Sparrows and Iron

Chapter 6

Jenny didn't leave her room for four days. She was trying to avoid the inevitable. She didn't want to be sent away, not when she'd just decided to make connections. Having already lost so many people in her life, it had been a struggle just to open up to Tony...

As she sat imagining the worst case scenario, she thought of those who were now gone: her father, Hank, Erik, Raven... and so many others. Her family was lost to her.

-Xavier Mansion, 1978-

It was late at night when two figures stood on the steps of the great house. The few students that the school had were all in bed, sound asleep. Almost as soon as the knocking resonated through the main hall, the heavy wooden door was opened by none other than Hank McCoy, as if he'd been lying in wait for these men.

Though he seemed unphased by the fact that there were visitors, he was quite startled to see who they were.

"Alex? Sean?" he breathed. "But I thought..."

He hesitated in disbelief.

"We thought you were dead."

"Well, you thought wrong, man," Sean said, stepping forward to pull Hank into a hug.

As the two of them came inside, Charles's voice rang out.

"Hank, did you find out which of our old friends came to visit?" he asked, rolling around the corner.

"Um... Yeah, actually. I think you'll be surprised," Hank laughed.

A smile spread across Charles's face when caught sight of the special guests.

"Well if it isn't Havok and Banshee. It is good to see you, my friends."

Alex frowned in confusion.

"Were you expecting us?"

Charles hesitated.

"Well... We were expecting someone, just not necessarily you two."

At their puzzled expressions, Charles continued, "Come on, let's all go sit down. I have a feeling you both have more than a few questions."

Once they were all comfortable in one of the many living rooms, Alex asked, "So how did you know we were coming?"

Charles chuckled lightly.

"That bit is rather complicated, I'm afraid. You see--"

He cut himself off, noticing a small figure in the doorway.

"Jenny, what are you doing up? It's well past your bedtime, Little One."

The former X-men's attention was drawn to a little girl, who obviously a mutant. Two wings extended from behind her, making her seem even smaller in comparison.

"I'm sorry Papa, but I couldn't sleep."

Sean and Alex exchanged confused glances.

"The night visions again?" said Charles with a sympathetic expression.

The girl nodded, shyly walking into the room.

"This time was a little different..."

She went over to her father and climbed up onto his lap. Then, she acknowledged the guests for the first time.

"Oh, they came!" she smiled. "They look just like I saw. Can I see their powers?"

"Not right now, Sparrow."

She giggled at the nickname.

"Perhaps tomorrow they'll show you if you ask nicely. Now, what did you see in your dream?"

Jenny paused for a moment, then, "The man with the helmet... Erik? He was there again. He and the pretty lady needed our help."

She leaned her head against his chest.

Then with a yawn, she said, "Something big is coming, Papa. We'll be safe in the end, but there will be a cost..."

With that, the girl's eyes fluttered closed and she drifted off to sleep. Charles gently stroked her hair, placing a kiss on her forehead. Hank stood and lifted her from his arms, mindful of her delicate wings.

"I'll take her back to her room," he said softly, walking out of the room with the sleeping child

"Um... Charles?" Alex asked after a slight pause. "Is she... your kid?"

"And what was all that stuff she was saying about Erik?" Sean interjected.

The professor sighed, running a hand over his face.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning. Yes, she is mine. I didn't know about her until her mother dropped her off at our doorstep with only a letter to explain things. It seems that an organization called 'HYDRA' got their hands on some mutant DNA that happened to be mine. I still have no clue how they acquired it, but they extrapolated my genetic code and used an mutant agent of theirs to be the mother. Once the woman realized that they planned on turning the child into a weapon, she tracked me down. She erased everything they had about me from HYDRA's system, then brought Jenny to the mansion.

I never found out the woman's name... In the letter, she said, 'Don't look for me or try to find out who I am, it'll only draw them to you. I'll be dead by the time you read this anyway.' I didn't believe it at first. After all, why should I? No one could possibly have that kind of technology, except for maybe Hank. But then..."

He shook his head, staring off into space.

"It was like parental instinct, but somehow... heightened by my mutation. I can read minds, but this was different. I could feel her mind as though it was a part of mine, and I just knew.

As for her abilities, you obviously saw her wings. But, there's more to it than that. Occasionally, she gets a glimpse into the future, or into someone's past. I don't think she even realizes she's doing it sometimes. This morning, she mentioned that we'd be visited by some old friends."

"That was why you were expecting us..." Sean realized.

Charles nodded in confirmation.

"So all that about Erik..." Alex trailed off.

The professor looked grim.

"Something big is coming..."