was strange. They were apparently friends with the Friendship of the Sun, something he didn't expect as they exchanged greetings. There were people arguing with them, standing by them with signs that showed the flaw in their bias.

There wasn't anything like that when he saw the groups shouting on TV. No one fought with them then. No one on their side.

California was a lot more welcoming and friendlier than New York and Boston. Aside from the FOH and FotS, he found environmental clubs and academic clubs. There were about five he was interested in and three others that had slipped in somehow and left their items. People waved and greeted him, a few mistaked him for Troy, again. A small blonde warily glanced at him and he waved before being shuffled toward a club that went up to the Sierras for snowboarding trips.

The area was not what he was expecting. Small colleges have the misfortune of being labeled as conservative and overbearing. This place was open in what to believe and think. Bobby liked that, because they weren't believing what their parents taught them. The Professor said that it was possible, but he, and others at the academy, didn't believe it. It was a relief to believe that there were open places in the world. Although mutants would have to come to California and other areas like it to find them.

The end of the night came and everyone started heading back to their dorms. Bobby got back just before his roommate. Settled down, he was going over the pamphlets when he heard the door open and a girl laughing outside. “Hey, no worries,” someone said. He glanced up, confused at the voice. It sounded exactly like his own. Did someone record it at one point? “I'm sure this time it's over. Besides, Mars is here and she will figure out who is doing this before the year is through. You can bet on that.” He walked in further, noticing he would finally be meeting his roommate. “Hey, man, I'm...” He stopped, staring. Bobby was staring right back, his roommate a mirror to himself.

Chapter Text

“What the hell?”

“What the fuck?!”

Bobby got up off the bed and stood face to face at the other guy. He was wary, and worried. The horror stories he heard about mutant experimentation from others and he wondered if someone 'did' something. He doesn't know what or when, but there were all these ideas he had going through his head and they weren't good.

“I've had people telling me all day that they've seen this guy that looks a lot like me,” he accused, “I didn't think it would be my fucking roommate.”

“I didn't think I would be seeing someone with my face out on the west coast.” He was still thinking about there was something screwing with him, and wondered if he should call someone that was over here for advice. “Troy Vandegraff?” Bobby asked.

“Bobby Drake,” he confirmed, using the nickname he's also been hearing. “Fuck, this is messed up.”

“You have no idea.” He settled back down on the bed. Troy took the bed he had claimed earlier in the day. “Where and when were you born?”

His face was confused. “LA Mercy, November 23rd, 1986. My Mom refused anywhere else, including London and Tokyo,” he said, “Dad thought he could get me dual citizenship. That just meant I could get into trouble in double the places.”

Bobby was going to have to get more about his past to understand that comment. “Boston General, June 21st, 1987.”

Confused turned into surprise and wariness. “So, there's no way it could be twins.”

“Not unless papers were faked.”

“Or video. Dad was proud when I was born,” Troy muttered.

It was something Bobby picked up on quickly. “Disappointed yours as well?” he mentioned.

He sighed, “Yeah.” There was a split second of sharing his story, but that would be better saved until he knew what was his position on mutants was. “So, both of us had disappointed our families. What else do we have in common?”

He let out an unintentional laugh at the first sentence. “I don't think we have that much else in common,” he said.

**

Wallace ended up seeing the two walking around the first day of classes. First, he took a picture of them side by side, sending it to Mars with caption before walking up to them. “You know, I didn't believe it at first,” he commented, standing beside Troy, “But, damn, you two could be twins.”

“Impossible,” Bobby said.

“Wrong time, wrong place,” Troy continued.

He stared between the two of them. “No fraking way.” He shook his head. “See you guys later.” They returned the sentiment and walked apart to get to their classes. Apart from the continued double takes for the first few days over the two, it died out after the first week. They didn't think anything about it, including taking a few pictures and posting them online so Bobby's friends back east could see the 'twin' that had been discovered. The adults cautioned him about Troy. His friends wanted to meet him. It would be interesting seeing someone with his face not acting like him, as Peter put it.

It was October, fall not even touching the place. Veronica treated Troy with casual and non informational conversation, and the same with Bobby. He didn't mind it. Kitty had sent him information and he found out she was in the middle of a lot of trouble back in her home of Neptune. Including something with Troy, first in junior year and then in senior year. Waiting in their dorm room, he was working on a paper when Troy came back from classes. “Hey, why didn't you tell me about what happened last year?” he asked.

He glared at him and then read the article over his shoulder. “Because I hate that.”

“You came back to the college that once accused you of being a rapist.”

“Yeah, and it was proven that not only that I didn't do it, whoever is doing it is a serial rapist,” he said.

“That's on the campus you came back to,” he noted, “Kind of a bad move.”

“Hey, I'm not going to allow something to push me away from what I want.”

“You mean who.” He looked over to Bobby. “Come on, Wallace filled me in on the dating Veronica thing.”

“She's with Logan.”

“Means nothing. I wish...” He stopped, not knowing how to explain the complicated thing that had been going on with John. That and thoughts on how Troy would take those that liked same sex relationships.

“You wish you could be with someone even though they're with someone else,” he finished. “Girl?”

He thought about it for five seconds. Being in love with the same sex would be taken a tiny bit easier than mutation. “If I said yes, would you believe me?” he revealed.

“Probably not,” Troy said, “Fair warning, my parents are homophobic.”

“So are mine and my brother,” he said. “They're also anti-mutant.”

“Huh,” he sounded, looking somewhat intelligently at the ceiling. “Are they also racist and hate poor people?” Bobby laughed and fell back on his bed. When he finally managed to get up, his computer screen was blank. He started trying to get his work back up, and got increasingly frustrated when he couldn't. “What's wrong?”

“My screen's blank. The power's still on, but,” he complained.

He moved over to his side. “What?”

Bobby kept trying to bring the paper back up. “It's not working. I can't get my stuff back up.” It was an increasingly frustrating few seconds before it came back up without his help. His paper had been the only thing up, but now his folder with all their photos was also open. “Someone hacked my computer,” he revealed. “Damn it. I wish Kitty were nearby. She'd be able to figure out who did this.”

It took a minute for Troy to figure out something. “I bet Veronica knows someone good with computers,” he suggested.

He leveled a look at him about his second intentions. “You're not coming with me.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don't need her mad when I'm trying to request her help.”

Troy tried arguing, but he just packed up and left him behind in the dorm room while he went down to the common area. He spotted Wallace first, asking him about where Veronica would be and who they could turn to for computer help. Wallace told him about Mac, but said talking with Veronica would be a better avenue. She could introduce them and he wouldn't be on her bad side.

The woman was coming out of her last class when she saw the Troy look-a-like coming toward him. “Bobby Drake,” she checked, to make sure.

“That's me,” he said.

“So, are you on the Troy wagon, hoping to turn me to his side?”

“Nope, I refuse to enter that battle for him.” That was the truth, and he was definitely sticking with it. “I actually need some expertise.”

“Okay,” she said.

He sat down, carefully, a few feet away. “Someone hacked my computer. While I was on it working on a paper.”

“And you want to know who the perp was,” she finished.

“Yeah.”

She contemplated it. He looked too much like Troy, and she was trying not to hold it against him. However, he didn't act like the former 09er, which worked. “Question, have you visited any questionable sites that might have caused a less than savory character to get access?”

A light blush crept up before he got himself under control. “I don't visit those 'adult' sites,” he answered.

She stared at him, unbelieving. “Really?”

He sighed, “Strict teacher. I never really want to go on those sites and get caught.” Ms. Gray would catch them while they were on any site that didn't have to do with school work, but especially porn sites, then put up their exact place up on the projector. It was embarrassing to be caught. Site preference spread around the school, usually got teased mercilessly for a week and everyone remembered it longer. “It stuck.”

She was amused. Hey, it was an amusing story, if one didn't know that Ms. Gray was constantly scanning their minds to make sure they stayed on topic. Of course, with himself unintentionally 'yelling' his thoughts because he was classified as a broadcaster, it didn't help. “Okay, so no porn sites. Any downloads? Emails from Nigerian Princes?”

He thought about what he had been doing. “Downloads from official sites only. No link clicking from emails,” he reported.

She nodded, “All right. I'll pass your info to Mac and she'll come over before night to check it out.”

Before night, got it. He left her to her work and went back to his room. Troy went out for something or someone, he wasn't too sure. Bobby didn't know who to expect, but the person at the door reminded him of Kitty so much that he knew it was Mac. “Hi, I'm Bobby,” he greeted.

“Mac,” she smirked, amused by the teen. “So, someone hacked your computer?”

“While I was using it.”

“Bold,” she commented, walking in. Habits from the school and his mother meant his side was relatively clean. Troy's area wasn't. Bobby pointed her over to the computer after asking if she wanted a water. She didn't, wanting to get back to Veronica and Piz. After a few minutes, she found the time frame in which Bobby described the takeover, and worked on tracing it back to the source. She was unsuccessful.

Then, the hacking began again while she was on it.

“Oh no you don't,” she declared, switching to the defensive to prevent anything from happening to the computer. But nothing malicious was happening. The hacker was just roaming around like a bug. So, she switched, trying to pinpoint who and where the hacker was. The other person started evading her. She almost had a location when a package was dropped and the hacker purposely cut off. Mac tried for a couple of minutes before shaking her head.

Bobby, who had been watching over her shoulder, watched in worried surprise as the events unfolded. “Do you think it was the same person?” he asked.

It took a second for her to read the trail while scanning the package for viruses and malicious content. “Yeah, and this time, there's a message,” she reported, completing her scans and opening the lines of code up.

“I can't read that.” She highlighted the section and enlarged. Now he could kinda make it out. “Time and Date.”

“Yeah, and whoever hacked your computer wants to meet you and Troy.”

That surprised him. It took a minute for him to get out of a daze at the new information. “Great. Great, thanks,” he said.

She got up and walked over to the door. “Also, no fee. At least in money. Veronica trades in favors,” she warned, walking out the door. He noted that unsettling thought, planning on asking Troy about it later, as well as telling him about the new pieces of information.

**

The note had read two weeks later, at a park three states away and bring your own food and drinks. Troy and Bobby took off early from classes to get there. A few pops and food, Bobby resisting the urge to keep everything cold because he still had no idea how to reveal to Troy that he was a mutant. There were a few other cars already around the area. Seeing the plates, a couple were a few states away, but a few were rentals, indicating the visitors were from farther away, and were older than they were. Bobby grabbed the cooler while Troy got the snack bags and walked ahead. The area meant for picnics and resting already had a few guys hanging around, laughing and talking before they even got close. They turned around to see the latest newcomers.

They all shared the same face.

That stopped Bobby, the teachers' warnings about experimentation and other items that have sparked around the community. Troy was having the same reaction that he had the first time he met Bobby increased several fold. One of the guys, closer to Troy's face and a few years older, turned to another one within a circle they had created. “Dylan, didn't you warn anyone what was going on?” he berated.

“Right, and how was I going to mention that in a note about three hundred characters when most was used up to make sure you guys got here with food?” another voice complained. A face just younger than Troy's popped up to see the new ones. “Bobby and Troy, right?”

“Yeah?” Troy answered.

Another face, closer to Bobby's, also popped up and watched for a second. “You know, you don't have to be worried,” he tried. “I'm Robert. That's Colin.” He pointed to the older Troy face that had been talking. “And that's Dylan. He was the one hacking into all our stuff.” The younger version shot a glare off before someone cuffed him upside the head.

Another guy spoke up from a grill that was started. “George,” he said, waving before going back to the hot dogs that someone had brought. He turned one and didn't like how it was cooking. Bobby saw the flame that had been staying below the rack jump up to lick a few of them before settling down. A few of them are mutants?

Another of Bobby's faces looked over at George when that happened. “Really, Barnum? Do you have to show off?” he demanded slightly.

“Fuck off, Fitz. Just because you don't have a physical power doesn't mean you get to complain about ours,” he shot back.

Bobby looked around. Are all of them mutants? Surprise must have been on his face, because another one of his faces commented, “Yeah, all of us have powers and have tested positive for the X Gene. Oh, and I'm Mike Weston.”

Troy muttered, “Well, that's one uncomfortable conversation out of the way.”

Bobby looked over. “You?” He faced him, nodded and the wind started picking up around the entire group. The flames didn't flicker, but items had to be held before the wind died down. It reminded him of Miss Munroe's abilities when she practiced created a storm. The sky, however, stayed clear. “Just wind?”

“Air in general. I got really pissed off once and,” he trailed off, “I have to watch myself. My parents aren't happy at it, but it's better than the drug stuff.” His roommate nodded, understanding the difference of the situations. “So, what's yours?”

“Umm,” he hummed, trying to figure out how to show his freezing without hurting any of the trees around the place. He checked the pops and realized the ice had melted. Setting it down, he set a single finger in the water and refroze it, completely encasing the pops.

Everyone paused, watching it with interest. “Okay, he's got the best power,” one of the unidentified ones announced.

“Wait,” another said, “You're Iceman of the X Men.”

The others all turned to him. He hadn't really thought about being identified outside. Should he try not admitting that? “No?”

The guy that announced it stared at him, unamused. “You're lying,” he stated.

“How do you know that?” Bobby asked, “Are you telepathic?”

“No, I can just tell when someone is lying,” he said.

The one that declared Bobby's power the best spoke up. “We need name badges. Hi, I'm Marcus. I have a camera around my neck because I plan on being a photographer. Lie Detector is Steve.”

“Would name badges help when two of us are named Robert?” Mike asked.

“I go by Bobby,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, problem solved,” Colin joshed, “Now we just need to figure out how to tell everyone else apart.”

“Colin, George, Fitz, Mike, Dylan, Robert, Marcus and Steve,” Troy listed off, pointing out each one while he named them. Everyone started at him. “Learned skill.”

“Well, for everyone that doesn't have that skill,” Fitzgerald said, “We should probably figure out a way to recognize and identify without needing help.”

“And maybe find out why Dylan hacked into our stuff and gathered it all up,” Troy pointed out. The two joined the rest of their duplicates and accepted hot dogs from George.

After food and drinks were passed out, Fitz the only legal age drinking beer, they settled into eating and discussing their own lives. George ended up bugging Fitz over medical questions, and the differences between Canadian and American schooling. Mike and Steve were talking about law enforcement agencies, Steve thinking about ATF and Mike planning on the FBI like his idol Ryan Hardy. Both Robert and Dylan talked about their illegal activities, Dylan not being caught and Robert in the middle of a criminal trial after his was discovered. This was watched and commented on by Colin, who was in law enforcement and had almost gone down a bad road before someone stepped in the way.

After a plate for each of them, Bobby was the one that brought it up again. “Why did you get us together?” he asked, “How did you even find out about us?”

Dylan dropped the chip he was holding. “My parents were talking when they thought I was asleep. They mentioned people, people I later looked up and found out are powerful, and how they're planning on manipulating things to take over the country or the world or something, I don't,” he started, dropping his head and rubbing it to control his fright and terror, “Then they started talking about using me to help them. Talked about my hacking abilities and how there were others that they could contact to help overtake everyone.” Colin draped an arm around his shoulders, noticing his emotions. “They said the clones of Remus and Romulus must be convinced and recruited.”

“Clones?” Bobby muttered. That was one of the things the Professor was worried about.

“They had folders, on everyone here,” he said, “With marks on if we came from Remus's DNA or Romulus's. There was even more, but they were marked deceased and some others are younger than us.”

“So, wait, we're all clones?” Marcus asked. Dylan nodded. “Remus and Romulus are the original templates?”

Mike commented, “Remus and Romulus were twins. Probably why we look alike.”

“Minor differences,” Colin mumbled.

“They messed with the DNA,” Bobby hypothesized, “Messing with the present X gene to try and create weapons that they could set among their enemies.”

“It didn't work. I can just read people's health,” Dylan mocked.

“I've got auras,” Robert countered.

“I see ghosts,” Colin lamented.

Troy snorted, “Seriously? How is that a mutation?”

Colin smirked, “The official explanation is that I read the energy signatures left by those that have passed. I think it's bullshit.”

Fitz laughed, “It is bullshit. Most of our powers are claimed by psychics, not mutants.”

“And you can...?” Bobby asked.

“See the worst thing that happened to someone in their past. Trust me, not fun.”

“I saw all of us,” Mike said, “Before even meeting. I saw their first encounter,” he waved over at Bobby and Troy, “I saw Robert's encounters with the officer investigating his crimes. Some of your cases.” He pointed at Colin and the man made a note to ask about what he saw.

“Have you seen the younger ones that Dylan talked about?” George inquired.

He nodded, “One of them, I think his name is Scott. His father walked out on the family.”

“Does it only happen when we're in distress?” Robert asked, picking up on the common thread.

“So far, except for Troy and Bobby's meeting.”

“You might be able to expand it,” Bobby said.

“Over at Xavier's?” Mike inquired.

The group turned to Bobby. “Xavier's School for the 'Gifted'?” George asked.

“The school for mutants? You went there?” Troy added.

Colin thought quickly, going through the information he's picked up undercover. “You were there when it was attacked,” he concluded.

Bobby started shrinking in his seat. “Yeah, I was,” he said.

The rest of the group went quiet. All were mutants, but only one had been chosen, somehow. “Why did the professor only know about you?” Fitz asked. He shrugged.

“Maybe we should ask him,” Dylan prompted, “I mean, it might be a good idea to warn him about... the people that created us.” Things were starting to collide uncomfortably, and the group was wondering what was going to happen in the future after being knocked out of their somewhat protected lives. With Dylan's parents part of the reason they exist, origins they don't know about, parents that had been lying to them their whole lives, things were hazy on what would come out of the new group and information gathered.

“I think,” Steve said, “We need to find out as much as we can. Share mutations, limits we have currently. I detect when someone is lying. It's not some sort of telepathy. Colin 'sees' ghosts. Fitz sees the worst events in someone's life. Mike sees things from great distances. Robert reads auras and Dylan can sense people's health. Troy can control air, Bobby can freeze things and George can influence heat. They all have physical powers that can act as weapons, given training.” He looked over at Marcus, the only one that hadn't revealed his mutation. “Is yours a weapon-viable one?” Marcus just nodded, several rocks floating for a few seconds before dropping back down.

“Dylan's could be trained into a weapon,” Troy mentioned, “Fitz's is good for recon and spying. Mike also for recon. Robert and you could work in interrogation.”

“I'm last one out,” Colin joked, figuring on the same principles for recon and interrogation.

Bobby turned to the young hacker. “Maybe you should find and copy those files your parents had on the others. As well as getting down the information on what your parents are a part of.” He nodded, poking at his food.

After a couple of more hours talking, trading stories and eating, the group disbanded. Fitz got a ride from Colin while Bobby drove his car to the hotel with Troy following. The rest went back on the road, trying to get back to their families and their lives. All had each others numbers, several had worries. The youngest weren't out of high school, the oldest already over a quarter of a century. No ideas on who Remus and Romulus could be and how to find them. None wanted to find out what would happen if they were rediscovered again.

Chapter Text

Bobby was apprehensive about the idea. But then, he was the one that went to Xavier's, learned at Xavier's, had voices in his head whenever he got distracted at Xavier's. Colin and Mike put up the best arguments about warning and preparing the school about this group that Dylan's parents were about.

Along with Troy and Bobby, who were on spring break, Colin, Dylan and Robert also joined them. The others were all busy in their lives and couldn't join, but the five thought that they would be able to discuss the topic fairly well by themselves. Robert wasn't even in school at the moment, the criminal trial and everything surrounding it forcing his parents to take him out. Dylan was on break, and Colin was still on desk duty after his first long-time undercover assignment.

Xavier's was still busy, as it usually was even with the breaks the school year had. Several of the children ran up after seeing Bobby, confusing him with the others and then staring in surprise when the pieces clicked in their heads that Bobby's friends looked exactly like him. Rogue and Kitty both sprinted out of the mansion when the cars pulled up, telling Bobby apart and hugging him tightly in turn while demanding answers. Kitty picked up on the others and tugged on Rogue's sleeve to steer her around. “Hi, I'm Troy,” the roommate introduced to the girls.

“Troy,” Kitty said, noting the others. “And they are?”

“Colin,” the older man introduced, pointing out the others, “Dylan and Robert.”

“Bobby,” Rogue asked, “What's goin' on?”

“I'll explain when we tell the Professor,” he muttered, “What is he doing right now?”

“Meetin' with Beast and Miss Gray over new legislation.”

He nodded. Nothing major, nothing that would require trips down to Cerebro or anything that would require the X Men. “Perfect. We should also explain this to Doctor McCoy.”

“Doctor McCoy?” Robert asked.

“It's Beast's real name,” he explained.

/*As we are through with the discussion about the legislation, Mister Drake, perhaps you and your friends would like to join the rest of us. The others are already here.*/

The other four jumped when the voice started in their head, but the ones that already knew the Professor expected it. “Come on, Logan doesn't like waitin'” Rogue said, walking ahead of the group. The four that hadn't gone to the school looked around while heading up to the Professor's office and classroom.

The other teachers and older students that were on the X Men had taken seats and brought more sitting places in courtesy of Jean Gray's telekinetic abilities. Bobby walked in first, greeted by the teachers that enjoyed him in their classes. The others surprised and shocked the group that hadn't seen them coming up. Even the Professor and Jean were slightly surprised, even as they gathered surface thoughts about what was going on from their heads. “What the hell?” Logan muttered, the claws coming out a little bit before retracting at warning glances. Troy thought the same thing about Logan, although he didn't exclaim this time. Robert and Dylan were both staring at Doctor McCoy, unused to the man's fur and blue color. Colin analyzed and took in the place where the team members were. They sat together, with the girls the closest to them and Bobby on the other side.

Bobby had been chosen in the car to start the explanation of what they had learned. “Okay, the first day I got to Hearst College, people were confusing me with someone else, another student just starting this year. At the end of the day, I found out that my roommate was the guy they were confusing me with,” he explained, pointing to Troy to single him out, “Troy and I were born at different hospitals, on different days. Troy even has video confirming his.” The shock grew on several of the faces. “Last month, my computer was hacked. I went to someone to try and find out who did it when the hacker did it again, this time leaving a time and place, addressed for both Troy and me. When we got there, we discovered eight other people, four that look exactly like me and four that look exactly like Troy.”

“But the two of you look alike,” Ororo pointed out.

Dylan had to pipe up at this moment, nudged by Colin. “Hi, I'm Dylan, I'm the hacker that found everyone,” he introduced. “I.... I found out my parents are part of this group that wants to take over the country, or the world. We're the results of a project, codenamed Remus and Romulus. They were identical twins, both with an X gene. We were created from their DNA, the X gene manipulated into possible weapons, and then....” He was trying to picture the phrases he wanted to use to explain and not cause resentment or fear.

“Created from their DNA? With other donors?” Scott questioned.

Colin answered for Dylan, “No. We were cloned from them. Then, women in select families were chosen for gestation. We were, or are at some point, going to be convinced or coerced into working for these people once they get their plans together.”

Jean inquired, “How many are there? Of you and the others?”

“Dylan found nine of us, he's ten,” Robert said, “There's also others that are deceased and others that aren't old enough yet.” The information compounded, making the team wary and fearful of what else they could possibly tell them about what's going on.

“Just to be clear, all of you have active X genes?” Doctor McCoy inquired.

“Yeah, but some of us have cooler powers than others,” Dylan quipped, “I am not one.”

“Are any of you as 'possibly' powerful as Drake?” Logan asked, remembering some of the things said about the man's powers. Something like ice age and killing everyone on the planet.

Robert shrugged his shoulders, not knowing their potential. His was limited. Dylan wasn't thrilled with his, but something with computers would also be more his style. Colin's didn't even sound like a mutation. It sounded like something out of a paranormal show. A couple of others also fit in the trope. “None of you decided to test each other?” Scott questioned.

“We were still trying to get our heads around the fact we're mutant clones,” Troy sniped.

The younger members laughed at the comeback. The adults ignored them. “Professor, why did you only bring Bobby to the school?” Kitty asked.

He blinked and sat straighter. The others also wanted to know. “Mr. Drake was in immediate danger,” he shared, “Not just the incident that we intervened on, but his parents had grown curious, and were talking to certain unsavory characters. I believe I remember telling you about the meeting with SHIELD.” Scott, Jean and Ororo remembered the conversation after he relayed the information gathered from the meetings between the agency and himself. “They warned me about the people the Drakes were meeting with, said it would be wise to find ways of keeping him away without raising suspicion on either end.”

That surprised the ice mutant. He had no idea what was going on. Did his parents hate him? Were they angry that they got a freak? Maybe they had been hoping for some sort of super genius and instead they got a kid that froze swimming pools and brought the cops to the door when he had to run after someone attacked the school. Who were they talking to? The people that created them, or the people that Dylan's parents were apart of. Was it someone else completely?

“Dylan's parents are a danger,” Colin mentioned, “They know about Remus and Romulus and knew what they were getting in Dylan, even if it's not his mutation that they want to use.”

“Maybe all of our parents are dangers,” Robert said, “They all knew something when they agreed to carry us. The problem is who would be more of a danger than others.”

That was a shocking thought to the boys, and something that was going to haunt them. Who could they trust?

Chapter Text

It felt weird not having anyone around him.

The trial of their former headmaster, with Rob testifying the most due to being the head of the small group and his interactions with Tre, had alienated and ostracized him from the school. Even the teachers didn't acknowledged him, forgetting to pass back his work and not giving him the new assignments. Others avoided him. He started hiding during lunch because the glances, whispers and everything became too much.

The teen wanted to leave the school, get switched someplace else. He'll even take the tutoring his parents had been threatening him with. Problem was, parents had to approve everything and both had left him before the majority of the mess started. They wouldn't even come back after his arrest, their lawyer coming to pick them up and take him back to the house. He was told he would pay for the damage to the car, but that just was a reduction in the allowance for himself. The house was still kept up. Everything on that was paid. Couldn't have that going bad.

Another school day past and he was glad it was the weekend. Now he could just stay home without everyone ignoring him. Of course, the workers had already been there and gone, so he had no one to stop him from doing whatever he wanted. The last few nights, he hadn't been hungry at all and felt it the next morning. Now, it was catching up with him and he needed something. The kitchen was kept stocked, mostly of health fad foods and alcohol. Whoever did the shopping also managed to get a little reserve of food for him as well. There were a couple of frozen pizzas and fries left of his cache. He pulled one out and started the oven before arranging it on a sheet.

Downing that quickly, he wished they hadn't locked up the alcohol. It wasn't like he couldn't get it somewhere else when he had been popular. Others managed to raid their parents things. At a point, he could as well. They got wise and started locking in a room he didn't have the key.

Throwing the dishes in the washer, he trudged up to his bedroom, which was the most lived in space of the house. TV with a VCR and video game hookup and a computer. They only cut his internet and the satellite, he could still go down to the library for videos to watch and play games on either system. His parents didn't care what happened as long as their things weren't ruined.

He played a few games before realizing it was midnight. His schoolwork didn't matter until Sunday. He wasn't too tired, but he had thrown himself out of whack and knew that Trey was going to come over along with Attorney Trop and the family lawyer to talk about the trial and what would happen after. Shutting down, he went on his walk around the house, closing and locking everything. Last would be the security alarm and he had to do that by his bedroom before settling down for the night. The first floor was done, so he went up to check the rooms that he could. His parents' room was off limits, but it was always kept locked until they came home, which their maid Anna would then air it out. Going around, ever other room was closed down. His and the main bathroom were the last ones left.

That's when he heard something near his bedroom.

No one's there. No one's there. He's wondered about the drug gang getting revenge on them, but Tre's said that's unlikely to happen. Rob crept slowly to the sound, not thinking straight. Go back to the study. Call the police. He had to make sure it was something to worry about.

Looking around his door frame, he saw something at his window, and ran. Screw the study, he was going to run outside and to one of the neighboring houses. They wouldn't be able to catch him. Heading down the stairs, his feet landed on some bunched up carpet, tangling and tripping him. Instinctively using his arms to try and stop himself, he screamed when one snapped violently and ended up getting hit on his head and knees while still heading down. Eventually, he ended up on the ground.

It took him a few minutes to start thinking again. Something was leaking into his eyes and he had to blink it out to see his Mother's third favorite statue. He was on the main floor, right by the front door. “Ow,” he whimpered. His arm was seriously screwed up. His head hurt, and he could feel shooting pains up his ankle. I think, I think I twisted my ankle. I remember what that feels like. He wasn't sure about his arm, but it wasn't good.

His parents told him what to do if someone broke in the house, if something was missing, if one of the workers had stolen something. Not what would happen if he got hurt. Presumably, it would happen when someone was there, someone that could help him out. He didn't know what to do.

Something started coming down the stairs and he tensed for some stranger, a drug cartel killer. Instead, a cat walked into view. It meowed at him, sitting at his head. He laughed, then winced. “I was afraid of you. F-udge.” It kept meowing and he didn't know what the cat wanted. He thought about getting up, but he didn't know if he could hold his weight. Rob wondered if anyone would answer his call if he asked for a ride to the emergency room.

“What do I do?” he asked himself, the air, the cat. It butted his shoulder, wanting a head rub. He tried moving his arm, and hissed when it proved painful. “Hospital. Hospital.” Struggling, he pulled himself up with his good arm. Sitting, he wondered if his ankle could support him until he got to the car. Moving over to the stairs, he pulled up to where he could use the banner to prop up. A test with him trying to stand had him collapsing before he could even do anything.

“I am so f- screwed.” He wouldn't even swear. Ankle was twisted, arm probably broken, headache that was getting worse. The cat came up by him and butted his side. “I can't.” It butted again, meowing louder. “What? What do I do? No one wants to be around me. I can't call anyone to help me. Do I call for an ambulance?” He stopped for a second. “I'm talking to a cat. A stranger's cat, since no one has one around.” He could call someone, but it was late and there weren't a lot of people on his side anymore. Tre said he could call, but a nasty voice said that he wasn't worth it.

The door started rattling and he jumped, angering his wounds. Whoever was on the other side knew how to pick locks and opened it. Standing in the doorway was Colin, the oldest of the group that had met a couple of weeks ago. He sighed, seeing the pathetic look on him and assessing his injuries. “Someone told me you needed help. And I'm in the area for a case, so...” The cat shifted aside so he could walk over and help him up, using him as a crutch. “Just tell me where your parents keep your info and I'll get it.”

Info? Oh. “My wallet's upstairs. My room,” he mumbled.

“Great, you first, then I'll come back and lock up before driving you to the ER.” They managed a few steps before Rob tried collapsing again. “Okay, that's not going to work.” Thanking the fact he worked out a little, he bent and swept his feet out, carrying him bridal style quickly to the open car. The passenger seat was reclined, so he was laying down when Colin ran back in. The cat had followed them out and jumped up to fit in his lap, curling up and purring. Colin only took a few minutes, closing up his room and locking the front door after setting the alarm. He noted the cat and raised an eyebrow before driving off.