Angel

                     "It doesn’t sound like fun.“

“I don’t believe you one bit, Henry McCoy,” he said, crossing his arms and squinting at his friend jokingly. “Mr. drunk-danger-room.” Warren mostly muttered this, followed by a cough.

                      “Warren.”

“Oh, come on.. are you really telling me it hasn’t crossed your mind it might be fun?” 

     "I do hope that this beach trip I’ve been hearing about in the halls wasn’t                intended to be a secret. If so, you’re all very poor with keeping things                                                  to yourselves.”

“Sounds to me like someone wants to go,” he said, nudging Hank. 

“Julian, Sam Guthrie, Rocket and alien strippers, Remy, maybe Hank McCoy and Jubilee, I don’t know who else.”

“Great! Oh, we should get Bobby and Angelica too.” He paused, wincing a little as one of the names clicked in. “Wait- Hank knows?” 

“Caribbean beach vaca. Bring money.”

“Oh, I am definitely in. You know me well already,” he laughed. “Who else is going?”

“Hmm? Where we going?”

“I can’t tell you,” she chided, setting the vase back down on the table. “If I told you then you might tell someone else and everyone would end up with my talent and it wouldn’t be special anymore.”

“Aw, what if I promise not to tell?,” he pleaded in jest. 

“I’m crossing my fingers. Failing classes at a regular school is one thing but flunking out of SHIELD would just be a mess. It’s not like there’s really a second choice school for mutants,” she remarked with a laugh.

“Oh gosh, tell me about it,” he laughed. “I dread the thought of us having to figure out what to do next.” 

"Don't worry about it. what kind of.... uncle would I be if something like that scared me off?,” he grinned. True, this would be a big adjustment for him, and of course there was still Scott and Jean to talk to now that he himself knew as well.  But he did want to try. 

               "It wasn’t much of a party than…        well, a reason for me to go to the infirmary.“ He shrugged.    "Gives me another reason not to like parties all that much.”

“Well hey, we just have to make sure the next one is better,” He hoped the kid really wasn’t going to write them off because of this, but he could see why he might. 

Bruce nodded reluctantly. “Yeah. I was helping Tony design it before I left. I didn’t think we were anywhere close to completing the project, we…” He sighed. “There should have been enough backup to stop this. That’s why I need to talk to Tony. Find out what happened.”

“Well.. it seems he put in some overtime since you left,” Warren sighed. “Please just tell me that we won’t have more of these busting in at any time...” 

        “Yeah, I’ll take it easy—            between the staff around here, my boyfriend, and my friends,     I don’t think I’ll have a chance to hurt myself more.”

“It’s fortunate to have so many concerned for you. That party sure didn’t end in your favor, huh?” he nodded. 

She nodded, “You’re not, but I think you’ll become like him.” She smiled nervously, hoping this wasn’t too strange for him, but from her it was a high compliment. “I hope you do, he was really wonderful.” She wasn’t sure what to say. What did she need? She was taking care of herself alright, some of the time. Rachel knew what she wanted, but she didn’t know how to raise the dead. So, she’d try her best to make due surrounded by ghosts. “Honestly, I don’t even know what I need. I’m doing alright, I guess.”

“Of course,” Emma agreed. “Those things are always complicated, but if no effort is made, the Hellfire Club will continue to be filled with businessmen and a legislators working together to oppress mutants. Shouldn’t there be some representation? Shouldn’t we have some influence of our own, instead of being sheep to the slaughter?”

“See, that’s what I like about the Hellfire Club. Most are out for themselves, but think of what a network of mutants within the club could accomplish with that kind of money and influence. Surely you see the faults in this place. It’s no place for young mutants. They deserve so much more.”

“What you say does have a lot of merit... and appeal to me,” he admitted. She really did have a point there, and he found he actually did agree. Except for one thing. “It certainly would provide them with quite the number of resources they need, though could there be.. interference and influence from some of the members? I’m sure you know well enough many of them would have their own agendas.” 

“Thank you.” She ran a hand through her hair still a little embarrassed, even though it had felt right. She had to admit having Warren know was nice. She’d missed him, and felt guilty because of what had happened–what she’d done–to her Uncle Warren. The young man before her wasn’t the man she loved and missed, but he was one the people at the Institute that she couldn’t be friends with and not know about her past, it would hurt to much for her to bare. “I’ll try not to accidentally Uncle Warren. That would be awkward….Thanks for understanding. I hope we can be friends someday.”

“It’s no problem,” he replied. He knew obviously he wasn’t really the person that she had known. Right? But he also had already told her that he would be there for her when and how she needed, and he still felt the same about that statement now. He chuckled at her comment, “maybe.. I swear I’ll try not to make a huge deal about it though.  Hey..I know I’m not the guy that you knew.. but I want to do my best for you. For what you need. “