A Rumble of Frost chapter 19

February 15th 2001, Westchester, New York 3:00 PM EDT

The  drive to the institute was longer than expected. I'd never actual been  to my Uncle Chuck's place. I'd met him a few times over the years,  visits mostly, and all I really knew about him was that he was bald,  used a wheelchair, was a powerful mutant, and used to bang my mom. That  last part wasn't something they told me directly, but the intense  dislike that my dad had for him, mixed with the way the two of them  interacted, made it pretty obvious, though I gathered that was ancient  history.

What little interactions I DID have with him were  supposed to have ended when the X-men became public, which was when  things between him and mom really broke down, but I wasn't associated  with her shitty academy anyway so that didn't really matter.

"Wow."  Said Peter. "Fancy place." The cab had dropped us off at the entrance  to the mansion grounds. "This your Uncle's place? Who is Xavier?" It  dawned on me that I'd kind of defaulted to my old way of referring to  him when I decided to come ask for a favor. I guessed I was  subconsciously preparing to use the bond we had when I was a kid to my  advantage.

"Charles Xavier owns this school. He's a  Professor of..." I paused, thinking about it carefully. "Actually, I  don't really know what he teaches. People just call him Professor X  sometimes."

Peter's eyes widened. "Wait, your uncle is  CHARLES XAVIER? Founder of the X-men? I mean, I knew they were nearby,  but not THIS near." He started staring around in fascination. "This  place is where they train? Do you think we could sit in on some of their  exercises?"

I rolled my eyes. "Tape down your nerd boner  Pete, they're just people. You've been going on actual missions with a  mutant way stronger than any of the wannabe's here." That wasn't shit  talking either. I was pretty much the strongest member of the next  generation of mutants I'd heard of. At least last time I checked. As far  as I knew, my uncle's star pupil was some dude who could shoot lasers  from his eyes, and he couldn't even control them.

Felicia  giggled. "Good to know you have a healthy sense of self worth even when  dealing with people from your childhood. I half expected the whole  'macho badass' persona was just an affectation for New York."

"Nah."  I said casually. "I don't really do affectations. I kind of just act  however I want. If anyone has a problem with that they can blow me." I  paused. "Though depending on the person I guess they could blow me if  they don't have a problem with it too. You certainly did."

The  laugh this time was much less giggle and much more purr, but it was  interrupted by Peter clearing his throat. "Down, you two. We're here for  a favor remember? I don't much feel like standing here like an awkward  moron while you two flirt, or worse, go fool around in the bushes or  something."

He wasn't wrong, so I just shrugged. "Fair.  Anyway come on, lets head inside. I'm sure someone here will know me. I  doubt Uncle Chuck will answer the door himself in a place this size, but  I know he has a bunch of minions. That big hairy guy who always follows  him around is probably here. Maybe it'll be him."

We  strolled up the picturesque path to the front door of the massive  mansion, and I knocked politely, waiting for someone to answer. No one  did. I frowned, then knocked harder. There was a slight creak from the  door, but no answer, and I started getting annoyed until Felicia put a  hand on my arm. I looked at her quizically and she just smirked.  "Perhaps we could try the doorbell before you blow the doors off. I know  you enjoy that kind of thing, but this may not be the place."

Peter  nodded. "Ah, the doorbell. I'll get that." He reached over and pressed a  button to one side. I sulked a bit because that had been kind of  stupid, but in my defense I was a little tense being here. I was pretty  sure my uncle was going to try to recruit me. I would turn him down,  obviously, but I wasn't sure if he'd pitch a fit and refuse to let me  use the plane. If he did I'd have to steal it or something. Hopefully  Peter could pull some supergenius shit and fly it for us.

There  was no answer again, and Peter looked annoyed this time. He moved in  front of me, deciding to try knocking himself, and raised his fist to do  so even as the door swung open and a girl glared out. "Shit, can you  guys chill?" She said in a frustrated tone. "It's a big fucking house,  it take a second to get down here."

Peter froze, hand  raised, and then cleared his throat. "Ah, right, sorry." The girl didn't  seem impressed, and our resident nerd held out his hand for her.  "Seriously, I AM sorry. I'm Peter. Nice to meet you." The girl looked  dubious but took and shook his hand before her eyes strayed to Felicia  and I.

"Kitty." She said disinterestedly. She stared at us  for a second. "Well? You came to our door, I assume it wasn't to  introduce yourselves. What do you want? I've got stuff going on." I  smirked a bit. This girl was all of five feet tall and was the shortest  person here by far, but she had plenty of attitude. Most people were  intimidated by my size, but she was staring me down without a problem,  maybe Uncle Chuck's team wasn't so pathetic after all.

"I'm  here to see Professor Xavier. Tell him Billy is at the door." I didn't  give my last name, I doubted my uncle had many gigantic visitors named  Billy, and there was a decent chance his team members would recognize  the name and start trouble, given my mom's antagonistic stance toward  the X-men.

She looked at me suspiciously before muttering  something about not being a maid and turning to stalk back into the  house, slamming the door behind her. I was amused to note Peter watching  her ass as it closed, though to be fair her yoga pants had the word  tasty printed across them, so I could understand why he would look.

He  saw me catch him looking and blushed, and I let a grin stretch my face  as I threw an arm over his shoulder. "I was beginning to think you  didn't have eyes for any girl but your redhead. You interested? You  should get her number." I winked at Felicia. "It's not like you and your  neighbor girl are actually dating. Nothing to stop you from playing the  field."

Peter scoffed. "I doubt she would be interested in me. I'm just the nerd, remember?"

I  frowned because that sounded almost a little bitter. I pulled back.  "Whoa. Pete. The nerd stuff is just teasing. You know you're an  important member of the team. We'd still be stuck in those damn stairs  for one thing. Assuming we'd even gotten there because Felicia would  probably have died in that explosion. You know we don't actually think  less of you for being smart right?"

He sighed. "Yeah.  Sorry. That wasn't fair. I'm just a bit on edge. Things are getting  pretty out of hand. I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-man. All  this international magic shit is a bit heavy for me." He'd turned to  face me, and was so lost in introspection that he hadn't noticed the  door opening as Kitty came back. I'm sure he wouldn't have even said  anything if we hadn't been at the X-men's headquarters, everyone here  was a superhero anyway so it wasn't a big deal if someone knew who he  was. Still he must have been pretty upset to miss that we had company.

Kitty,  instead of being derisive or surly, was staring at Peter with wide  eyes, pink rising on her cheeks. "Did...did you just say you're  Spider-man?" Peter froze, finally realizing we weren't alone, and then  turning to her with a look that couldn't have confirmed her question  more definitively if he'd had 'definitely spider-man' tattooed on his  forehead.

"I...I mean. I'm not...not, Spider-man?" He said lamely.

The  blush on the brunette girl's face got darker. "Oh. Wow. Um. I'm sorry  for being such a bitch earlier." She tucked a strand of hair behind her  ear. "I'm kind of a fan. Like, I know you don't do stuff at the same  level as the X-men, but that kind of makes you even cooler you know?  Like...you care about New York." She blushed harder. "And I sound like a  complete blithering idiot." She covered her hands with her face. "God,  just kill me now."

"No!" Peter said emphatically. "Not at  all. I'm super flattered. I just feel stupid for blurting it out like  that. Plus I didn't know I even had fans. I kind of assumed I was just  tolerated. Like I haven't even really gotten any press or anything, how  did you even hear about me?"

"Message boards." She said  sheepishly. "My parents only let me come here on the condition I didn't  participate in any X-men stuff, so I spend a LOT of time on the  internet. You're kind of a big deal on some of the local New York  boards." She flushed again. "Though, I didn't think you'd be my age.  Like...you handle yourself so well I thought you would be older." Her  eyes widened. "Not that I would prefer you were older. Or that I have a  preference." She buried her head in her hands again. "Why am I still not  dead yet?"

I kind of wanted to get us back on track, but  this was way too cute to interrupt, and Pete deserved a little ego  boost. Kitty was kind of adorable and Peter clearly thought so too based  on his own blush. Felicia, who was looking like a cat about to play  with a pair of very unfortunate mice, grinned at the two of them. "Well,  maybe you should exchange numbers. Kitty, you're going to be on the  X-men eventually right? peter could give you some tips, tell you what  it's like out there."

Nodding along, I chimed in. "It's  true. He's the most experienced of all of us. He makes all the plans for  our team. I couldn't think of a better person for you to learn from." I  bumped Peter with my elbow, jarring him from his reverie.

"Oh."  He said frantically. "I mean. Yeah. I could do that. Help you out." He  reached into his pocket, fumbling with his phone a bit, passing it to  her. "If you want I mean. I'm always available. To talk about anything."  Kitty blushed even harder (I was beginning to worry about her getting  an aneurysm) and swallowed, typing in her number and then texting  herself to get his before handing his phone back.

Then she  just stood there. And so did he. For like three minutes. I had to  literally stop myself from face palming. "Hey Kittyy, you were going to  pass that message to Professor Xavier?" I prompted.

Her  eyes widened in embarrassment. "Oh! Right. Yes. I did that. He said to  come on in. He's in the downstairs study and he said to bring you to see  him directly." She glanced shyly at Peter. "He only said to bring Billy  though, I'm sure he would have wanted to meet you too if he knew who  you were Peter."

My uncle was an Omega class telepath. I  was pretty sure he knew the deepest secrets of most of the people within  a ten mile radius, and he DEFINITELY knew Peter was Spider-man, but I  didn't correct her. I'd only needed to announce myself at all because my  mind was pretty much impossible to read. Part of the durability powers I  got from my mother, who is immune to telepathy in her shifted diamond  form. My durability is more meat based granted, but I got the mental  protections anyway, something I've always been grateful for.

"How  about." I said with a smile. "You just tell me the way, and I'll head  back myself. You can stay and keep Peter and Felicia company, since this  is their first time here. Maybe show them around? I'm sure the  Professor wouldn't mind."

Her face lit up at the idea. "I  could do that!" She grabbed Peter by the arm. "The mansion is SO COOL.  You'll love it. We have the best training room." A match made in heaven,  I swear. I was also amused that she was so enthusiastic about showing  him around she didn't even question Felicia's presence. The irony of the  superhero showing a professional thief around their home was pretty  thick. She pointed down a hallway, giving me hurried directions, then  dragged Peter away, Felicia trailing behind them in amusement, and left  me alone.

I assumed that Uncle Chuck must have told her I  could be trusted and to make me welcome, because there was no way she'd  have left me alone otherwise, crush or not, but it didn't matter much. I  headed in the direction she told me, wandering down a long hallway in  the direction she'd mentioned. She said It would be the third door off  the left turn (this place was stupidly large) but when I got to the hall  I realized there were doors on both sides, which mean there were two  third doors.

Picking at random, I grabbed the handle of  one and pushed it open, hoping this was the study. It was not. Or at  least assume it wasn't, since my uncle wasn't in here. The only person  who WAS in here was a toned and mostly naked girl with long white hair  and coffee colored skin trying to squeeze an abundant ass into a pair of  tight leather pants. She froze when she saw me, and I did too. I  noticed her eyes were brown, at least for a second, before they faded to  an eerie glowing white.

I held up both hands. "Whoa  there, sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I'll just be go-" I didn't have  time to finish speaking before she lashed out a hand and a fucking BOLT  of LIGHTNING smashed through the window from the previously clear blue  sky and slammed into my chest, sending me hurtling across the hallway  and right through the door on the other side.

Groaning, I  lay there for a second trying to get my bearings, and once I did I  noticed the impassive face of my uncle sitting at a desk in the room I  now occupied. I looked down at the shattered door under me and wanted to  say something, but my whole body was still locked in a rictus of pain.  His eyes flicked up across the hall, then out into the mansion, and then  he rolled them. He focused on the pretty black girl as she stormed into  the room, sadly dressed now. "Peace Ororo, there seems to have been a  misunderstanding. I'll have to apologize on my nephew's behalf." He  clicked his tongue at me. "Still a magnet for trouble, eh William?"  Well, this could have gotten off to a better start.