Note: I have changed Chosen One to Fabled One because Chosen One is another name for Slayer.

Tales of a Young Mutant

Chapter 21: New Recruit, New Allies. New Foe?

Dad and I went out the chapel and used Mom's car and cruised around the city. Our first stop was to a local barbershop. I got my hair cut, and then we went on to an arcade. I had already told dad I loved to play video games, especially fighting games. We played several rounds of Tekken, and I found my dad was just as good at them as I was. We prepared to leave to eat, when we noticed a crowd gathering in a corner of the arcade. We figured it was someone doing well at a game, and investigated.

It turned out to be a mutant-bashing crowd. The reason for the crowd was a 13-year old boy, short blond hair, green eyes. He wasn't scrawny, just slim. He was about 5'5", a half foot shorter than I was. The kid's eyes also kept flickering different colors, from green, to icy blue, to flame red, to glowing green, to a neon yellow, to his original green.

"Mutant scumbag!" someone in the group yelled.

"Demon!" another said. Someone punched him hard in the face. The kid rubbed the sore spot, which made a purple bruise. I was shocked that they hit the poor kid, but that was nothing compared to when the boy's bruise vanished.

"Filthy mutant!" and other cries were yelled as the people surrounded and closed in on the boy.

"Leave me alone!" the boy yelled. He suddenly threw his hands in the air, his eyes turning yellow. The people were blown back by a gust of wind. It wasn't that strong, but it gave the boy a chance to run.

We heard a loud zooming sound overhead. Someone in the crowd said, "Don't worry. The sentinel will kill the demon." Dad and I became alert and rushed out after the scared kid.

<Bishop to Xavier. > Dad sent. A few minutes later, <This is Xavier. What's the situation? >

<Xavier, we've found a young mutant. The kid is pretty shaken from a crowd trying to beat him up. On top of that, we have a sentinel case, and we're trying to catch up with the kid. > Suddenly something goes flying past dad and me as we ran. I notice it makes a small dent in a nearby brick wall. People run madly away, trying to take cover. I realize that we were being shot at. I turn to the direction of the fire. There were soldiers with FOH badges on them and some wearing T-shirts with FOH on the chests.

<We got Friends Of Humanity on us too> he sent as we ran after the boy, me blocking us with shields. We pass our car on our way. Dad picks up the sack carrying his weapons. I transform us into our uniforms.

<Joshua, catch up to the boy and bring him here. Bishop, find cover and take out the sentinel and use stun rays for the FOH. You should be able to re-direct the sentinel's laser fire back to it. Gambit, Phoenix, Cyclops, and Storm are close by. They should be there shortly. Joshua, get the kid and bring him in. Xavier out. >

With that, Dad told me to be careful. I promised him I would and I took to the sky, picking up the kid as I went. I had a lucky break since the sentinel was firing at dad. From the added explosions of laser beams and lightning bolts, I could tell Mom and Cyclops were there, too. I landed in an alleyway, halfway from home. I set the boy down. He looked frightened at me, as if I was a ghost.

"Stay away from me! I don't want any part of the Brotherhood!"

"What are you talking about kid?"

"I don't want to be in the brotherhood!! I told Mr. Magneto before, I don't want to rule the earth!"

"Whoa, calm down, kid! I'm only trying to help you."

"You can't fool me! I'm going to that Xavier School, and no one's stopping me!"

"So let me help you!" I said, pulling out my school I. D. so that he could see I was already a student there.

"Oh, sorry." the kid said.

"It's okay." I replied. "I'm Josh. What's your name, kid?"

"Louis Davidson." he replied. I reached out my hand for him to shake. He was hesitant at first, but then he accepted it. "C'mon Louis, we need to get you to some place safe."

"You ain't goin' nowhere!" said a voice behind us. We turned to see 5 FOH soldiers, aiming at us. I looked to Louis, whose eyes were yellow again. He threw his hands up and sent a strong gust of wind at the men, knocking them down. The men didn't take too long to recover.

"Louis, this is how it's really done." I said. I raised my hands as I concentrated on the men and moving the air around them. I conjured up 5 small whirlwinds, sending the men hard into the walls of the alley, knocking them out.

"Wow, that was cool! Can you teach me that?"

"The person you should really talk to is my mom. Now, let's get going." We took to the air again, and landed in another dark alleyway, not any nearer to the hideout, for fear of getting us discovered. I changed our clothes, and then we steeped out. No one recognized us. We were in the clear. Louis and I discussed some things about the school, and the hideout. I learned that his eyes changed to different colors depending on the power he was using. He can master wind easily, well controlling it anyway, and he could do fire too. Earth he stayed away from, for some unknown reason, and he could make cold water, which I supposed was supposed to be ice. We also discussed his previous school life. People had singled him out as the weird kid, calling him nerd, geek, etc. He seemed to be holding back. I noticed it when we walked by a bunch of jocks from some school. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets from his stare. They are hot! he thought.

<They are, aren't they? > I replied. He seemed surprised that I could talk in his head. <It's okay. This way we can say things that we can't say out loud. >

<Cool. So you don't mind if I'm gay? >

<Not if you don't mind that I am. >

< Cool. I hope everyone else at this institute is as nice as you are. >

< They are pretty friendly, most of them anyway. So what grade are you in? >

<Ninth. Gifted child. >

<Cool. You'll fit in well. >

<Great. Uh-oh. >

<What? >

<My cousin and his buddies. They're the ones that treat me the worst. >

I followed his line of sight. Not again. I thought. It was Peter again, and his gang of football players. They held baseball bats and were wearing t-shirts reading "Die mutants Die!"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our two favorite muties." Peter said.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" I said.

"We have a game here. What's your excuse?"

"I think they're on a date." Bruno said.

"Really? Where's your other big, strong boyfriend?" Peter taunted at me. "You've decided to fuck my little fag cousin?"

"Shove it, Peter." I said. Louis clung to my arm and hid behind me. Visions from his mind blared into my head. Vicious beatings of Louis by Peter. Harsh words. Mean phrases, simply because of the stare that Louis had when he slept over at Peter`s house. No one told Peter to come into the shared room naked. I felt sorry for him and angry at the dumb jocks.

"Whoo-hoo! Someone's got backbone. Well let's see, there's seven of us, and two of you, well one of you, since you both make up only one man with your two halves, and we've got baseball bats. I guess we get to do a little mutie/fag bashing after all.

"Your bats may scare Louis, but not me. I've been trained in martial arts, can control my powers, and have actually been through worse."

"Oh really like what?"

"Oh, I dunno, taking two whole machine gun rounds?" I replied cockily.

"Well, you may be a good healer, but he ain't." Peter said, indicating Louis. So his new healing power must have just developed. I thought to myself. I then realized that the boys were going to beat up Louis!

"Do it, boys!" Peter said. The boys ran towards us. One swung at me. I caught his bat, then pushed it, breaking his nose with the butt of the handle. I used the bat for balance when the next two boys attacked, and lifted both feet to kick them in the crotch, then face as I back-flipped over it, landing behind the bat and next to Louis.

"K. O.!" yelled Louis.

The first boy got back up, and three guys joined him. At the last second, two guys faked and grabbed Louis. I turned to them and the other two (Bruno and Broken-Nose) grabbed me and slammed me into a wall. I heard a cry of pain. I looked to see Peter hit Louis in the stomach with the bat. Once. Twice Three times.

"Now to put you out of existence, you faggot mutie!" he shouted as he raised the bat.

"No!" I yelled as I struggled to get free. The guys' grips were too strong. But before the bat could fall to bash Louis's brains out, a metallic bird hit Peter's hand. Peter and his goons looked in the direction of Louis's savior. The two with peter dropped Louis and attacked the oncom3ers. They were two guys, a young adult and a teen, in superhero costume, which I instantly assumed were Nightwing and Robin. I noticed Louis lay prostrate on the ground. I could sense that he was dying, and realized his healing ability was not natural but concentrated. He could heal himself, but his body didn't heal on its own. If I didn't act soon, he would die. While Nightwing and Robin fought on, Peter still continued to abuse his cousin, and was joined by the two whom I had K. O. d earlier.

"Get the kid!" Nightwing ordered Robin. Robin popped out two metal birds and threw them at the goons. They knocked the bats from their hands. Robin then roped them and pulled hard, making them fall to the ground.

The jocks holding me slightly released me, which was all the freedom I needed. I back-flipped up the wall and landed behind the two, then slammed their heads together and then into the wall. They fell to the ground unconscious. Seeing his defeat, Peter ran.

I hurried over to Robin and Louis. "It doesn't look good. He's gonna die." said Robin.

"Oh no he ain't!" I said, placing my hands over his body. I concentrated on healing energy and slowly but surely almost completely healed him. The rest he did himself.

"Thanks. I almost died there."

"I thought you were dead!" said robin.

"Who are you?!" demanded Nightwing, who had defeated and tied up his opponents.

"I'm Josh."

"Josh Munroe?" asked Robin, "Psyche?"

"That's my code-name, yeah."

"Yeah, Batman told me about you."

"And he told me about you guys."

"Cool. Nice to be recognized."

We heard approaching sirens. I lifted Louis into my arms and floated him to a nearby rooftop, with Robin and Nightwing following on grappling lines. On the roof, we observed the police take the boys away.

"Thanks again, guys. I have to get home with Louis, though." I said.

"Cool. we've got more patrolling to do anyway." replied Nightwing.

"All right. Later!" I said, and, still holding Louis, flew down from the rooftop to another alleyway, heading towards home again.

********************

Bruno and friends awoke three to a cop car, unsure of their surroundings. He knew that cops were taking them to jail. Damn fag boys! thought Bruno. He tried to get a good look of the cop in the front in the rear view mirror-----but saw no reflection!

********************

We neared the streets, coming out of the long alleyway, and continued on towards home. We noticed more jocks from our old school. We ducked into a nearby alley, and moved further into the alley. The boys moved by, not noticing us.

"Well boys, look who's come to dinner." Louis and I looked towards the voice. From the shadows emerged a gang of about 9 vampires. They were all dressed in black sweaters or turtlenecks with black leather pants. The one who I suspected was the leader of the group stood in the center, wearing a leather trench coat. He had his human face on, and an attractive one it was. He was about 6'2", blue eyes, and had long sliver hair, pulled into a ponytail. He had a swimmers build, emphasized by the tight leather outfit he wore. Louis's mind was speaking louder than mine was, and the same thing ran through both our head. <Damn he's fine Josh! >

"Boss, can I eat him? I'm hungry!" complained one of the female vampires.

They look pretty yummy, boss." said one of the male ones. There were three females, 6 males.

"No! I would like the have some play toys." said the leader.

"Aw, come on Zeus, can't we?" wailed another one.

"I think torture is better, actually." replied another.

"Good." the leader, Zeus, said.

"But I'm hungry!" a vampire wailed. Zeus groaned, annoyed, and said, in his sexy deep British-accented voice, "Fine, eat them."

I wished that Robin and Nightwing were still around, but I of course had no such luck. I had no stakes on me, so we had no choice but to use our powers. The alley was pretty uncluttered of sharp objects. Then I remembered: Louis controlled fire!

<Louis, I'm going to literally need your fire power.>

<Okay. Why?>

<These guys are vampires. Wooden stakes, sunlight, and decapitation can kill them, along with digesting holy water and--->

<Fire!>

<Exactly. I guess you can call this on-the-job training.> While we had been talking, the vampires approached us slowly, trying to scare us in the moment.

"Enough bloody spookin! Just eat the bloody humans, `right?" shouted Zeus impatiently. The vampires obliged and ran towards us.

"Now!" I shouted. Louis held up his hands, generating two orbs of fire, and flung them at the vampires, dusting two male ones.

Two other attacked me. I revealed the psionic claws, then sidestepped the vamps. I was able to stab one from behind, then decapitate him. The other one, a female, tried to charge me while I was preoccupied, but I locked on to her mentally, then thrust her into a wall. Two more male flunkies charged me, and the female rejoined the party. I blocked the punches and kicks from the three of them, returning and countering when possible. I successfully stabbed one male in the chest. I sensed the female about to attack me from behind. I slashed out with my arm without looking and decapitated her. I then decapitated the one whose chest my claws were imbedded in. I then threw the other into the sky, surprised when a fireball connected with him and turned him in to dust. I looked back to Louis, who had charged another two fireballs to dust the remaining flunkies. We both turned our attention to Zeus.

"Well, I guess that leaves you." I said.

"I guess." smirked Zeus. "At least let's make this a fair battle, Fabled One."

Damn. What's with this `Fabled One' shit? I thought.

"Now I'll show you why I'm called Zeus, and make this a fair fight." said Zeus. His eyes glowed white and crackled with electricity as he sent a low-voltage electricity blast at Louis. He fell `shocked' to the ground, unconscious.

"Louis!" I cried. I was about to run to him, when Zeus's strong hand caught my arm.

"Tsk, tsk. We haven't even started." he says with a grin. He punches me in the face, then flings me into the wall hard, my claws vanishing with the impact. I fell to the ground face down. I try to get up, but am pushed back down hard to the ground, Zeus's foot pinning me to the ground.

"Looks like curtains for you." He remarked. I caught his foot with my hand, and pulled hard, causing him to fall. I used the air currents to lift me, then spun from horizontal to vertical, landing in a fighting stance, and. . .was met by a kick to the chest that sent me skidding into the far back wall of the alley and knocked the wind out of me. I flipped to my feet, and he was there again. He punched at my face, and I caught the fist, but he punched me in the stomach with the other, following through with the same fist to uppercut my chin. He then grabbed my wrist and threw me into another wall, denting it with the impact.

"You are pathetic!" Zeus said. I looked to see a smirk on his face. "I'll return to take you out when you at least are a workout for me." he said. Electricity crackled around him, then he vanished.

"Josh!" Louis said, arriving at my side. He had obviously regained consciousness.

"I'm okay." I said, rising to my feet. My healing factor was healing me, but I still felt a lot of pain. That was the worst fight by far that I've ever been in. I don't know which hurt worse, the fight or the machine guns. I used my weather control to carry us back to the mansion. I didn't have the energy yet to do otherwise.

We arrived at the mansion, everyone seeming excited. I asked Jubilee what the excitement was about after she got over my bruised up state. She said that the Professor threatened to sue the government if they didn't replace the schools because they were non-profit educational institutions, and, although private, were insured by the government. Senator Kelly agreed such was just and represented the Professor, both being educated in law. Apparently, the Senator also agreed much because his daughter's X-gene kicked in. The President also vetoed the Mutant Registration Act, which Congress did not succeed in voting on. (Either there are mutants in Congress, or some of them have mutant relatives that they love.) I left her with Louis, who she escorted to Professor Xavier.

Well everyone was happy except John and Warren. They were down because their boyfriends Piotr and Kurt were in London with Excalibur, being members of the foreign team. Pietro was mopey too, which I figured was Scott-related.

Mom noticed my half-attention and my beaten body. "Josh, honey, what happened to you?"

"Vampire asshole. I forgot the stakes." I joked.

"No doubt they were Sinister's goons." Xavier said, entering with Louis.

"But what doe she want with Joshua?" asked Mom.

"Maybe it's because you're the `Fabled One.' suggested Louis.

I began to remember all the past times that I battled demons at Louis's remark. Almost all of them referred to me as "Fabled One". This sounded like a demon/slayer related topic, which I would have to consult a slayer about, or else my friends back in LA. I'd have to visit them in three weeks when I return to LA, since the government has three weeks to rebuild the upper levels.

I headed for the stairs. My young mind had enough for one day. I went around the corner of the hall of my room, and slammed into "Fearless Leader."

"Oops, sorry. Oh Josh, it's you. Good job on your rescue mission. Dude what happened?" Scott said.

"I'm fine, just some cuts and bruises." I said, trying to hurry him away so I could get to my room. He followed me up the hall.

"You should get checked on you know."

"I'm fine!" I shouted. Scott grabbed my arm roughly. I shouted in pain from the bruises.

"No, you're not. Now come with me." I followed Scott to his room. He made me sit on the bed. I wondered where Jean's things were. Did she move to a separate room?

Scott got a first aid kit. The first thing he did was get me to remove my shirt. He made a face at the bruises, scars, etc. on me. I was forced to spill about the fight with Zeus. He listened intently. I was reminded of the times that I patched up Logan from his battles.

"Well, you should have more training sessions with Lo--" Scott stopped teh sentence short. Pause. "I'm sorry." he said.

"Huh?"

"I've been treating you like shit when you obviously have enough to deal with. I've been like Remy, no, worse than Remy, to you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." I said, trying to hold back tears. Thinking of Logan was beginning to make me sad, because thinking about him when he wasn't there hurt.

"Josh, I--what's wrong?" Scott said, seeing my tears.

"I--I--miss him. So much." I managed to sputter. Scott pulled me into a comforting hug, which I returned. Eventually I stopped crying. I even chuckled a little.

"What's so funny?" Scott asked.

"Usually you're all fearless leader to everybody. And--" I let the sentence hang.

"An all-knowing, commanding pain in the ass?" Scott said, with a small smirk.

"I was going for `stiff', but all knowing, commanding pain in the ass works, too. But now you're all nicey-nice.

"Well, I'm not completely emotionless like I'm sure the whole entire school thinks." He finished cleaning my very slowly healing cuts. "That vampire must have some special wound-lasting powers if he bust you up this bad when it didn't take too long for machine-gun wounds to heal."

"I guess s--ow!!" i whimpered when he attempted to pat my arm.

"Ooh, you are sore and tense. Lay down."

"Um, shouldn't Hank be doing--"

"Just lay down. Or do I have to make it an order?" he said, mimicking his usual serious tone.

"Fine, fine." I lay down face down on the bed. He begins to work the kinks out, and to ease the pain I was feeling all over my body. I felt relaxed completely, and I became aware that Scott had sat on his knees, his legs straddling my backside, massaging my pains with his strong hands. I realize that he is trying to turn me on. It's working, too, because his ministrations have me erect. It's also not hard to tell because of the bulge in his uniform pants rubbing against my back and clothed ass. I almost give in to him. Almost.

"No!" I say, pushing Scott off of me. I turn to face my surprised leader. "Look, Scott, I forgive you and all, but I'm still devoted to Logan. I'm sorry. Maybe if I wasn't, we could be together, but it can't happen because I am."

"But he isn't here. Why can't you give in, just for a little while?"

"Because then you and I would become attached, and Logan would be upset, and I'd be forced to choose, and I can't handle that." I reply, sobbing. I look into Scott's visor-covered eyes. I wish I could see into them. Were they blue? Green? I would never know. I did know they were sad and teary.

Scott hugged me tightly and sobbed quietly, then loudly. "I can't help it. I like you a lot, Joshua. Ever since you first came here I liked you."

"I'm sorry. I can't help it. I love Logan, and I can't--" Scott cut me off when he pressed his warm, wet pink lips to mine. Softly kissing, when pushing past my closed lips with his tongue. He searched my entire mouth with his tongue. I returned the kiss. Scott's hands moved for my pants--

"No!" I shouted, pulling him away from me. "Scott, I can't. no."

"Please?!!" he said as he grabbed me into a tight bear hug. I struggled to get free. Finally I pushed out at my surroundings using my telekinesis, sending Scott flying into the wall. I stood and ran from the room, leaving Scott crying in the corner.

I ran into my room and locked the door, and cried myself to sleep.

****************

Pietro thought about going in to Cyclops after Josh left.

No! He's hurt. He needs the time alone!

And with that thought, Pietro left Scott alone.

****************

I'm getting too old for this!! I hope Josh does succeed in getting those two together eventually, cause I`m getting tired of changing people`s minds. thought Xavier as he fell asleep, visions of Magneto in his head.

****************

In the depths of Mutant X, growth enhancements take effect on the returned specimen, heightening him to a well-respected 6'5". Bulking him more, even enlarging the thing young Joshua Munroe once drooled over to over its foot-long length.

The agony of the specimen could be heard everywhere in the lab. But no one treated it any more than a normal occurrence.

But the specimen thought differently. He growled in agony as memory chips extracted old memories to insert new ones. Instincts were further enhanced. Army strategies and more forms of martial arts, and show-no-mercy tactics were imbedded into his brain. The perfect soldier. The ultimate killing machine.

***************

Logan struggled to hold on. Struggled to keep his sanity his memories of his current home with the X-men.

"X-men? What is an X-man?" he thought.

No, I can't lose my memories again! I can't! But Logan began to lose everything. Then they sought to upgrade the adamantium in his bone structure. The pain became too much for him. He couldn't concentrate. He began to lose all emotions, and only know obedience to his captors. He roared and yelled in agony as the operation ensued.

One last thought of recognition: Joshua. . .help me.

****************

Logan isn't as all right as everyone thought he was. Will Joshua be able to help his love? Find out on the next chapter of Tales of a Young Mutant.