A New Kind of Army

Chapter 30: Outside Looking In

Nico took in his surroundings. The heavy raindrops the were beating on the window. The cold wall pressed against his shoulder. The old Christmas lights that had been up for two weeks after the holiday they were put up for; far too long in his opinion. His nieces and nephews chatting as they watched a movie. They celebrated Arrow's return from the hospital. It was nice to hear happy voices in the home again. It hadn't been right for his brother's home to feel cold as it had for the last few weeks.

His eyes turned to the window, back to staring at the outside, looking for any figure moving towards them. That was his role, the guardian that stood waiting, watching, protecting. The silent sentinel that never failed a mission. It wasn't always his place, but for now this was his role. Christin would say different, but his baby brother, for all he had gotten right over all these years, he was wrong about Nico's current role.

Nico played any part he was given. In his early life, he played the role of the child, to play and laugh, as well as the role of a student, to learn and prosper. Youth, meant being the light of someone else's life. Then came his adulthood, a warrior, someone who would lay down his life for the others. He knew he would play all those, part of the course for a Clan Leader's child. Eventually he donned the role of a lover, and then husband and finally father. A bright future was ahead of him they had said.

Then things changed.

Mother had always said to him that in her dreams, he was veiled with shadow. When youth was still his Nico had doubted her words. He had his love, his family, the respect of his people, and the chance to be clan leader. It was perfect. It felt like there was no darkness that could extinguished his light. Until that one moment, that he didn't see coming. His light was snuffed out.

Contrary to what some might believe, that one moment hadn't been when his father had announced that the title of Clan leader would go to Christin. Sure, at first it had stung a bit, but over time Nico understood his father's decision. As children Nico and Christin could've been considered typical, normal. Well, normal for mutants anyway. They played, they learned, they fought in training and with each other. It wasn't until they were older that the differences between them showed. Nico grew more stoic, more serious, the spark of childhood faded in him. While Christin...Christin never lost that.

Nico snorted. His little brother had always been sort of an anomaly in the family. For centuries, their people's clan leader bloodline always had the reputation of a strict stoic family. Kind to their people, but set in their ways. They took everything seriously, never once cracking so much of a smile when there was work to be done. His father had been that way. His mother, although she had softened in the recent years, was like that. He was like that. However, Christin, while never one to shirk his duties, he still smiled and joked like a child. Christin remained warm and loving even after all he had lost. His little brother and later Alice were what the clan needed to move forward. People who would care about their citizens' ever-changing needs more than up holding tradition. Something Nico would've never been able to do.

Dull brown eyes, flicked from the window to the kitchen. Sitting at the bar, was his newest charge. The young man, born decades before himself, was staring intently at the book in front of his face. Nico raised a brow at the sight of him. The telepath had played teacher before, far too many times. Many children who were all the same; each with a sad story of their own, and they all shared the same fate in the end.

James was an interesting case. Trapped out of time, and all alone, the lad had shown remarkable grace with all that had change around him. Nico had known a number of people who were displaced for far less amount of time, but weren't nearly as alright. The boy was strong. He had potential. Oddly. Nico could see the reason why Christin asked him to train Barnes. He would be a great asset.