"Orphaned"
by Bull (Sandkings)

Twelve year old Lucas Allen was something of an outcast at the Hull House Orphanage. Having spent most of his remembered years at the orphanage, Lucas knew just about all the ropes, yet he was happy just to spend time by himself in quiet seclusion. An active boy, Lucas took great pleasure in running and having a good time, but he also liked distancing himself from most of his peers. He had seen many come in go in the years he had been in Orloo, Canada. So many, in fact, that he was tired of putting forth the effort to make friends when they would only leave or "Break Out" with another family. Not that he was introverted, he just did not like losing friends one after another.

As a baseball game was going on outside, Lucas was knee deep in the story of Captain Long John Silver. He spent hours and hours reading. He loved books and used them as an escape to the outside world of Canada. He could normally drown out the laughter outside his window easily enough, but today was different. His wind was distracted and Pirate's treasure was not on the menu. Sighing, Lucas put down the book and looked outside. About twelve of the Hull House orphans were playing outside in the cool summer air. Lucas almost had an image of himself joining the game, but the spark quickly passed when there came a knock at the door. Lucas smiled as a young orderly cracked open the door.

Lucas Allen did not remember his parents. In fact, he hardly remembered some of the workers that came and went from the orphanage. Most were in college and were using the orphanage for a project or service. There were a few that were different. Some were friendly enough, but Lucas was happy to stay in his room. He really did not seek any human interaction, which was strange for a twelve year old boy. At first, when Lucas had withdrawn into the confines of his own room, the attendants had been concerned. They brought in a doctor to talk to Lucas, but it was quickly discovered that he had no real emotional problems. He just liked to be alone. Once he had convinced the staff and his peers of this, Lucas had found happiness. Other than the occasional headache from reading too long or the whispered words from newbies, Lucas enjoyed his life.

That life of solitude was interrupted about two weeks ago when a new attendant had started working at Hull House. The first time Lucas saw him, he had caught the orderly starring at him. It had been in the cafeteria where Lucas had been sitting alone at a table reading a book. When he looked up over his spoonful of Jell-O, he had seen a young man near the doors looking at him. Lucas guessed he was in his late teens or early twenties. In fact, some of the older members of Hull House looked about his age. Yet, this guy was wearing the blue staff jacket that made him stand out as an attendant. Lucas had quickly looked back to his book, but glanced up to see if the man was still looking at him. He held his breath when he saw that the attendant was approaching him.

"Mind if I join you?" The man asked Lucas as he sat his tray down.

"Most of the staff usually eats in the other dining room" Lucas said as he returned to his book.

"Maybe, but I thought I'd eat in here." The young man said as he sat down. "Hey! Is that Jell-O? I like Jell-O."

Lucas had tried to force a smile as he continued to read his book.

After their first meeting at the cafeteria, Lucas had discovered that the attendants name was Pete. He was only in his late teens and had grown up as an orphan himself. At first, Lucas had tried to pay as little attention to Pete as he could, hoping to retain his solitude, but Pete had been adamant about trying to break Lucas out of his shell. The two started to talk over the last two weeks and soon, Lucas discovered that, despite his attempts at staying quiet, he had a friend. It was not unusual for the staff and kids to be friendly. Most of the personnel thought of themselves as minor psychologists, but Pete was different. In fact, he was more like a kid than any adult he had ever known. He made the same crude jokes that Lucas made when they were alone and he always giggled when Lucas said a dirty word. Although he still loved his quite lifestyle, Lucas started looking forward to Pete's visits.

"Hey hey, bookworm" Pete said as he popped his head into Lucas' room.

Lucas set Treasure Island aside and waved for Pete to come in. "Hey, retard," he joked as he rubbed his temples.

"It isn't nice to call people names." Pete said with a smile. "Another headache?"

"Yeah, this one is pretty bad too." Lucas said as he grabbed a bottle of Advil beside his bed. He popped two of the pills into his mouth and tossed the empty can aside.

"I must have read your mind." Pete said as he produced a fresh bottle from his jacket. "I snagged these from the closet just five minutes ago."

"So, what is up?" Lucas asked as he stood up.

"I saw you weren't playing baseball with the others. Figured you were reading."

"Yeah. You know me." Lucas said. "Not a big baseball fan."

"Ever seen a real game?" Pete asked with a smile.

"Nah. But I did see a few guys play ball here like they were pros. We had one guy here about a year ago that could hit like Mark McGuire. Turns out he was a mutant and went off and joined Alpha Flight."

"The superhero team?" Pete said with awe. "Woah, cool."

"I guess. Everyone who knew him said he was a real ass though" Lucas said.

Pete giggled. "So he was a mutant, eh?"

"Ayep. I never really knew him 'cause he was so much older than me, but he could hit a baseball like no other."

"Because he was a mutant?" Pete asked.

"Oh no, he could create force fields or something like that. He and his brother were both mutants. They both work with Beta Flight now."

"Never even heard of it." Pete said.

"And you call yourself a Canadian?" Lucas said with a smile.

"Hey now, I am no Canadian!" Pete answered quickly. "So, what do you think of mutants, Lucas?"

"I dunno. They're pretty cool I guess. I always wanted to fly like Northstar does. He is pretty cool."

"Yeah, flying is cool. I bet you are a mutant."

"What?" Lucas asked as he put on his glasses.

"Sure, your power is to be smelly. You need a Tic-Tac." Pete said with a laugh.

The two talked for a bit longer before Pete had to get back to work. Lucas once again looked out the window and wondered what it would be like to fly. It had always been a neat fantasy. What normal person hasn't ever thought about flying at some point. And yet, Lucas had never even been on a plane. He returned to his book with thoughts about soaring through the clouds on his mind.

Pete walked out of Lucas' room and went straight downstairs. He did not stop to say hello to any of the kids he passed. If he had, they may have looked at him strange. Most of Hull House had seen Lucas and Pete talking over the last two weeks, but none of the other Orphans had even talked to the young man. They all thought he was just as strange as the quiet kid. Pete didn't seem to care. He was to busy in his own thoughts to even pay attention. In fact, he was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't see the two men walking towards him until he bumped into the shortest of the two.

"Better watch where you are going, Bub." The other man said to Pete.

Pete looked up and felt a chill run down his back. The two men standing before him were much shorter than himself, but they stood as if they were giants. The shortest of the two was well known in Hull House. After all, he had worked there for some time. The taller of the two was the one that Pete was more concerned with. The guy with the sideburns seemed to be sniffing him as he looked deep into his eyes. Pete quickly looked away.

"Cool it, Logan. No harm done." Eugene Judd said. "I am guessing this guy was thinking about something else. And by the look in his eyes, I am betting it is a woman, eh?"

"Uh...Yes sir." Pete stammered as the hero known as Puck smiled at him. "As a matter a fact, I am."

"Do I know you?" The gruff one said suddenly. "I could swear I know you."

"Nope. I don't think we've ever met...Sir."

"Interesting." The one named Logan said. "I never forget a face."

"Ah, come on, Logan. Let's get going. I want to get a beer after this." Puck said. "Leave the guy to his flights of fancy, eh?"

Logan took one last look at Pete and walked away. Pete breathed out a sigh of relief and started towards the door. He had much to think about after this meeting and there was someone who would be very interested in this meeting. Peter started to whistle as he walked out the backdoor and into the woods that bordered Hull House.

He took his time to wind through the woods, but his goal was very clear to him. Before long, Pete saw the sun reflecting off the metal hull of the ship. He walked to the door of a small craft that was well hidden in the Orloo woods. The door opened without any command from Pete. He walked up the ramp and entered the craft. Inside, the air was much warmer than the Canadian forest provided. Pete was still unused to the temperature changes he felt. Normally, he stayed the same temperature all the time, but ever since he had come to Hull House, he felt the changes. Now that he was "home", he needed to change so that he could feel comfortable.

He entered a small room filled with wires and gadgets that he himself did not understand. They mattered little to him. He was never the smart one. He was the muscles and he knew it. In fact, he loved it. Ever since he could remember, he loved the feel of hurting people. Making others suffer was his goal. As he put on his suit, Pete knew that she would be happy. Things were going well here in Orloo. Sure, Wolverine and Puck were here, but that was expected. He had not planned on seeing them up-close and personal like the meeting in Hull House, but he knew they would come. After all, they were after the same thing.

Pete finished putting on the purple armor that defined his persona and stepped back into the main hall of the ship. He adjusted his helmet as a soft voice came from behind him.

"Welcome home, Peter."

"Thanks!" Pete said. "I saw Wolverine today."

"So, they have come." the voice said. "I knew they would. They are after our precious, precious child."

"Yeah, I know! They can't have him, though. He is my friend!"

"More than that, Peter. He will be your brother. He is a powerful one, is he not?"

"Yes'um." Peter nodded. "The buttons were blinking like Rudolph today. Some of them were even red!"

"Oh my." The woman's voice said. "So precious. Well, we will have to stop Wolverine and his little friend then, won't we Peter?"

"Yeah! I can beat him. Ever since we lost Stormy, I wanted to show you how strong I am."

"Well, my Orphan Maker, you will get your chance to prove yourself to Nanny very very soon."

Part two coming soon!