"I feel like a hoser. No, not even that, I feel like a Joanie."

Ruth looked down at her suit, sighing. Charles had insisted they wear their suits, despite going out in broad daylight.

"We're all doing it, so it's not that bad," Jubilee said, "We'll just look like a group doing something."

"Yeah. Being hosers." Ruth crossed her arms, shuddering at a gust of cold air from the vent in Charles' room.

"Let it go," Scott said, changing into his visor, "We have to."

Ruth raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you follow the rules? Didn't you steal a car?"

He lifted his head to look at her. "Since we've never been on an actual mission before. And yes, I did steal that car. But you won't let me claim my bad boy reputation without calling me a Dexter."

She snapped her fingers, pointing at him. "Dexter!"

He groaned and walked over to Jean who was struggling to put up her hair, despite being telekinetic.

Ruth made her way to Kurt who was bamfing around the room nervously, frowning.

"Chill out, Boy Scout," she said, "You okay?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm just nervous is all."

She tilted her head forward. "That's understandable, but try to calm down. We'll find him. I think. Do we know where he even is?"

Kurt nodded earnestly. "Yes! He is staying in an abandoned building a few miles from the lab." A dark look passed over his face and his voice grew quiet. "It is where his father placed him for the week after they cut off his wings."

Ruth froze, staring at the other mutant in shock. "They cut off his wings? But you said he had feathery ones in the cage fight."

Kurt nodded once again. "He did. The wings always grew back. That is why he had to keep moving from boarding schools. At the end of the year, people would start to suspect." A sad look passed over him. "Ororo said his wings did not grow back when she found him. I had ruined him."

Ruth shook her head, putting a hand on his arm. "Hey. Hey, no, that wasn't your fault. You were just doing what you had to, don't blame yourself."

He nodded. "I still feel terrible. I still hurt him."

Ruth bit her lip. She knew there was no talking him out of his mindset, she had been trying on herself for months. "Well, we're going to make things right. I trust you'll try?"

She was sure he hurt his neck with how furious his nodding was. She smiled and patted his arm. She had faith he would get through to him; no one could resist Kurt Wagner.

"Alright, children."

The group turned to see the adults, sans Peter, clad in civilian clothes. Charles nodded at each of them, then took a deep breath.

"Let's save Warren."

º º º º º

Ruth looked around, still shaken from being bamfed away. She was in a forest of sorts, a large building to her right a ways down a hill, secluded and inconspicuous.

"That's the lab," Jean explained. "They're going to head through the front door, the same way they had the first time. Let's go."

The group made their way through the trees, Scott leading with Jean, stopping a ways away from a smaller building.

It looked like a large cottage, but a sleek, industrial kind. All white with no windows and a small door that seemed to be bolted shut.

"Worthington stuck his son in there. After he chopped off his wings." Scott spat, hands clenched into fists. Ruth found herself growing just as angry.

Jean put a hand on his shoulder. "Focus, Scott. Worthington's not here now, we're not here to see him."

The group continued forward, looking around the building. They weren't debriefed on how to get inside.

They looked at Kurt who shook his head. "If I just appear there, he will get upset."

So they searched. Peter ran around the perimeter, letting them know that there wasn't a hidden separate entrance they had to go through to get into the building.

Scott played with the edge of his visor, trying not to blast his way inside. Jubilee and Ororo's hands sparked, also trying to resist their urges to burst inside.

"Jean, can you feel him?" Ruth asked, sitting on the grass.

Jean shook her head. "I'm not sure. This building...it's lined with the same thing from the plane we were taken in, I can't see inside."

Ruth groaned. "Atticus told me of a guy that experimented on mutants. He took his brother. Maybe they know each other?"

"Trask," Peter said, stopping next to her. She looked up at him, questioningly. He waved his hand. "The guy that made the sentinels ten years ago. Raven told me he was experimenting on mutants."

Ruth shuddered. "Don't tell Atticus. Ever." She couldn't imagine what it would feel like to know that your parents sold off your brother to be tortured.

"How could he have gotten in?" Scott mused to himself, "He has a bad set of wings and is probably hurt and this is a reinforced fortress in the middle of a forest."

Jubilee tapped the door. "It's not a real door. It's fake. The lock won't be able to open and the hinges were just attached afterwards." It was scary how she knew that, but then again, she was an Olympic-level gymnast who shoplifted on rollerblades.

Kurt hummed from his position on the roof. "Maybe there is a secret door. One that is hidden."

Peter frowned. "What, should I just tap every part of the building and hope I hear something weird?"

Scott shook his head. "It would have to be something clever, but easy enough to find in a rush."

Ruth tilted her head, staring at the building. "What's its shape?"

"What?" Jean asked, turning to look at her.

"It's shape," Ruth repeated, "It's shaped weird. Like it's supposed to look like something...hold on."

She focused on her wings, willing them to appear. It had taken her extensive training with Alex and Erik to get her to be able to make them appear, but even then it took a good few minutes.

Finally, she felt the wings push through her skin, sliding through the slits in her suit.

She flew up above the building, trying to stay lower than the trees. She stayed in the air, staring down at the building. It took her a few minutes to figure out what it was in the shape of.

"It's a fucking 'W'!" she called down. "Here, I know where the door is."

She led them to the most tapered part of the building, where a door couldn't be. Or rather, shouldn't.

"It's here," she said, "From the top you could see some discoloration on the grass beneath it."

Scott nodded. "Nice, Ruth. But how do we get in?" He looked at Ororo and Jubilee who were clasping their hands together, shaking their heads. He shook his head as well, tapping his visor.

"Try burning it open, Ruth," Peter suggested. They weren't to use codenames until they got inside.

Ruth frowned, lighting her finger like a blowtorch. She reached out towards the tapered wall, waving it around. She fluctuated the heat, willing the flame to rise and fall.

The door slid open. It was heat sensored. She wondered how Warren was able to get in.

Scott walked in first, motioning for his team to follow. The group stayed in the doorway, looking down the two hallways.

"Jean, can you feel where he is?" Scott mumbled, so quiet they could barely hear him.

She shook her head. "The walls. I need to be in the same room as him."

The group looked at Peter who nodded, pulling his goggles down over his eyes. He took off, reappearing a moment later, trying not to make too much sound.

"He's down there. Crying." He pointed down the left hall. "He's in a room and there's a piece of the wall made of glass so that people can see through it."

Jubilee frowned. "It's like those rooms used to watch over patients in the hospital."

"He was just another test subject," Scott growled, "Only difference was he was the owner's kid so he got his own place." He looked at Kurt who looked like he was about to be sick. "Stay strong, bud, we can't lose it now."

He led the group down the hall, Jean hiding them from sight. They all stopped in front of the glass, looking inwards.

Warren Worthington III was beautiful. He really was. He was the most terrifying, pathetic beautiful Ruth had ever seen.

His hair looked odd, shaved a certain way, but it was beginning to grow out. There looked to be some tattoos gliding across his face and neck, but they seemed to be fading. He was without a shirt which he didn't look too bad without.

But what caught her attention most was his wings. Large, extending wings, larger than hers. But there was something wrong. His wings seemed to be mutilated. A mix of metal with white feathers poking in between.

It was the most painful beautiful Ruth had ever seen. Because even though the wings looked marvelous, there was a hint of destruction to them. Pain. Anger.

"Engel," Kurt whispered, placing his hand on the glass.

The boy looked up and everyone reeled back.

"What the fuck?" he shouted, jumping up.

Jean shook her head at the others, pointing solely to Kurt; he had broken through, so he was the only one Warren could see.

The group walked backwards slowly, watching the scene carefully. Warren was walking out of the room, eyes never leaving Kurt, his expression one of disbelief and shock. Kurt stood his ground, albeit nervously, following Warren's movements.

"What are you doing here?" Warren demanded, stepping forward. Kurt took a step back, shaking.

"I-I c-came h-here t-t-to help you," Kurt stuttered, his tail whipping back and forth.

"What?" Warren demanded, "What, y-y-you think. You can just follow me around, trying to make up for what you did? You destroyed me!"

"I'm sorry!" Kurt shouted. He had never raised his voice or sounded so upset. "I'm sorry! I did not mean to! I am sorry I hurt you, but I want to make it right, let me help you!" He started fading in and out of his native German, his tail whipping back and forth erratically.

Warren grabbed Kurt by the shoulders and shoved him against the wall, making the group jump.

Jubilee started forward, but Ruth grabbed her arm, shaking her head. She gave a warning look to everyone else.

Kurt didn't move. He didn't bamf away. He merely stood there, letting himself be trapped. He looked terrified, but trusting.

"I could just kill you right now," Warren growled, his wings growing dangerously close to the taller mutant. He stared at Kurt for nearly two minutes before growling, shoving him against the wall and stepping away. "Dammit."

The group sighed with relief, thankfully, still hidden.

"Leave," Warren spat, his back to Kurt.

"But, Warren," Kurt started, stepping forward.

"I said leave!" Warren bellowed, whirling around, stepping into Kurt's space. "Don't say that name! Leave me alone!"

"Let me help you!" Kurt argued, voice soft, but firm. "I came all this way, let me help you!"

Warren laughed bitterly. "How could you possibly help me?"

Kurt stepped forward, more brave. "Come with me. There is a school, they can help yo—"

"No one can help me," Warren snapped, "My own parents couldn't help me." He gestured towards his wings, "They cut them off and they always grew back. Except for when you burned them."

Kurt looked at him pleadingly. "I am sorry. I will forever be sorry. But there, they can help you. Your wings, they hurt, yes?"

Warren shook his head. "Nothing I can't handle."

The group looked at the room he had just been in. They found syringes on a tray and bloody towels.

"Painkillers," Jean explained silently, "His feathers aren't growing out right and they're hurting him, so he has to pull some out. He's in pain."

Kurt shook his head, having been informed as well. "Let me help you. Let us help you. I understand it is hard—"

"You don't understand," Warren spat.

Kurt seemed to harden. "I was in the circus my whole life, Warren. Some treated me like family, but most treated me like an animal. I lived in a cage until they finally grew to like me enough to let me sleep on the hay. I understand it's hard."

"You don't understand what it's like to be treated like me," Warren argued, "To have your own parents call you a freak, you don't know what that's like! You don't know what it's like to be hated and hate everyone! And no one at your fucking school does either."

Scott perked up at the last part, nudging Ruth. She looked up at him and nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I wouldn't be so sure..." she said, stepping forward from behind the turn; she couldn't give everyone else away.

"Who the fuck are you?" Warren demanded.

She gave him a little wave, mimicking Jubilee's. "Hi, I'm Ruth. And I happen to know what you're talking about all too well."

He scoffed. "Right. What, someone give you a weird look 'cause of your wings? I've had mine cut off."

She frowned, then remembered her wings. The fear for Kurt must have made them stay.

"Oh, this," she said, "These aren't uh...I'm mean..." she lit up her hand and hair, "It's hard to explain, my thing is hidden."

Warren snorted. "Then how could you possibly understand what I'm going through. Oh wait, you can't. Just like I fucking said." He gave Kurt a pointed look.

"No..." Ruth drawled, growing frustrated, "Because I've been called a freak more times than people have said my real name and it's not because of my mutation, buddy, it's because of the skin color of my parents. It's because I was weird. I didn't know I was a mutant until I burned my best friend alive, so I know what it's like to be that angry and I know what it's like to hate myself. I also know what it's like to have my parents look at me like I'm an abomination, so there's that."

She shrugged, staring at the boy sadly. He looked so angry. She wondered if she looked like that a lot.

He turned away from her, focusing his attention on Kurt. "I'm not going with you. You'll just go on about how everything's going to get better and all that bullshit."

Kurt shook his head. "I won't if you ask me to. It does get better, but I won't say it if it bothers you."

Warren shook his head, looking shocked. "You're just another stuck-up little shit."

Kurt was quick to answer. "And you're just another child with parental issues, so stop whining and just come with us."

The others weren't sure whether to laugh, cry, or cheer.

Warren laughed slightly, in some form of disbelief. "I could just kill you right now"

The group stiffened, taking a step forward.

Kurt raised his chin, despite being taller. "Then try."

Ruth started forward, but was pulled back by Peter who hid quickly, making sure he wasn't seen as he restrained her.

The group watched from the turn as Warren raised his wings dangerously close to Kurt's throat. The blue mutant just stood there, unflinching. He'd never looked more sure. They'd never been more proud.

Warren sighed, shoulders drooping, wings sagging. "Fuck you. Buy me dinner before we leave, I'll grab my things."

They all watched, shocked, as he made his way down the hall, a door opening and closing.

"What in the name of gumdrops just happened?" Jubilee whispered.

"I think Kurt got through to him," Ruth replied, "Ro, Jean, what do you think?"

Ororo looked pensive. "I agree. There was something in his eyes. I think it was trust."

"He doesn't trust us," Jean said. "Warren. He doesn't trust the school or any of us. But he was willing to trust Kurt, that was obvious. He's still angry with him. He's also terrified."

"I can relate to that," Ruth commented. "Scott, what do we do now?"

Scott shrugged. "Get Warren and go home, I guess. Find the others."

Warren returned just a few moments later, a small bag in his hands. He nodded stiffly, looking at the building around him.

"I'm going to do something first, so get back," he said, glaring the others who had revealed themselves to him.

They took a few steps back, jumping and screaming as he broke the glass with his wings, punching the remaining shards until the entire wall was open.

They rushed after him as he ran down the hall, doing the same with every other room.

They followed him out of the building, onto the gross, fearing for their lives and for his safety, staring at the shards poking out of his hands.

He turned around to look at them. He was smiling.

Then there came the explosion.

º º º º º

The Summers brothers were the stupidest people alive. A novel by Hank McCoy and Ruth Dakin.

That was the thought running through the minds of the two as they rushed after their respective brother, screaming at them to stop.

"Alex!" Hank shouted, trying to get him out of the building he had just blown up.

"Scott!" Ruth screamed, chasing after him as he made his way towards the burning building.

"We got everyone out and you have everything you need," Alex argued, letting himself be dragged out.

"You didn't have to blow the place up!" Hank growled, pushing his way through the wreckage, feeling himself start to turn blue.

"Alex is still stuck in there, he's not with them!" Scott shouted back, pointing at the adults who were standing to the side, away from the scientists clad in white.

"So what, you're going to jump in the burning building?" Ruth demanded, trying not to fall as she chased her boyfriend down the hill.

"Yeah! I will!" Scott cried.

"Yeah! I did!" Alex argued.

Hank and Ruth groaned in unison; the Summers brothers were the stupidest people to ever live.

Ruth tackled Scott to the ground, pointing towards two figures making their way out of the building. Alex and Hank.

They made their way towards them—or rather to the rest of the group as that was where the two were going—and reached them just in time to hear Hank scream, "You're a fucking idiot!" before grabbing Alex and kissing him.

"Hank has blue hair," Ruth whispered.

"Hank is kissing my brother!" Scott hissed, throwing his hands up in the air.

She patted his shoulder. "I know. I see."

Alex pulled away, grinning. "Took you long enough, Bozo."

Hank, still looking murderous, his hair blue, growled. "I hate you."

Alex rocked back and forth on his heels, singing, "You love me."

Hank pushed his face away, trying not to smile. "We should go, the police are coming."

Everyone grabbed ahold of Kurt, not wanting to risk going in smaller groups. They all looked at Warren who stared, frowning.

Kurt held out his hand. "It will be okay. Or it will not, whichever you prefer."

Warren snorted, taking the boy's hand. "I don't give two shits, Smurf."

Alex grinned. "A new era begins."

º º º º º

Kurt had bamfed them to the Jones' house. Ruth wasn't complaining.

They had given Mrs. Jones one hell of a fright, but other than that, everything went well.

Introductions were made, Warren being curt and slightly rude, glancing at Ororo and Erik every so often. But he was fine.

"Is Bobby still here?" Ruth asked, looking at the gate leading to her house. It was finally allowed to be hers again. Not, her parents' house. Her house. With her parents.

"No, they were only staying for a week. Your parents took them to the airport," Mrs. Jones said, putting a hand on her arm.

Ruth nodded simply, letting her keep her arm there. "Alright."

The group stayed at the Jones' until dark. They had a lot to talk about.

Warren told them how he had returned to California and how he managed to stay alive; he had given them a good amount of detail which surprised them.

Erik pulled out the files they had swiped from the lab, Hank and Raven explaining their findings with ease, their words melding together to create a mortifying story of the goings-on in that lab.

Kurt had wrapped his tail around Warren's leg at that point. The latter didn't push him away.

They had stayed for dinner as well. Ruth nearly cried when Mrs. Jones brought out steak; she and Lionel loved it when there were important events because that meant steak.

"It's okay, honey," Mrs. Jones whispered, pulling her into a hug. "It's okay."

Ruth's parents joined them halfway through, just stepping into the dining room, introducing themselves to the other adults, sitting down. Her dad eyed them carefully, but made no comment.

Ruth stared at the group as she sipped her soda; it wasn't her favorite, but it was Lionel's so she accepted it.

Her parents were sitting with Lionel's. That wasn't new. But Lionel wasn't sitting across from her. She would have to learn to live with that.

She was no longer sitting with the small group she called a family. She wasn't sitting with the large group she had come to know as home.

She was sitting with the people that she had relied on. That taught her. That shaped her. That made her laugh and cry. That made her angry, scared, and happy.

Lionel might not be with her, but she had them to help her be okay with that.

She watched them interact.

Ororo and Jubilee talking with her mom and Mrs. Jones.

Jean and Kurt listening to Mr. Jones tell a story.

Charles, Hank, and Erik having a discussion with her father while Alex made commentary to lighten the mood.

Raven being coaxed into a conversation with Peter and Mr. Jones about music.

Warren blushing as her mom and Mrs. Jones complimented his wings.

Scott nearly choking when her dad began interrogating him.

She smiled. She could be okay with this.

º º º º º

The group had to leave. Of course they had to leave. With Warren in tow, they were planning to leave the next day.

"Thank you so much for the dinner and letting us stay," Charles said, shaking hands with the Jones'. He turned to Ruth's parents. "Your daughter truly is remarkable."

"We know," her dad said proudly. "She's my daughter after all." Her mom laughed loudly and he deflated, looking shocked.

"We should get back to the hotel," Erik said, "It's already dark."

The group made their way out, saying their thank you's and goodbye's.

Ruth hung back. She stared at her parents. She couldn't stay with them, they had made that much clear. She didn't want to go up to her room, she didn't want to take anything; she wanted to keep it her room.

She looked at the Jones', eyes trailing towards the back door. "Can I...?"

Mrs. Jones nodded. "I'll let your friends know. Do you want to get the pillow and blanket or should I?"

Ruth shook her head. "I've got it. Thank you."

She made her way up the stairs, stopping in front of Lionel's door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it.

It was the exact same as when she had left it all those months ago. She hadn't dared come back after what she had done, back before she was arrested.

She smiled at her drawer, at the pictures he had on the top of his dresser. There was one of just the two of them, eating ice cream in what was soon to be Lionel's tree house. She had a vanilla ice cream in her hands.

She grabbed a pillow and a blanket, the one she always grabbed when they went out to stay there.

As she left, she took the picture. It would be the only thing of his she would take. Because it was also hers.

She made her way to the tree house, her heart pounding. She had to do this.

She climbed up the way they always did, disregarding the ladder. She looked around at the always empty room, placing her pillow and blanket where she always did.

She placed the picture next to her, where Lionel always stayed.

She settled in, staring at the picture for the longest time. Finally, she spoke.

"I miss you," she whispered, just as she always did when they stayed up late. "I really do."

After a few minutes, she continued. "I always came to you when I was scared, but now you're not here. Ever since I got back, I'm getting that weird feeling again. Like someone's watching me. The ghost-feeling. You know the one.

"I think that's you, Lionel. I think you're trying to tell me something. I'm sorry I ran away, but you should've known better than breathing near my ear.

"If it was you, I'm guessing you saw Scott. That's probably why it didn't happen again, you got upset.

"Scott he's...he's great. If you were still around, you heard our little conversation. I don't know what to do Lionel. I don't think I can do anything."

The picture was silent. The room was silent.

"I really like it at the mansion," she said. "I love it there. I love my friends."

Again, it was silent.

"I think I'll be okay without, Lion," she said, tearing up. "I-I think I finally will be."

She swallowed thickly. "I-It won't be the same, obviously, but I'll have to go on, right? You'd want me to do that. And hey, as cheesy as it is, I'll always have you here." She motioned to her necklace that was resting over her heart.

She sniffed, smiling. "I love you. And...I think I'll be okay."

She allowed herself to close her eyes. "I'm going to be okay."

A breeze wafted in, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. Ruth smiled. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't angry.

She was okay.

a/n ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JULY 28, 2016 BUT UPDATED TO CHANGE THE GIF UP TOP

4379 words. Yeah. That's what happened. (Also, WHERE HAS THAT GIF BEEN ALL MY LIFE IT'S A PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF RUTH LIKE)

I had originally planned for this to be put into two separate chapters, but I felt like this was better because then I would've had to add unnecessary points which would have lengthened the book.

So...we have Warren! Yay! There will be more character development for him in the second book, but at least the primary goal of this entire fic has been reached!

For this wondering, this is the last chapter. The epilogue will be out tomorrow, so fear not! There will also be a little afterword chapter explaining what will go on from there, so please read that!

Thanks for reading (really. Thank you for sticking around to read this story, it honestly means the world to me) and I hope you enjoyed (all of it).