eneMy of My eneMy

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"Does Reeva seriously want me to wear this?" In my hand, it held a phantom mask, perfect size for my face, with the matching painted porcelain skin tone. "I mean, I know my fave can be uneasy but really?"

"You can if you want, but for missions, it's debatable whether you should wear it or not. Identity purposes and that. I say you shouldn't, this is your home, you shouldn't hide yourself."

I was finally out of the hospital, I sat in the bed, placing the mask on the blanket. It didn't feel like my room though, it was like a motel, a temporary placement.

"Whatever," I mutter, before leaving my bed and to the lobby. The ice was cleared and the room was restored, I look to see Lorna and Andy staring at the tv, both Jack and I slowly make our way to them.

"And over 6,000 criminal mutants have escaped. People are asking: what's the endgame here? There is no endgame other than senseless slaughter," The host of the show states, making me roll my eyes.

"How can they lie like that?" The Strucker scoffs, "Most of those people were innocent."

"You expect balanced reporting from that guy?" Lorna raised a brow. "His entire career is built on stirring up mutant haters."

"Yeah, but people are gonna be watching that and believing it. I mean, we're-we're fighting for innocent mutants."

"But we know," Jack says, "Isn't that what's important?"

"After everything we sacrificed. We should make them tell the truth."

I just ignored Andy, but I grew confused to see my brother smirking at him as if he agreed with him; that was the first.

Suddenly, Lorna got a call, but her face seemed to say something else.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I, uh, I think it's Fade. Why's he calling me?" She answers, "Hello... What? Marcos? What's going on?"

Safe to say, the call ended short, with her walking away with Jack following her. This only left me with Andy, the two of us stare at each other until I left back into my room. That didn't stop him, either way.

"Lux," He calls to me.

"Go away, Andy."

"Can we please just——"

"Talk?" I roar, "Talk about what? Rebecca is gone, we are gone. I want space, can't you just give me that?"

He gulped, "I... I don't want us to be gone. I-I get that we aren't a couple anymore but, I just want my friend back. I want my best friend back. I want someone to talk to, to hang out, to not make me feel lonely."

I knew being in a relationship with Andy would be hard on me, but friends? Do we just ignore what we had before and start anew?

"Trust me, you're not the only person here who feels alone, I get that feeling too." I look into his eyes. "You're not alone... but if you feel like you are, I'm here, even if we are in times like these."

I continued to go to my room and closed my door. I knew it was best to slow things down for myself, it would hurt more if we were to get back together, being acquainted friends just seemed to be better for me.

Hell, maybe I can learn to forgive, maybe I can learn of the mistakes that had happened with Rebecca.

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It turned out that Lorna's phone call was about John, he had apparently run into trouble, with some Purifiers. Both Andy and I went to Lorna's room to see what we have missed.

"Hey. Anything on John?" Andy closes the door behind us.

"Yes. I asked Sage to look into recent Purifier activity, anything unusual," says the woman, "She found this."

Giving us her pad, she explains, "It's a compound in Virginia. No activity until about an hour after John's capture, and then this convoy shows up. He's in that building but I've studied the satellite photos. The place is a fortress. There's no way they'll make it in."

"So what are we waiting for? We got to help him," The Strucker replies.

"We can't," I tell him, "We're not part of the Underground, remember?"

"So what? Lorna, you said it yourself that they can't do it alone. How many times have we tried to tell them that we're doing something good here? Now we can show them."

"Reeva won't like it," The Dane remarks.

"Won't like what? Stopping mutant-haters from killing mutants? That doesn't make my sense. That's why we're here. When Sentinel Services was after my family, John got us away. When you were in prison, he got you out. He was there for us."

I won't be wrong to say I was on Andy's side. After everything John had done, giving us shelter, getting Reed Strucker back... he deserved the returning hand.
The only thing I was worried about was Reeva, but frankly, I didn't care.

So, Lorna, Andy, and I all went to the apartment complex where the Underground was hiding.
Because of my face, I had to put myself into a black hoodie and a brunette wing so it would hide my ice skin more than my blonde.

Walking I noticed how the boy acted a bit strange as if he had some deja vú with this place.

"You okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah, just, uh... I-I had a dream about this place. It's weird being here."

"Before we go up there," Lorna announced to us, "you have to remember that today is about saving John. That's all."

Andy nods, "Yeah, but... I want to show them what we're doing, make them understand."

"I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt, Andy. When Marcos came to see Dawn, do you have any idea how much I wanted to see eye-to-eye with him? We love each other. We always will. But... we will never agree on what we believe. Just... don't expect you much, both of you."

Reluctantly, we all gathered to a single door, I knocked on the door and Kaitlin opens the door. It was safe to say, they were shocked to see us, especially what my face has now become. But they seem to not notice that much, as both Reed and Kaitlin tackled their son into a hug.

Of course, I was quick to pass them but Lauren was the first to actually notice it. I took off the hoodie and wig, revealing the half side of me. I knew she had many questions for me to act; Marcos and Clarice noticed as well.
When the Strucker parents turned to me, they were alarmed, to say the least, but Reed was the first one to hug me and welcome me home, with his wife following suit.

When they hugged me, I could feel the love of a parent. The feeling of closure toward a father and mother who had lost their children a long time ago. I felt as if I was one of their kids, that they cared and worried about me just as much as Andy. It was nice to feel wanted like that.

"I can't believe you're here, in real life," Lauren speaks.

Andy sighs, "Yeah, uh, it seemed crazy to let you guys go after John alone, so..."

"So you found him?" Marcos turns to his ex.

"Yeah, we found him."

"If you think that I'm gonna let the triplets or your lively boss anywhere near——"

"Don't worry. Just us today."

"So, all of a sudden, we're just a team again, just like that?" Clarice raised a brow, but we all pretended to ignore her, not one of us answering her question.

"The Purifiers are keeping John a few hours away," I inform them, "We can just give you the address if you want. If you want us to leave."

"No."
"Don't be ridiculous."
The Stucker adults say.

"Clarice, we've seen what John's up against. You're gonna need all the help you can get," Lorna declares to the woman.

Since we all had a sort of agreement to saying John, Andy still tried his best to show how well they were doing, how their cause is making a difference, in ways that he shouldn't explain.

"Fully customized, armored, top-of-the-line," He brags to Marcos.

The Latino man scoffs, "They have four doors and they drive. They're cars, Andy."

"Not just cars. We got guns and equipment, too."

The three of us opened the back of one of the cars we drove in, showing them a lot of equipment and weapons.

"If it makes you feel better, we got safety jackets," I chime.

"I remember when you used to buy me ties for Christmas," Reed tells Andy, just shocked of how much their son has grown.

"We're so glad you're here," Kate smiles at us, "Thank you."

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very sorry it's short i promise the next part will be better — mariena <3