"Rise, my mutant brothers and sisters! Rise and stand with me for the greater good of all mutant-kind! And let us go forth together into a better future..."
The film clip was the fuzzy 1970s quality, and was even more fuzzy because Professor McCoy had projected the footage onto a bigger screen, making everything appear even more distorted. Despite this, you could clearly make out the helmeted, cloaked figure of radical mutant activist Magneto delivering his passionate speech on television when he had crashed the opening of the Sentinal plan and program at the White House in 1973.
Unfortunately, the history of mutants was impossible to study without looking at Magneto's, A.K.A. Erik Lehnsherr's, side of the story. There were always multiple sides to one story, to one history, and you had to look at all of them. Magneto's was just one of those many.
Magneto, A.K.A. Erik Lehnsherr, and in her case, A.K.A. Dad.
When the clip was finally over Professor McCoy turned off the projector and flicked the lights back on, making everyone groan and cover their eyes.
"Well, that was - enlightening..." Peter scooted up to join his sisters on their way out of the classroom, his high-top sneakers squeaking on the polished linoleum floor. He popped his gum. "He's passionate, I'll give him that."
"Yeah, about his 'mutant brothers and sisters'." Wanda deepened her voice to imitate that of their father, spreading her arms wide like he did when levitating, chin raised high in the air. Kath decided not to tell her sister that she indeed looked like their father when she did that. And sounded like him. Unlike Peter, who had rapidly (when did he not do something rapidly?) tried to lose their heavy Eastern-European accent, Wanda had kept hers, as well as Kath and Daniela. Their brother had also started going by the more American-sounding, as he said, 'Peter' instead of his actual name, 'Pietro'.
"Too bad he's not that passionate about his own family," Wanda continued. This earned her a nudge from Kath. "What? It's true."
"He tries," Kath defended.
Peter snorted. "Yeah, sure, sure he does. Like he tries to abide by the law. I'm with Wan on this one, sorry Big Sis."
"He does! I believe that. He at least wants to be a good father. That counts for something, Right?" Sometimes she wondered why she defended their father, but settled on because he was exactly that, their father.
The twins exchanged a glance. Kath always wondered what it would be like to have a twin and have that special twin-connection. Oh, she was a twin, but she was convinced Peter and Wanda had some special twin power that she and Daniela definitely did not share.
"Well then he should try harder." Peter shrugged. "I mean, why are you defending the guy? It's not like he's been any better to you."
"Because I'm hopeful that he will change."
"That's them, they're his kids."
"He has kids?!"
The Maximoff siblings turned to see a trio of girls from the class gossiping down the hall a ways.
"Yeah."
"But they don't have the same last name as him..."
"That's cause they use their mom's last name. Would you want to be associated with him, let alone his kids? And see the one with the purple in her hair? She's got the same power as him. I bet he wants her to follow in his footsteps-"
"Hey, if you really want to know, you could just come and ask," Peter called to them, alerting them to the fact that the siblings could clearly hear them as they weren't being so discrete. The girls jumped and blushed.
"We're not our father," Wanda added icily, her eyes flashing red briefly.
"Is everything alright out here?" Professor McCoy, or Beast, appeared in the doorway.
"Yeah, we're all good." Peter flashed an innocent smile as the trio of gossiping girls hurried away.
"Listen, thanks for being such troopers with this. I'm sorry, I know it's difficult stuff for you guys."
"Thanks, Professor, but we understand," said Kath. "It's part of the required study material. Besides, you can't study the history of mutants without it - without him..."
"How do you think he feels about being taught in school?" asked Wanda as they left the classroom and Professor McCoy behind.
"Oh I'm sure he just loves it," Peter said, speaking of their father's ego.
"Well, at least we'll have something to talk about at our next lunch," Wanda said wearily.
"Oh he's gonna love that, getting to talk all about himself and his views with his kids, try and influence us some more. Anywho, I'm starved. See you after lunch." And with that he sped off.
--------------------------------
"Has anyone seen Daniela?" Kath walked into the living room where her siblings were sitting on the couch. Wanda shrugged, not looking up from her book. Peter was too busy grooving to his music.
"Peter? Peter!" Kath swiped the headphones off his head.
"Hey!" He was in the middle of air-drumming. "What?"
"Have you seen Daniela lately?"
"Nope. Haven't seen her since this morning."
Kath heaved a sigh. "Great."
"I'm sure she's fine, Kath. She just likes to have time to herself," Wanda reminded.
"I know. I just wish she'd tell one of us where and when she's going before she goes."
"You know, she's not going to be pleased when she finds out you're babying her again," Wanda said, eyes back on her book. Peter was back listening to his music on full blast.
"I'm not babying her! I'm just worried. I'm looking out for my sister, which is hard when I don't know what she's doing half the time." Another reason why she wished they shared the same twin-power the younger twins did.
She continued her search - the mansion was large, so there was a chance Daniela could still be on campus and she just hadn't found her yet.
"Hi Kath!" a cheerful Russian accent greeted her.
She instantly felt more at ease. "Hi, Piotr."
"Are you alright? You seem stressed."
Ah, Piotr. Always so considerate. "Yeah, I'm alright, thanks. Just can't find Daniela - again. She didn't tell me if she was going out. You haven't seen her, have you?"
"I'm sorry, I haven't. Have you checked pantry? I've seen her in there a few times."
Pantry? Why the pantry? Kath would have to ask her sister about that later, once she finally found her.
"I'm just trying to hold together the piece of my family that I have left."
"Of course."
"Which isn't easy when two of my siblings hate our dad, our dad is distant yet somehow still overbearing, my mom is not in the picture, my older sister hasn't been heard from in years, and my own twin just ups and leaves all the time." She sighed, taking a breath. "Sorry, I'm ranting again."
"Do not be sorry, Kath. And I think you do good job."
"Thanks Piotr, I really needed to hear that."
"You're welcome. I'm here to talk anytime." He gave her a sweet smile before heading off.
Such a sweet guy.
"Oh my God, just tell the guy you like him already!" Daniela would say if she were here, as she had said many times before. "No use pining. Just tell him!"
"And then what?" Kath would reply. "Be in further constant worry that I could hurt him? I already am..."
"Well, if it helps, he likes you too, so just tell him and put you both out of your misery."
She wasn't sure it helped. Ah, sisterly love. From a sister she needed to find.
(Welcome! :) I've finished a story and done some more updating, so I feel I can start another story, so here we are! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))