Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Arkady has had plenty of time to explore. Traveling the island while trying to ignore this body he doesn't yet see as truly his own. 

Its a strange place, a place he thinks he could enjoy, if only he would let himself. if only he could stop seeing everything as survival. See it as living. 

Hes only been able to do that once really, letting everything fall and just exist for a while. Sleeping for days because he didn't feel so high-strung. 

Maybe he could do that here? 

He doesn't know. 

But he does know that the loneliness drags after awhile. He'd like to talk, but he isn't sure how. 

Not that it's ever stopped Domino. 

Neena found him yesterday, hiding in a hard to reach little plot of land on the north end of the island. It was colder, even snowed sometimes. It felt more like home than anything. Arkady tried to find a way to thank Krakoa for it. 

But, Neena had found him and welcomed herself right in. She was careful of course, but she came with a gift. 

"Kotik?" Arkady mumbles, but he isn't wrong, and it brings a smile to his face, his little tiger is older now. But she'll always be his little kitten. 

Kotik tumbles into his arms, purring like thunder, so excited shes wiggling around. 

"I kept an eye on her. Little sweetie." Neena said, Arkady nods. Not offering more than the small curl of an almost-smile. 

She looks at the outside of his little place. Something small he had built by hand the past week or two. 

Somebody told him once distraction was the key to keeping dark things put away. Put in their place. 

Whatever. 

"Its nice. In a rustic way. Could use some paint though." She walks past him on the porch and taps the door, "I like the blue. It's very you somehow." Arkady shrugs and stands, Kotik in his arms like a baby. 

"I like blue. I think." He twirls a coil over Kotik's face and the cat purrs, slaps at it with her paw. 

"Why are you here?" Arkady said, Neena shrugs. 

"Kitten is expensive, I was bored, and I sort of missed you?" She said. All at omce, Arkady huffs. Kotik laps her rough tongue across his face. 

"It's Kotik." 

"It means the same thing." She said. She spins and sits on the steps, "you should come to the Blue Lagoon. Blob's actually really good at this shit. Was not expecting it. Makes you wonder why he even became a supervillian in the first place. He gave me the best blue Hawaiian ever." She gets tired of patting the step beside her and waiting for him to sit down and grabs his jeans. Yanks him and Arkady lets her, he scowls and Kotik climbs from his lap. 

"I may live on this island, but they are not my people." Arkady said, he crosses his arms and stares out past the grass, past the cliffs, past the beach nearby, out across the water. 

Domino baby talks Kotik until she lays next to her to get petted, then Neena sighs. 

"A man without a place. Without a purpose, huh? Yeah. Me too. Don't have a home country, not really. So that's Krakoa now. The purpose thing?" She leans farther back, her free arm stretched behind her to hold her weight. "X-force.  Ths same shit we used to do. The X-men's little secret task force." She grins at him and Arkady grunts and grumbles. 

"X-men-" he spits. Neena pats his leg, 

"Okay then. Make some friends. Get a hobby!" She stands and holds her arms out towards him, "I'll visit all the time of course, gotta see the kitten, and no matter what you think; we're friends. Have been for awhile. Always will be. Hopefully." She shrugs and drops her arms to her sides. 

Arkady huffs and stands up with a groan, 

"Okay." He mumbles. Neena grins and goes to hug him, but he puts his hand on her forehead and holds her away. "No." He said. He reaches out with a coil to open the door and wanders inside, but even the slam of the door doesn't deter Domino. 

"See you later!" She yells, she hears him huff again. 

—--------------------

Neena is true to her word, dropping by at any and every time, 

Today's visit is around lunch, bursting through the door while Arkady is making lunch while sliding handfuls of food to Kotik. 

He's unphased. 

He glances over his shoulder to see the blood coating her side, the hilt of an entire sword sticking out next to her hip. Arkady hums and turns to wash his hands. 

"Sit." He said. 

Neena sits. 

She peels her shredded shirt off and Arkady kneels down next to her to get a better look, he huffs and reaches a coil to pull the first-aid kit he had from the counter. He had originally put it in a cabinet. But he, mostly Kotik really, had needed it more than he thought. 

"Mystique and I had a chat today," she said, waiting for him to say something but all he does is work faster to yank the sword out and stitch her back together, she les out a yelp of pain when he pulls the sword from it's spot in her side, but continues to talk a second after, "She wanted to know what you were up to." 

"Nosey." 

Neena laughs, and it hurts her but she doesn't stop. 

"Yeah she is. She wanted to know what you were up to, which-" Neena waves her hand in the air in a so-so motion, "-probably for sinister reasons. But it's a good question. So what are you up to? Other than playing Halmark movie with Kitten." 

" Kotik," he said. Arkady shakes his head and pulls the second to last stitch harder then he needed to, the yelp he hears is more than enough payback. For today. 

"Answer the question." Neena said. He ignores her, until she sighs and cradles his face in her hands. And he would hate it, everything in his mind says to push her away, throw her, throttle her, drain her and leave the husk behind, 

But its so nice to be held. 

"We both know its not good for you to be alone. Listen Red…nobody knows you. I sure don't, but I know more than most people. Weapon x-force and all that. So I know enough to say you need fucking friends.  Even if it's someone else from the old team!" She said. Arkady sighs and shakes his head, he stands and goes to wash his hands again. He scrubs so hard it isn't just her blood staining his kitchen sink-nothing new. 

"Does not matter." He mumbles. 

"Hey," Neena grabs his arm and he bristles, pushes her away with a glare. "Okay-" she holds her hands up, "it does matter. You matter, you know that?" 

Red slams his hands on the counter, closing his eyes, 

"How can I matter if I do not know who I am?" 

He sort of hisses when she tries to touch him again, turning to glare. Dig his eyes into her. 

"I am nothing." Neena tries to speak, really she does, but Red twirls a coil around her head over her mouth, "Leave Neena." He said. She nods and once he let's go she rushes for the door. 

—-----------------

She shows up again. 

Unafraid and loud. Ever weird and confident in the face of danger. 

It's hard not to smile when he sees her from the window, that confidence is part of why he likes her, but he can't. He turns away from the window to go pretend he isn't here but before he can she's knocking on the door yelling, 

"I already saw you Red, come on." 

" Nyet"  

"Yes, this is important come on! I wouldn't be here so soon again if it wasn't!" She slams on the door again and finally Arkady opens it, 

"Speak." 

"So after the Hellions mess Kyle got put who knows where because the powers that be refuse to let him roam around free. Say he's to dangerous. But I don't think they're treating him right. I would go check but I can't. They'll stop me, they'll lie to me. They won't do that to you. Xavier is trying to win your approval or something so I need you to check on Kyle." She lets out a heavy breath and smiles up at him. Arkady doesn't respond for a few seconds, after tilting his head and mumbling something to himself. 

"Who is Kyle?" He said, Neena huffs and walks right past him. He doesn't try to stop her, rather he follows after her as she sits on the couch next to a snoozing Kotik. 

"Victor's kid. Not that he'll ever admit it. Kyle looks just like him, acts just like him, his mutation is so similar. He's his kid. But Kyle just," she waves her hands and sighs trying to find the word. Arkady knows the feeling. "So much more feral . Somebody has to be in charge of him. He has to be told what to do but Victor's in the pit. he won't listen to anyone else. Not after Psylocke left." 

Neena ruffles the fur on kotiks head. 

"Why would he listen to me? Why should I care?" Arkady crosses his arms. 

"Arkady Rossovich you told me you didn't want to just be a weapon anymore. That that's why you're still on the island." Arkady grumbles and Neena stands up to grab his shirt in both her hands. "That boy does not have a choice and every time I've tried to help him I've been denied. You can go and make sure he's okay Arkady. You want to be a good guy then be a fucking good guy and help that fucking kid!" She spits it out and lets go of him. 

"Kyle doesn't deserve to suffer just because nobody understands his mutation Arkasha. Now you get on your fucking feet and go fucking get that kid!" Neena let go of him and stuck a hand in her hair. Tugging until she calmed down some. 

She glances down at him, 

"I'm sorry I should have asked before I used your diminutives." She shakes her head and flops onto the couch to hug Kotik. "Go get the kid you fucking ass." She said. 

Arkady pats her back with a hum and finally stands up. 

—--------------------

Neena was right, nobody really did anything to stop Arkady. Or even tell him he probably shouldn't be there. Whether it was fear or orders to be nice in the hopes he would play nice in return he doesn't know. Doesn't know or care . 

He knows the healing gardens well enough to find the place Domino was talking about. Not that he hadn't already been making a mental map of the island, you can take the job away from the spy but you can't make him shake off old habits. He isn't sure if he could if he tried anyway. 

Arkady moves in silence, and Armor doesn't notice he's there. It was only her at the moment and while she was strong she couldn't bear Arkady on her own. 

But he shakes his head, play nice for now. 

She finally looks up from her book and screams, half a second later she schools herself enough to talk. 

"Omega Red! What are you doing here?" She said, she stands up as if she is going to move closer but she doesn't. 

"Kyle." He said, armor frowns.  

"What do you want with Kyle?" She waves a hand in the air, "I'm not allowed to let anyone see him anyway Omega Red it doesn't matter." She said, she tries to smile but she's nervous. 

Arkady looks at the door behind her and starts walking, she sputters and moves to stop him but Arkady raises a hand and looks down at her. 

"Do not try to stop me." He said, Armor hesitates, like she really will walk away, but she stands taller again. 

"Kyle's dangerous and I'm not allowed to let anyone see him. Leave please-" Arkady twirls a coil around her hand and drains her enough to drop her unconscious on the floor. 

Arkady sighs and rolls his shoulders. That's a feeling he's missed, the drain from anything but animals. He has to stop for a second to control himself. To leave Armor as is and ignore her, in favor of the door. 

He ignores the lock on it, coils snap it easily, and pushes the door open with a frown. 

The door frame cracks under his grip, his eyes wide but unseeing. The smell of metal and drugs hit him full force. Throwing him back into memories he isn't prepared for. 

He pants- gasping for breath under the weight of it. Metal and drugs and needles. So many needles. The same cage day after day. A little room with nothing but a slab of metal as a bed-

"Hmm?" He hears, Arkady opens his eyes and sees Kyle. Looking tired and sad and more than anything excepting of the situation. Wobbling as he sat up like he would fall over at any time. 

Arkady shakes his head and lets go of the wall, he has to school himself and he allows one, two, breaths before he turns to Kyle with his usual nonplussed expression. 

"Domino sent me. She was worried about you. Neena tends to get very pushy when she wants something." He said. Kyle nods with another hum. 

"Kyle?" 

Kyle falls over with little more than a small yelp. Arkady moves to his side and crouches down to look at him. 

"What have they done to you?" He mumbles, Arkady had only seen Victor like this once. Under the weight of heavy drugs made to overtake his healing. He could assume Kyle is similar. If he truly is Victor's child. Arkady slides a hand under Kyle's head to try and get him to make more than fuzzy eye contact, but his eyes don't focus any more than that, and all he does is mumble nonsense. 

Arkady scowls and stands, he pulls Kyle into his arms and finds that he's more boneless than he thought. Something is very wrong. 

Arkady grunts, that problem is lower on the list than simply getting him back to Domino. 

—------------------------------

"They drugged him?" Domino mumbles, she pulls off her gloves to press the back of her hand against Kyle's forehead. He doesn't move, he'd passed out before Arkady had gotten him there. 

Arkady waits to speak, she's gearing up to say something else he knows. 

"They fucking dragged him!?" 

She moves away from Kyle and throws her gloves hard enough to slap against the wall across the room. 

"Who ordered this? Fucking Charles?" She spins on her heel and Arkady shrugs. 

"Armor was there. She said she was told not to let anyone see him." He said. Domino looks down at Kyle stretched out under a blanket on the couch. Kotik curled and napping on the ground near his head. 

"I have to go talk to Charles about this." She picks up her gloves on the way out the door, then stops and tosses one last thing over her shoulder, "Sage keeps asking about you." 

It's an afterthought, something Domino has been rolling around her head while she waited. 

"Let her ask." 

—-------------------------------

Arkady dreams, though he'd heard once that many people believe he doesn't. That he probably doesn't sleep either. He does have horrible insomnia but that's beside the point. 

As the morning light wakes him he finds himself grasping for a half formed dream, a familiar rough laugh and prick of claws from the hand holding onto his shoulder like if He let go Arkady would disappear.  Arkady huffs and throws an arm over his eyes. 

Then he hears a clatter, and a yelp that is distinctly not Kotik's. Arkady sits up with a groan and wanders toward the sound. 

He finds Kyle hiding under the kitchen table with the blanket over his head. 

"Are you hurt?" He said. Kyle pulls the blanket away enough to peek up at Arkady and shake his head. "Good." The boys focus is blurry, leaning side to side. He's still working the drugs out of his system. 

It almost makes Arkady smile, a familiar situation in a way. 

He understands feral mutants rather well, maybe from fighting Logan for so long. Maybe from knowing Victor for so long. Whatever it is, its easy for him to fall into old habits. Like ignoring Kyle unless he chooses to be seen; making breakfast for him even though he hasn't asked because if one thing stood true it was that food was the way to any and every feral's heart. 

Kyle snarls and bites his leg when he walks by, but all Arkady does is pull him away with a coil and say, 

"Not okay." 

It seems to confuse Kyle, who only sort of chirps and hides under the table again. He's still sluggish.

"Kotik likes to sit there in the mornings for the sunlight. Unless you want to share you should move." Arkady said on his way to sit on the couch and tuck himself into breakfast and a book for a good few hours. He hears Kyle scramble off somewhere but he doesn't pay much mind to him. Let the boy scramble and mess about and cause problems. He's only exploring the new space. 

—---------------------------

Domino pushes the door open a couple of hours before dusk with a huff. She steals the drink from Akrady's hands with a scowl and downs it all, then gags. 

"Why the hell do you have this?" She pulls the bottle away from her face to read the label and half her mouth quirks into a smile. "This is the shit Victor likes isn't it?" She snorts and tosses the bottle towards the trash can, it bounces off the counter and into the trash can at a frankly impossible angle. "How is he?" 

"He bit me three times." Arkady said, he hums, "He keeps trying to sneak up on me to kill me, but he hasn't done that in about an hour so I think he's settling down." He said. Domino nods. 

"See this is why I wanted you to keep an eye on him. You're weird as shit already and you know Victor so well you just roll with it." She said, she smiles at him and Arkady grumbles. 

"You never told me where Victor was Neena." He said, Domino sucks in a breath and crosses her arms. 

"Yeah but, you know don't you?" 

"Yes." 

"They shouldn't have done it. If nothing else, for the sake of Kyle. Him and Victor have had their rough spots but I think Victor's been good to him recently." She flicks a ball of lint off her arm with a small huff, "I don't know." 

Before Arkady can respond Kyle snarls and jumps out from behind fucking something to wrap his arms around Arkady's neck and try to claw at his face. Domino stares, but Arkady peels him off and holds him at a distance with one hand while Kyle continues to snarl and thrash. 

Arkady smirks at her, 

"He's getting calmer!" He said, Neena just nods, trapping her bottom lip between her teeth. 

"Kay, good." She mumbles. 

—------------------------------

"Smile red. Actin' like you ain't impressed by the view." 

Victor waved a hand out in front of him, wobbled and almost fell down the mountain they were on. Sitting at the edge of a peak, Victor with his legs hanging off the edge. Arkady grabbed his arm and held tight to him. 

"I am. But I am not fond of where you are sitting Victor." Arkady said, Victor laughed and leaned closer to edge; trying to test the hold Arkady had on his bicep. 

"I'll be fine if I fall Red. Besides, you'd probably catch me." Victor said, he stopped leaning away and turned over his shoulder enough to give Arkady a fond smile. Arkady couldn't help but smile back, he was weak to the way Victor's fangs stuck out over his lips sometimes. 

Arkady wakes with a gasp and a swear, kicking Kyle off where he's trying to claw at his face. 

"Черт!" Arkady grabs Kyle my the throat and shoves him to the floor, it gives him time to stand up over him with a scowl. 

"If you're going to kill me at least do it after breakfast." He mumbles. Arkady drags a hand down his face and walks around Kyle towards the kitchen. 

Kyle chirps and runs after him, his claws clacking on the floor right at Arkady's heels. It seems that the murder attempts would take a pause until after breakfast. 

Arkady finds Kotik curled up under the kitchen table, belly up to the sunlight shining through the window above the sink. He reaches a coil down to scratch behind her ears as he passes by. 

From the corner of his eye he sees Kyle slide under the table and tuck himself against the tiger's side. Arkady chances a small smile, Kyle had befriended Kotik the day before and it had calmed him enough not to wake Arkady up in the middle of the night anymore to try and kill him. 

"I assume you like raw meat, Victor does." Arkady sighs, "it's unhealthy, but even if it is you'll heal." Hes talking to himself essentially. Kyle can speak, but he hasn't yet. At least not to Arkady. Kyle squeaks from under the table, it's a yes then. 

Kotik strides over to Arkady's side and sits all pretty like. He shouldn't give in to her begging, but he always does. She snaps a strip of raw bacon from his hand with a rumbling purr, while she swallows she shoves her head against his palm. Arkady smiles, he won't be getting his hand back until she's gotten her fill of pets. 

Kyle sat on the floor next to Kotik, begging like she had. The image turns Arkady's stomach. He shakes his head. 

"Youre not just an animal Kyle. You don't need to beg, and you don't need to be on the floor." Arkady said. He only glances down at the boy for a second, eye contact was a thing with Kyle. 

To Arkady's surprise he actually stands up, hesitant, his head still bowed and arms crossed over his chest in a sort of self-hug. 

"Now see, that was easy wasn't it?" Arkady said. Kotik jumps up onto the table and starts licking at plates half a second later, 

"Kotik I have taught you better!" Arkady yells. Kyle flinches, but then he laughs. 

—--------------------------------

"Okay, now you have to play a three on that seven before you can play a three on that seven." Arkady taps the table as he talks. Kyle leans closer with a small growl to see the cards closer. He slams a card down on the table, slashing a part of it off with his claws. But it's nothing Arkady hasn't seen before, Victor does the same thing. 

Kyle almost smiles, until he sniffs and leaps over the table towards the door. 

Arkady snatches him from the air with a coil and sneaks closer to the front door. He wouldn't act that way if it's Neena. 

It isn't. 

Landing softly on the overgrown lawn outside is Jean Grey. Looking elegant as always. 

Arkady drops to his knees and stills Kyle's thrashing with a tighter hold. 

"You need to stay silent and hidden. You understand? I know you don't like Jean. You have reason to think that way. She will take you away, she will put you back in that room. If you don't want that then hide yourself away. Kotik will keep an eye on you." Arkady lets go, he half expects Kyle to jump out the door and go at Jean, but instead he turns tail with a nod and hides away somewhere. 

Arkady hums as he stands up. Kyle is actually listening to him now. Interesting. 

The door jerks open behind him and all he does is roll his eyes and turn around. 

" Добро пожаловать, Джин." He mumbles. Jean pins a glare on him. 

"I heard about your little adventure in the healing gardens. The entire council has heard as well. Whatever you want him for you need to give him back. He needs taken care of-" 

"Who?" Arkady said, he closes the door and walks down the steps of his porch and past Jean. She balks and turns to follow him as he wanders closer to the cliffs above the water. 

"Don't play dumb please, it'll only make this harder." She said. Jean starts to reach out to touch him but thinks better of it quickly. 

"Kyle does not want to go with you. I asked, and unlike your council I listen to what people want." Arkady said. He crosses his arms with a small tilt of his head. 

Jeans mind reaches out for his own, Arkady only lets her see that he's telling the truth. His mental shields aren't  perfect, but she's wary of digging to far into his mind. She should be. 

"He's not well, he doesn't know what he needs." She said, her tone soft. Arkady is unefased. 

"He is very much not well, but that will not be fixed with sedation and imprisonment." Arkady said. Jean frowns. 

"It wasnt imprisonment Omega Red-" 

Arkady scoffs and looks out towards the ocean, 

" A place with no prisons. That is what your Professor said yes? He lied." Arkady brushes the hair in his face away, he really needs to tie it back, as a way of giving himself a second to think. "Kyle is not an expirament, or a prisoner. I won't allow you to treat him that way." At that he turns and starts back towards the housw. 

"It isn't up to you! You're on thin ice yoruself." Jean said. Arkady can't help but chuckle. 

"That is no threat." He said. Jean flies in front of him with a deeper frown on ber face. 

"You can't just keep him-" 

"But you can?" Arkady shakes his head and walks around her. "Come back when you wish to talk , and not just argue." 

Arkady glances up to see movement in the living room window. Jean doesn't notice of course, but Arkady sees. Kyle peeking out of the window with scared eyes pinned on Jean. 

—----------------------------

Arkady can't find Kyle. He knows he's still in the house, Kotik is probably with him wherever he is, but still he can't seem to pin him down. Every few minutes he hears bumps or other sounds from the other rooms, but he tucks himself into a book and ignores it. Let the boy do whatever he wishes. There's no reason to stop him. 

He falls into his book, one he had read many times, and soon Kyle becomes background noise. Until Arkady feels a tug on his shirt and looks over his shoulder to see Kyle standing there. His eyes wide, but not in that scared way he had usually, and absolutely drowning in one of Arkady's shirts. 

If it was anyone else Arkady would have been angry, but he knows ferals. Its a scent thing. Kyle is trying to show he trusts Arkady, that he wants to be friends with him and let other people know they're friends. 

Arkady closes his book, with a quick glance at the page number, and stands up with a smile. 

"Just don't hide my armor from me and you're welcome to steal my clothes. Not that I have much for you to steal." He said. Then Kyle grins. A wide toothy grin that split his face. 

Much to Arkady's surprise Kyle jumps at him, this time not with his teeth bared or claws at his throat, but rather latching onto him with all his limbs and hugging him. Arkady hesitates, but he gently hugs him back. Sort of carrying him, what with how Kyle is holding onto him like a koala. 

—----------------------------

The next time Neena comes to visit she stops stock still in the doorway, and points at Arkady. 

And Kyle, who had been sitting on Arkady's shoulders for about two hours. 

Arkady sort of forgot he was there really. 

"How the fuck did you do that?" Neena said, Arkady hums with a smile. He offers no other response, other than continuing to wash the dishes without looking at her. 

"No shut up-" she mumbles, 

"I wasn't talking." Arkady said. Neena scowls and waves her hand. 

"Shut up, even Pyslocke couldn't get him to do that. How the fuck did you do that?" She said, she tries to come closer but Kyle growls. 

Arkady reaches up and taps his knee with a shake of his head. 

"She's a friend, you know that." He said. Kyle huffs and goes back to messing with Arkady's hair. 

"Sorry." He mumbles. Neena snorts out a laugh. 

"You're magic ." Neena said, she pulls her gloves off and tucks them in her belt, then shoulders Arkady over a bit to make room so she can help with the dishes. 

Arkady shakes his head. 

"Neena, when I was young I spent days in the woods alone looking for food, if I didn't die by tigers then, I'm certainly not going to get murdered by a cub now." He said. Neena hums, and he knows the questions are coming even before she says it. 

"So…-" 

"We were poor, any job my papa could take he did. My other brother worked factories, lumber, any physical work he could, but I was to small-" Neena cackles , "-ironic I know but I was at the time, and since I couldn't work I spent my tine in the woods finding food. We got by. Now, no more questions." Arkady glances at her out of the side of his eye. 

"I'm gonna ask more later." She said. 

"We will cross that bridge when we get there." Arkady mumbles. 

Chapter Text

"Vassily! Wait!" 

Arkady stumbles over his own feet, but his eyes never leave his brother. Vassily runs ahead of him. Easily jumping up to catch the bottom branch of a tree and haul himself up into it. Farther than Arkady can see. 

"Vassily!" Arkady jumps at the branch but he can't quite catch it. "Help me up." He said. Vassily only laughs at his little brother. 

"This is a monster free zone. Sorry. You're not allowed." Vassily said. Arkady laughs, it hurts but he knows that Vassily loves him. That he's only making fun. 

Still, Vassily won't help him into the tree. 

So Arkady jumps up and grabs at the branch, he misses, and misses again, then he catches it with one hand and uses all his strength to climb up. 

He huffs and puffs, smiling the whole time. 

"I didn't need your help at all Vassily." He said, reaching to climb up closer to his brother. "What are we doing up here-" 

Arkady yelps, Vassily's boot landing hard in his ribs and his hands slid off the branch he was holding. He grabs for anything to slow his fall, but nothing stops him from hitting the ground hard with a sick thump. 

Vasily slid out of the tree and walked back away from his brother, panic and pain on his face when Arkady blinks his eyes open. 

Vassily doesn't say anything, he only runs away. Crying. 

The sun rises at the same time every day on Krakoa. It shouldn't, weather or not the island has seasons, but it does nonetheless. 

And at that same moment everyday, 7:10 with a few minutes of wiggle room either way, Arkady wakes up and slides out of bed. 

He's never liked to lay around, so he never does. 

Today, he finds Kyle stretched out on the floor at the foot of his bed. He throws a few blankets over him as he walks by to make breakfast. 

Kotik lays stretched out on the couch as always, she does like to lay about, and he scratches behind her ears if only to get her to stop staring at him like he's never shown her affection ever. 

Arkady turns towards his small kitchen with maybe waffles on the mind, but he freezes in place when his eyes hit something utterly impossible . 

Victor Creed, a fleeting image, trying to say something. Arkady can't make it out, and Victor doesn't look normal. He seems to be made of stone and glass and dirt, vines twisted up in all of it. 

Then, as quick as he appears he fades away. Leaving nothing behind but a few leaves and a dusty spot on the kitchen floor. 

Arkady shakes his head; if it was real he'll deal with it layer, if it wasn't he'll pretend it didn't happen. He starts pulling everything out of his cupboards that he'll need with only a second glance at the dusty spot. 

Kyle comes wandering into the kitchen a little after the sun reaches the perfect position for Kotik to lay out in her spot under the table to get some sun on her belly. 

Kyle climbs up to sit on the counter, something he's discovered he can do that Kotik can't get away with. It also puts him in the optimal place to steal snacks from Arkady while he cooks. 

Only because Arkady lets him, but they both ignore it. Small kindnesses make things more bearable. 

—-------------------------------

It keeps happening. 

Sometimes Arkady wakes up to a spot of dust on his floor that makes no sense, or he sees him out of the corner of his eye. 

He catches Kyle sniffing at one of the dusty spots, in front of the couch this time, with a certain look of confusion on his face a few days into the whole thing. So at least it's not a delusion. 

Nonetheless it's ignored. As much yearning as it puts in Arkady's heart it won't do anyone any good to dwell on old feelings. Even if musing about them would probably do him good. 

Of course this is pushed to the backseat of his mental minivan the first time he plans to leave Kyle alone. 

"If you need me you can call me, don't try to fight Kotik over her spot in the kitchen again. We both know you won't win because you refuse to hurt her. Don't go wandering without texting me first at least. No. Oven. No fire." Arkady crosses his arms as he finishes, Kyle just looks up from the book in his lap with a raised eyebrow. 

"Don't look at me like that, I'm right. Now goodbye." Arkady turns and steps out the door before Kyle can say something foolish. He still hears it anyway as he closes the door of course. 

"Grumpy old man." 

Arkady smiles with a snort, he's happy to be a grumpy old man. 

It makes him think of a time long past, some of his childhood friends by his side- the very few he had- talking about how much they wished to live. What they'd do if you could make it as old as their grandparents. Back then, back there , adulthood was not promised. 

To remember sends shivers down Arkady's spine, the constant sting of hunger, the skin scraping bite of the cold. It was savage, exhausting in a way he has rarely felt since. 

Arkady sits and stretches out on his back in a meadow he's half sure Krakoa led him too. The island provides, the saying flashes through his mind. If only his country had done that. 

You never forget the pain of being so cold you see your death in the puffs of clouds from your mouth. 

The cold was always the worst, far more than the hunger, for worse than the loneliness. 

The cold . 

When Vassily and Father and Mother, before she left, all held each other at night. No one would touch him. No friend, no grandparents, not even the wild dogs would touch him. 

Arkady opens his eyes from where they'd closed under the weight of memories and opens the book in his hands. As the first words process in his mind the memories turn to the buzz of bees in his brain. The smell of the flowers in the meadow. 

He must have fallen asleep somewhere. Maybe it was while he was translating French… he isn't sure. 

But the comfortable floating feeling isn't bothering him, so he doesnt think on it anymore. 

Arkady feels a gentle brush of a hand on his cheekbone, it almost makes him open his eyes. But really why would he? Clearly it's one of those dreams, where you thirst for touch so badly your mind provides it. 

The hand on his face moves to brush his hair out of his face, then spreads its palm on the side of his neck. Arkady leans into it, into the comfort it provides. 

Then a sharp claw catches on his bottom lip and his eyes flutter open. 

Above him sits Victor, made of twisted up dirt and stone. Flowers from the meadow curled into his hair and his skin. 

Arkady doesn't say anything, or do anything. He only stares up at Victor. At the soundless words he's making the shapes of. 

Victor starts to pull his hand away and Arkady grabs his wrist and pulls him back. 

"No, just a second longer Victor. Just a second longer." Arkady said, he turns his head to nuzzle against Victor's palm. Victor lets him, Arkady feels his other hand settle on the back of Arkady's neck, his fingers twisting through the hair there. Arkady makes a sound like a whine, the casual comforting contact of it almost too much for him. 

It could be hours as they sit in the sun and exist next to each other, but all too soon Victor dissolves into dust again. Arkady presses his hand against his face with a growl. He stands up and turns to home only after he's taken a few deep breaths and pushed all emotion off his face. 

—-------------------------------

When he opens his door he's greeting with, well, what can only be called a brilliant imitation of that American show Wipe Out Domino so loves. 

Except. 

Inside his living room. 

Arkady wonders for a second where Kyle is, then is answered when he comes tearing down the short hallway to jump over the back of the couch with a couple flips. Arkady crosses his arms but doesn't say a word, he's a bit curious how Kyle plans to get from the couch to the windowsill on the other side of the room like it looks like he's planning. 

Kyle is agile, more so than what is gifted by his mutation. He's a well trained gymnast, and with little effort he finds himself leaping, bouncing off a wall with a delighted growl, and catching himself on the windowsill with only the claws on his feet. His hands scramble to grab the curtains for something to hold onto before he falls and he lets out a whoop of joy. 

"I need to make more rules." Arkady said, Kyle jerks and falls to the floor with a thump. 

Kyle rolls and sits up, then crosses his legs and waves his hand through the air. 

"No. What. You're crazy." He said. Arkady sighs and walks over to the kitchen, he curls a coil under the table to pet Kotik and turns over his shoulder to look at Kyle again. 

"If you break anything you'll have to fix it." Arkady said, but his mind starts to wander. If Kyle has this much energy he's in danger of regressing, falling back into his more feral instincts. 

But truth be told, Arkady has no idea how this works. He's working off of context clues or small anecdotes from Victor. 

Arkady watches as Kyle rolls forward up off the floor and stretches out into a handstand. 

"Careful." He he said, Kyle only snorts out a laugh and keeps doing what he does to fill his time. 

—-----------------------------

While Kyle sleeps, Arkady sits at his desk and writes. Scribbling down everything he can remember or can come up with. All in the sloping looping notes of Russian cursive. It's an old habit, one he's never lost. If nothing else it makes it difficult to find anyone who can read his notes. 

Arkady drops his pen and drags a hand down his face. He knows nothing, and he can't trust anyone on the island to help him. 

He needs a feral. 

Wolverine will never help. 

Victor. 

He's in the pit. 

Damnit. 

Damnit. 

A light bulb goes off and he blinks, he pulls his hand away and stands up. 

He pushes the door open with his shoulder and picks up his cellphone, quite possibly one of the oldest flip phones in existence that he had ducked off the island and picked up, dialing Domino and hoping she isn't asleep. Or off the island on a mission for X-force. 

"This is your local chiropractor, here to talk to ghosts and snap some bones, whatcha need?" 

Arkady stops for a second, then shakes his head. 

"What can you get me on Kyle. Files, history, anything." He said. He hears something rustle and Domino clears her throat. 

"Well, I can tell you what I know. Then see if I can grab anything from sage without being suspicious. Why?" She said. Arkady leans over the kitchen table and flicks his notebook open again. 

"I've got no idea what I'm doing Neena. He's made progress but I'm scared he'll regress, and I know being feral like that isn't good. " 

Domino clicks her tongue,

"I don't know Arkady. Victor would be the man to ask. But, I've got some about his history?" She clears her throat again, more for dramatic effect this time, and continues. 

"Kyle is from Canada, we know that. His parents? I've got no clue. Just that he doesn't talk to them. He started out in Alpha Flight. Left a few times. X-factor when Forge led it. He's sort of disappeared and reappeared all over the world. He's not well known. Weapon x had him for awhile. That's I think the second time or so he met Victor, but I dunno." 

Arkady scribbles down a shorter version of things, some he already knew, some of it new. 

Still, it won't help him any. 

"Neena-" 

"I know I know. Gimme a second." 

 Static crackles through the line for a minute, Arkady's red eyes pinned on his notes. Almost burning a hole through the paper it seems before Neena talks again. 

"Hes probably Victor's kid. A lot of people think so, and red, I know Victor pretty well. The way he looks at him? That's his baby. I don't know why he didn't raise him. He never told me. But he did say once, it was some old X-force thing I think and he was drunk as a skunk, that Kyle reminded himself of how he acted when he was a teenager. We both know where he was as a teenager." Neena sighs and something rustles. She's probably settling back into bed, it doesn't sound like paper. 

"The basement." Arkady mumbles. Neena hums and when she speaks again she's much quieter. 

"Listen, if he is Victor's kid he's a second generation mutant. A second generation feral. He's fucking unstable. With Logan or Victor its easy to center them, but nobody knows much about Kyle. Good luck. The only person who probably can is Victor." 

She hangs up with a click and Red drops his phone on the kitchen table. 

"Cyka." He mumbles. 

—--------------------------

"I'm going out." 

Kyle doesn't phrase it as a question, and it isn't. Arkady starts to gear up a no, not a chance. Never. But he finds he has no reason not too. 

With one stipulation. 

"I'm going with you." He said, much to his surprise Kyle only shrugs and wanders off. Hopefully to find some shoes somewhere. The boy's aversion to shoes will confuse Arkady to no end probably for the rest of time. 

Arkady scuffs his toe through a dust spot and not for the first time curses victor wherever he is for leaving his cub for him to take care of. Naturally, there's no venom to it. 

Arkady waits by the door, omyl a few minutes, until Kyle is jumping over the couch and across the room from the hallway. Kyle plants a foot on Arkady's back to push himself up onto his shoulders. Arkady huffs, half of him wishes to push him off. But the other half finds a certain kind of…solace in it. 

As a child nobody touched him, and if they did it wasn't kindly. 

It would be cruel to deprive Kyle of that. 

And so, he pushes the door closed behind them and starts down the hidden paths deep into the woods. Looping and winding onto themselves just as he planned it, With no help from Krakoa thank you. 

In time enough they end up outside the Blue Lagoon, Dazzler's voice tumbles out. Something slower than her usual mess, a lunchtime trend from all the times Arkady had been here. Kyle slides off his shoulders and moves ahead of him, as fast as he moves the usually lax lines of his muscles are instead tensed and nervous. Arkady chooses not to pay attention, if the cub wants his help he will ask for it. But until then, let him run as he wishes. 

Arkady tucks himself into a corner, and as expected anyone who notices him steers clear. 

Kyle moves around the room, from the bar to chat with blob, to insert himself in every conversation he finds interesting. 

The boy moves through a crowd with more confidence than people give him credit for, the awkwardness he's known for disappears when he becomes more comfortable. Arkady keeps his eyes on him, tracking the lion's mane of blond curls through the other mutants in the room. 

Until, because of course something has to happen, a certain blue red-head slides into the chair next to him. 

"Arkady," she said with a nod. Arkady doesn't respond, she knows his name and he knows hers. It doesn't matter enough to acknowledge. Not until another woman sits next to Raven with a gentle brush of a hand in her shoulder. Arkady answers her because she will expect it. 

"Destiny." He said, he can't see her expressions behind her mask but he gets the impression of a smile and a nod enough. 

"Hello Arkady, I know we've never really met but it's still good to see you again." Destiny said, Mystique laces their fingers together on top of the table and Arkady has to bite back the poison of jealousy. 

When he doesn't respond Raven speaks. 

"Destiny has a few visions she wanted to tell you-" 

"I'm not interested in becoming part of your plans." Arkady said, a small twitch of his fingers the only movement as his eyes drift back to find Kyle chatting with what seems to be Nightcrawler. Hard to mistake the blue fur and the tail whipping around behind him. 

But even his clear dismissal doesn't shut up them up. 

Destiny folds her hands on the table in front of her, probably seeing some benefit to it in the next few minutes. 

It doesn't matter. 

"Arkady, what our plans have to do with it are less important than what it is. You'll see that too if you listen." She saud. 

Arkady continues to pin his eyes anywhere but at Destiny and Mystique before him. Until-

Always with the until, and next. He can never have a boring day. 

-Destiny continues. 

"Its about your children of course, and the entrance to the island they'll make in a few days." 

Ice shoots down Arkady's spine, his eyes don't see much of Kyle or the crowd anymore. He sees snow, and a mother sneering in rage as she shoves him to the ground. 

He snaps back to the present and slams a hand on the table, standing from his chair to tower over Destiny. 

"I have no children, do not taunt me!" He yells, Destiny is unbothered. Though Raven twitches toward what can only be a weapon strapped to her thigh under the table. 

Destiny sighs and tilts her head towards him, not that she can see him. 

"Nobody told you? Oh I'm sorry. They should have." She said. Arkady's vision is circled by red, the, the audacity to taunt him like this! 

"Well then we will." Mystique said, she flips her hair off her shoulders and sits up straighter. Clearly she expects Arkady to sit down. 

He doesn't. 

"It was awhile ago, when you were dead and Wolverine's son was being particularly vindictive. Blah blah, X-force was a mess really but it doesn't matter much. What does matter," Raven hums and looks over to her wife with a smile, "is the three little clones that were made from your corpse. Or part of it anyway. The rest went to the Hand as you know." Raven crosses her legs and leans on elbow on the table. Destiny then takes over. 

"Three teenagers to be specific, called the Omega Clan. Omega Red, Omega White, and Omega Black. They were programmed to think their parents had been killed by X-force. A boring plan, but on that was almost effective-" she cuts herself off with a hand held into the air in a sort of motion for peace. "-Arkady we aren't lying, and if you start a fight here it will not end well for you. Or kyle." She said, Mystique looks over her shoulder to where Kyle is chatting with Blob again. 

Arkady sits down again, with every bit of tensed grace and controlled rage he can muster. 

"Why are you telling me this." He saud, Destiny leans just a bit closer across the table. 

"Because, we would like the council in a certain state of choas and confusion. As we tell you about your children, we cement a future in which you offer that chaos and confusion. Alongside a few others we're talking to. Simple as that Omega Red." She saud. 

Raven stands and Destiny follows her, reaching out to hold her hand. 

"Think about it Arkady, you have…two days to do so." She turns, then looks back to him, "they'll be coming from one of the smaller American gates, and the council will try to stop them." 

With that, they're gone. To continue drinking, or planning maybe. But it doesn't matter to him. He stands, the edges of his vision swimming. The thoughts in his head taking over so quickly he can't orient himself in the present, over whelmed with new information. 

Before he realizes it he's got a hand on Kyle's shoulder, mumbling that they have to go. Thankfully Kyle seems done with people for the day too and goes without argument. 

—-----------------------------

Kyle stops talking after Arkady offers nothing more than a nod and a mumble for the first few minutes of the walk back home. 

He skips ahead of him and shoves the front door open with half a glance behind him. Arkady hears the mumble and thud of Kyle diving to the floor to get into Kotik's personal space. 

Not that Arkady sees it, he tugs the door closed behind him and then…well he just collapses. Laying on his side and staring across the floor. Until his eyes drift closed and he curls into himself. 

"Monster!" 

Arkady doesn't have a chance to flinch away before his mother's hand comes for his face. The heel of the shoe in her hand catches on his eye and it sets him spinning. He falls back onto his ass and slides away from her, feet scratching along the floor as his breaths come faster. 

"You've been killing dogs? Is that it? What'll you do next huh?" She kicks him and his head snaps back from the force of it. "Are you going to kill me? Kill your brother? Your father?" She grabs a pan off the counter behind her and brings it down on him. 

Arkady throws his arms up above his face and tries to curl smaller into himself. 

Something cracks and snaps as his mother rains blow after blow from the heavy pan onto him and soon he can't keep his arms above his head. 

But she's getting tired too. So she throws the pan to the floor, his blood splatters off it and onto the worn floorboards. 

"I wish I'd never had children. I told Gregori, I told him, we should have killed you the second you came out of me. Even Vassily is better than you, and he can barely read!" She kicks him again, this time aiming for his stomach and with his arms like they are he can't protect himself. 

"Clean up your mess monster." She said, she slaps him again and turns to find somewhere else to be. Anywhere but near her younger son. 

Arkady drops to his side and hugs the pan to his chest. All he can smell is blood. 

"Arkady?" Kyle's been trying to get his attention for awhile if the panic in his voice is any hint. Kyle sees his eyes open and squeezes his forearm tighter as he leans closer. 

"You don't smell hurt, are you hurt? Don't die. You just got here. Arkady?" Kyle shakes him again when Arkady doesn't respond. Arkady closes his eyes again and puts a hand over where Kyle is still holding onto his forearm with fear in his eyes. 

Adkady can't get his voice to work, but the movement seems to ease Kyle a little. 

"How can I help? What's wrong-" Kyle cuts himself off and lets go of Arkady to stand up and glance at Kotik of all things. 

"What do I do? Has this happened before?" 

Kotik only rumbles a sound and continues cleaning her toes. 

"That's not helpful lady," Kyle crouches down to pet her nonetheless. 

Arkady closes his eyes again, he can't find it in himself to process anything. Much less act on any of the thoughts racing through his head. 

Kyle comes running over on all fours and sliding to a stop next to him,

"Wait! Wait don't go all…gone again. Please. Hold on, I'll do something. I-" 

Kyle's eyes flick up to look past Arkady and something changes in his face. 

"No…what are you doing here? They said you're not here-" 

Chapter Text

Victor has no idea what keeps pulling him here, why everytime he tries to sleep in the Pit or when he thinks too hard about snow and tigers and a rough smile he doesn't recognize , he shows up here. He's not even sure if it's real. 

Either way, this time it's less of him thinking of him. It's more that there's this pull. 

Whatever the fuck it is, he has to go. 

So through whatever magic or science or shit the pit does he just…happens. 

He appears in that familair place, that little blue house, to the strangest scene he'd ever stumbled upon. 

Wildchild, holding onto Arkady and shaking him. Trying to get a response. 

And Red? 

He'd never looked so fucking small. Victor eases to his knees and reaches out to pull Red close to him. Contact had seemed to help last time he looked like this so maybe- 

(When was last time? Why does he feel so comfortable holding him?)

He gets claws to his throat for it, if he wasn't made out of leaves and roots and rocks it would've dropped him for awhile. He's sort of proud of the cubs accuracy, but he ignores it. He'd rather pull Arkady to sit up, leaning against him and tucking his arms around him. Providing a sort of centering pressure. 

The sigh he gets from Arkady is worth Kyle still clawing at anything he can reach. 

"Stop it! You're not allowed to touch him!" Kyle yells, a growl rumbling from him the whole time. 

"Get off!" Kyle jumps at his face full force and Victor catches him by the throat. He holds him against the floor and Kyle snaps his jaws. 

You need to be quiet cub! 

Victor wants to say it, but he cant. 

You need to calm down! It'll help him. Just stop… 

But he cant. 

Victor looks away from Kyle and sees Arkady tuck his face against Victor's neck. His forehead right against where his pulse would be. 

He's cold, but Arkady is always cold. Not just chilly, or cold. No, Arkady is cold like it's a part of him, just as much as any bone or hair on his head. All the same the chill and constant shiver makes it worse. To see him so lost in his head, so small, and with only…Kyle to comfort him. 

Victor lets go of Kyle and bundles Arkady into his arms as he stands. Kyle follows him, no longer biting but all the same right on his heels. 

Victor stumbles around until he finds what looks like Red's bedroom. It isn't shocking really, very brutal and simple. Almost no personal items around. Victor settles Arkady on the bed and wraps the heaviest blanket he can find over him with a soundless sigh. 

And while here is where Victor would stop, would step away and leave, he doesn't. He's not really here…he's not sure if this is real at all. So he does what he's always done. Pushes the limits, getting an inch and taking a mile. 

He lays out on his side and curls around Arkady, Red huffs out a sigh. Holding onto whatever parts of Victor he can. Victor nuzzles against his shoulder. It's instinct is all, he doesn't care enough to try and understand it and anyway nobody really gets ferals. So he just acts. Trying to draw breaths even though he can't actually breathe like this. All the same, some part of his memory brings up Red's scent. 

It's metallic, but only in the way fresh snow is when it's 20 below zero and even your eyelashes are freezing together and the snow's not wet at all, it's just like sugar. 

Victor gets the feeling he's spent a lot of time thinking about Arkady's scent. 

Victor feels the bed move and he whips his head around in a silent growl, but from Kyle's looks he knows the baring of his teeth gets the point across enough. Kyle growls and tries to draw up taller, usually Victor would want to throw him around. Especially since Red is very clearly his for fucks sake. 

But instead a thought hits him, Arkady's gonna be alone soon. Victor will open his eyes back in the damned pit and Red won't have him wrapped around him anymore. 

Shit. 

So, Victor shifts just a little, still pressed against Arkady since Red won't let him go, and tilts his head for Kyle to come closer. 

Thankfully, since Victor is finding it annoying as hell to have not figured out how to talk like this yet, Kyle gets it. He slinks closer and curls up on Arkady's other side, a purr rumbling from his thin chest. 

The almost breaks Victor, even as he can feel his hold on this shape fading and his return to the pit pulling, to hear Kyle purr like that. 

Because, because-

—-------------------------------

"I'm going out." Arkady said, standing from the couch as he rolls his shoulders under the weight of his armor. It's been awhile since he's worn it, but this will be necessary. 

"I'm coming with you!" Kyle yells, he jumps up from the floor, curled up in the sun with Kotik, to slide to a stop next to Arkady. 

"No." 

Kyle growls, moving to block Arkady's way to the door. 

"I'm coming-" 

"No cub, you're not. This is for me. You're not involved." He said, maybe it's the steel in his voice, or the way Kyle jerks his head at the nickname, but finally the boy listens and he shrugs and wanders off. Arkady can still feel his stare on his back as he pulls the door shut behind him. 

 "It was a while ago, when you were dead and Wolverine's son was being particularly vindictive. Blah blah, X-force was a mess," 

Daken, that was who Raven had to have meant. Wolverine has many daughters but only the one son. Arkady always thought the boy was strong, if marginally foolish, but he doesn't care enough to think about why he did what Raven says he did. He only cares to track the boy down and get some idea of what is going on. 

"I haven't seen you decked up and angry in a while Arkady," Domino slides up to his side and tucks her hand in his elbow. She pulls him off to the side of the small path in the tropical woods of Krakoa. 

Rage spikes and he pushes her away. 

"Why didn't you tell me!?" He said, he scowls and one coil whips out and wraps around her throat. Domino scratches at it and pills a knife, but all it can do is skate across the outside of his coils. 

"Arkady-" 

"You knew! Why didn't you tell me Neena!?" Arkady squeezes tighter and Domino starts to go limp. 

"Sorry- I-" she coughs and Arkady blinks. For a second he lets it go, loosens it enough so she can speak. But she's still floating in the air. 

"I didn't think you were ready to know, you died a couple months ago! And they're teenagers, and I was scared okay. Scared for them!" Arkady drops her all the sudden and she gasps, Neena drops to her hands and knees in the dirt and scrambles back a few steps. 

"I…would never hurt my babies." Arkady said, his voice cracks, so many thoughts swirling around his head that he'd rather like to go home and curl up on the floor. "I am not my parents Neena. I will never hurt my babies." 

He shakes his head and shoves a hand out, hovering above Neena's head in an offer to help her up. 

She sighs and grabs it, once they're face to face again Neena rubs her neck. 

"Would you mind a hug Red?" She said, Arkady starts to refuse, but then he thinks for a second. 

He wraps his arms around her and just about crushes her against his chest. Neena sputters and accepts it. She grabs onto his armor and relaxes. 

Neena pushes him away, Gently, enough to put her hands on his biceps-she can't reach his shoulders- and looks up at him. Chewing a lip between her teeth until it's red and almost bloody. 

"Listen, you won't get anything from Daken except trouble. He died after that round of X-Force. I wasn't there but I heard about it. What he does remember he doesn't talk about. Alright?" She said. Arkady scowls. 

"How'd you know I was-" 

"You're like, on the driveway ro the Boneyard and Daken is part of X-Factor. That's their base. Connect dots Arkady." She said. Arkady snorts, a laugh or maybe a huff. She isn't sure. Neither is he. 

"I have to-" 

Neena waves a hand and steps away, turning to keep walking down the path. 

"Let's talk to somebody else, Arkady." She said. Arkady scowls, he follows her of course but he's not happy about being interrupted. 

"Arkasha." He mumbles. Neena slows her steps and looks back at him, her eyes wider and a smile creeping across her face. 

"Really?" She said, arkady only shrugs. 

—------------------------------

The gate spits them out in the middle of New York, almost instantly cameras flash. Reporters waiting at the gate for any news of the mutants they can snatch up. 

Arkady flinches and scowls, Domino grabs his wrist and pulls him through the crowd with a shrug. 

"Reporters, protesters, all of them camp outside the gate in Central Park trying to weasel out news. Just ignore them." She said. Arkady grumbles and pulls his arm away from her, but even if he doesn't let her grab onto him, he doesn't move any farther away as they walk. 

"Where are we going?" He said. Neena shoves her hands in the pockets of a Hoodie she'd thrown on over her usual kit with a hum. 

"Deadpool, he was on X-Force when it all went down. In fact, he saw them first. He'd tried to rob somebody and ended up in the middle of some arms deal-" she stops and nods to a door. Arkady shoulders it open and she gives him a smile as she heads into the apartment building first. 

"-Omega Red almost killed him before he got away." She said, Arkady hums and she taps at a few buttons in the elevator. 

His question must be clear on his face, with how she glances at him in the reflection of the doors and starts talking again. This time with more of an air of, melancholy. 

"Wade told me. It was a really..emotional time for him." She shrugs, "sue us, sometimes we get drunk together and talk. It's the only thing that helps people like us 'Kasha." Arkady nods and the doors ding open. 

"We have these meet ups, we get all dressed up fancy and eat at tea shops and stuff, it's a real treat. We were talking about it awhile ago, so I did some research. I mean, you were dead at the time and I know how hard it is to be kids without parents." Domino smiles at him and leads him down a few turns in the hall. 

"How do you know where Wade is now?" Arkady said, Domino stops in front of a door and just about punches it with how hard she knocks. 

"Wear fancy dresses and eat cake wednesday was last week." She said. 

The door jerks open to show Wade Wilson, only wearing a shirt and boxers with his mask folded up over his face like a beanie. 

"Neena!" Wade said, he grins and steps out of the way. Though he's less welcoming when Arkady ducks through the door. 

"To what do I owe this displeasure?" Wade said, he wanders back to the kitchen to grab something out of the fridge. Neena follows him, she tucks herself under his arm enough to grab a jug of orange juice. 

Arkady waits only a few steps inside the door. Once he has his answers, he'll leave. 

"The kids." Neena said, Wade looks confused. A wrinkle forming in a zigzag through the scar tissue oof his forehead between his eyebrows. Then his eyes pop open and he whips his head around to Arkady. 

"I thought we agreed, ix-nay on the ild-chay with him." Wade keeps flicking his eyes back and forth from Neena to Arkady. Neena just shrugs and chugs down the last of the juice in the jug. 

"Wilson-" 

Wade throws his hands up and flops down on his back on the couch. 

"Hey, threats aren't needed. We only decided not to tell you because we'll, it's you you big Russian beauty." He said. 

Arkady sneers, thankfully for Wade's security deposit-and his wellbeing- he gets the point and keeps talking. 

"I've got no clue where they are dude. I'm not tracking them. Domt even know their names." Wade pulls his mask over his face and tucks his hands behind his head, "but they did want to meet you. Other than that? Not much." Wade said. Arkady takes a second, trying to order rhis words in a way that makes sense to more than himself. 

"How did it happen?" 

It seems to do the trick, Wade sits up and crosses his arms over his chest. 

"Cloning company, tailer made assassins. They were made out of you. Supposed to be some masterpiece. Anyway, Nobody really paid attention to the kids. But, I mean, hey maybe she tortured me but Omega Black was really funny so I can't be that mad." Neena sits next to Wade on the couch and kicks her feet up on the coffee table. 

"Anyway, the worst part was what they thought they knew. White Sky implanted all these memories, Red said they thought X-Force killed their parents. They remembered every detail, could even say the color of the rug. But it wasn't real. I helped him realize it, then kept tabs on them until I got in a mess later." Wade ends it with a shrug. 

So many questions fly through Arkady's head, he doesn't try to word them. Doesn't try to make sense of it. 

Instead he walks across the room, opens the window, and jumps out. 

Chapter Text

The pull and whip of his coils through the air, bricks and metal under his feet, it's a strange sort of familair. His own way of flying. Not unlike Spider-man in how he flips through the buildings of the city. Eventually Arkady's mind stops buzzing enough to sit down on a roof somewhere with a sigh. 

He pulls his hair free from the ponytail and drops his hands into his lap. 

It isnt efficient to think about the why, or the how. That won't do any good so he pushes it to the side. All the things he's learned, efficiency, to sort through his emotions. Putting them in boxes in his head. He's been doing it for years, but those boxes overflow. They're close but…so soon after a breakdown he holds himself together with will power alone. 

Domino will find him eventually, she's too smart not to, anywhere he goes in the city. But for now he hangs his legs off the side of the skyscraper and stares at the sky. Overcast and heavy. 

A pigeon flies close, landing near him, and he snaps his hand out. With half a thought h drains the bird and tosses the corpse behind him. 

With this rare half second of silence his mind finally settles on a thought he'd been trying to avoid ever since Raven told him about his babies. 

Are they okay? Are they happy? 

Would it be better if they never meet him? 

Arkady can't answer any of it, except the last one. He knows the answer to that. 

It would be much safer if they never meet him. If the only contact with him they have is from reputation. He can't be their father, and given the chance he'll make sure he never is. 

He gathers his hair in his hands and flips it over his shoulder, even so the wind whips it back into his face. 

The thing is, even though Arkady knows he can't be their father it doesn't stop him from wanting to be. 

He doesn't even know what they look like! Or their names! 

Arkady jumps to his feet and steps off the roof, he swings across an alleyway and falls back into a rhythm of swinging and moving. 

Neena doesn't catch up until Arkady is sitting in silence on a building, staring down at the gate in central park with a delicious barely there burn in his muscles. 

"I'm heading back, if you wanna come with." Neena said, she doesn't sit. Only standing beside him and hesitantly putting a hand on his shoulder. 

She doesn't think much of it, but it means the world to him. 

It's silent for a good chunk of time, until Arkady stands and turns to face her. He wants to hug her, to ask for that comfort, but he just…can't. He shakes his head and jumps off the building. He slows his fall and lands heavy on his feet on the ground. 

Domino lands next to him, flipping off the fire escape of the apartment building. 

"You've gotta stop just jumping off buildings, you're gonna scare somebody and krakoa is already a PR disaster." She said. Arkady grunts and walks across the street with a withering glare at a taxi driver about to run him over. The guy slams the breaks and ducks down behind the wheel until Red has passed. 

Domino drags a hand down her face. 

"Unbelievable." 

—------------------------------

The crowd around the gate is wholly ignored as they pass through, though they stare at Arkady a lot. Mostly in fear. 

When the island appears before them again Kyle is sitting on the ground by the gate, turning something over in his hands that he tucks away when he scents Arkady. 

"Kyle." He said, a greeting. Kyle huffs and looks away. 

"I got bored." He said, Arkady hums and with a glance Domino picks up the hint and leaves them alone. 

"And?" Arkady said. 

"And I went to the Blue Lagoon, and-" he cuts himself off with a growl. 

"-and Daken was there." 

Arkady tilts his head and nods for him to continue. 

"What did he do?" He said. Kyle looks up at him then, and Arkady can still see the signs of a fight healing on his face. 

"Nothing, he's fine. Can't say the same for Blob's bar though." Kyle stands up and glares up at him, but if he expects to be yelled at then he'll be disappointed. 

Arkady only shrugs and starts to walk. 

"Lets go home." 

Kyle balks, then runs to catch up. He presses right against Arkady's side as they walk, it's a comfort for both of them. Though it's a bit…weird that Kyle keeps breathing heavy. Drawing In his scent. 

"What are you doing?" Arkady said, Kyle shakes his head and his jaw snaps shut. 

"Noth-" 

"Don't say nothing." 

Kyle sighs and hunches over a bit more. He looks tempted to drop to all fours but he doesn't. 

"I'm scenting you because…" He glamces up at Arkady, then back down to the ground. "Because when it happened- 

It being Arkady collapsing unresponsive on the floor and being comforted by a plant form version of Sabretooth

-He acted like you were his." Kyle swallows and grabs Arkady's hand, pulling them to a stop. 

"He acted like you were his. I've never seen him do that before, that's why I'm confused. Because he treats you differently. He loves you." He said, Arkady sighs and looks away. 

"I can smell It on you, even though he wasn't really here. He marked you as his, it's in your scent. Did you know that?" He said, it's almost accusatory. Arkady only nods. 

"I know, he told me I was his. A long time ago. Seems I still am." He said, Kyle growls. 

"He shouldn't have, asshole, not his. Not his." Kyle lets go of Arkady and hugs himself. Closing his eyes. "Why…why'd he?" He trails off, probably didn't intend to finish the sentence at all. 

Arkady puts a hand on his shoulder. 

"Kyle, it's fine. I don't care if I smell him." He saud, Kyle shakes his head. 

"Its more than just smelling like him. More, more than that." He takes a step away. "Why can't I understand? Why can't I get it?" He shakes his head again and the growl grows louder. 

"Lets go Kyle, let's go home." Arkady said, Kyle nods but doesn't move and in the spur of the moment Arkady scoops him up bridal carry style and starts to walk. 

Kyle's small, a waif of a boy really. Unlike most ferals he's thin as a twig, built like a bird. Arkady can cradle him in the crook of one arm. Though he's a bit tall. 

Kyle lets him, sort of shivering until Arkady opens the door with his coils and sets Kyle on the couch. He leave shim be then, it won't help to have him there. He's whats confusing him. 

Instead Arkady goes to the kitchen and starts a pot of coffee, looking out the window while he waits. 

Arkady finds himself braiding his hair back while he waits, Kotik's big head pressing against his hip. It's a comfort to have her there, the pressure eases something in him he refuses to name. 

While Kyle mumbles on the couch and orders his thoughts, Arkady leans on the kitchen sink and thinks. 

Back, back years. A place that started in snow, a place on a stolen blackbird with terrible people. 

A place…by sabretooth's side. 

→→→

"You ever been to Madripor Red?" Victor said, he has to yell over the din of lowdown really. But Victor doesn't yell like most people. His voice already has strength. 

Alrady shakes his head. If he has, he doesn't remmeber. He knows that he has been here. But after dying his memories are fleeting, they come back in spurts and stuttered sleep-talk. 

Victor grins wide and claps a hand on his shoulder. 

"Well I've got a tour for you then Ruskie. Let's have some fun!" 

Victor pulled Arkady into the crowd then, while Domino and Mystique and Lady D all went off to do their own thing. At least until Mystique's safe house was monitored for a while to make sure it was really safe. 

They did have fun. Running up and down every bar in lowtown. Staring fights, flirting, though Victor did most of it. Arkady only wanted to watch. It was an effort to see the world through now eyes, to see the world as Arkady again; not as Omega Red. 

But, Long after the sun went down and deep into their cups they stopped. A moment for a small breather in an alley. 

Neither of them are sure what started it, who atarted it, only that it happened. And oh how sweet it was. 

When they tumbled together against the grimy bricks, pulling at clothes and limbs. Anything to get closer and closer. Like they wanted to melt together completely. 

Victor kisses like he thinks, deliberate but free all the same. Hes a creative, he always has been, and he kisses like an artist. 

Arkady will never forget it, he won't let himself forget it. 

The press of Victor's lips or the heat of his hands, the whispered whines and growls. 

The next morning they woke up tangled together in some motel, couldn't even find their clothes, but they didn't care. 

Not when Victor pressed another gentle kiss to Arkady's lips, not when Arkady brushed Victor's tangled curls off his face. They fell together again, of course, but this time they fucked less, and made love more. 

Mystique called Victor who knows how long after, it must have been hours of laying together. Holding and being held. Of Arkady relaxing, finally, so hard he felt he couldn't move. 

He felt safe. 

He'd never felt that way begore. Or if he did he didn't remember. He wasn't even sure why Victor made him feel that way, not at the time, but when Victor stood up Arkady grabbed his hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles and said-

"I didn't mean to cat, but I think I've gotten feelings for you." 

Victor just smiled that soft smile, the one where he isnt trying to show off his fangs but he smiles more on the right side and his fang pokes out anyways, and turned his hand over to lace their fingers together. 

"I'm thinking I'm getting attached too red, do you mind that?" He said, Arkady shook his head, "you should. I'm a jealous fucker, violent, paranoid," he said, his words tumbling into mumbles as Arkady stands up and grabs Victor's hips. 

"And you think I'm not?" Arkady said, "if we do this, try it at least, we must be committed. I will be yours, but you must be mine." Victor kissed him and cradled Arkady's face between his hands. 

"Fuck red, you can't just say things like that. Yeah, yeah I'll take ya." As he speaks every break for breath is paired with a kiss. Quick and soft on Arkady's mouth. "I want ya," 

The coffee maker finishes and Arkady steps out of the memory. He turns his energy to pouring two mugs of coffee, to much sugar for himself and only honey for Kyle, before moving to find Kyle. 

The cub is sitting on the edge of the couch, more perching really, with his head in his hands. He's silent now but that doesn't mean he isn't thinking. The boy thinks a lot, dedicated and free as his mind is. 

"Coffee?" Arkady said, little more than a mumble is all he needs for Kyle to hear. 

They sit, and drink, while the sun finishes its decent inder the ground. Until finally Kyle finds his words. 

"My secondary mutation is zoopathy, I understand animals. I can get them to do things if I really try, but," Kyle jerks his fingers though his hair, "but I means I'm more animal too. My brain is at odds. Am I animal? Or man? Both I think, but since I'm both I sense things weird. I see the world weird." Kyle sits up straighter and turns to look straight at arkady. 

"A part of me is connected to Victor, I know that, and since I'm like that…" his worlds fall away and Kyle hides his face in his hands again. His rambling is only confusing him, but he doesn't know what exactly to say. 

"I think my point is…you aren't feral. But you feel like one, act like one sometimes, and it confuses me." Kyle knits his fingers together, a claw scratching across his knuckle just shy of drawing blood. 

"Its because you're his, you're sabretooth's person. He's never done that before, not that I've ever heard." Kyle stops talking. It's almost sudden but really thats just how Kyle talks. 

Arkady hums. 

"He did, and I was his person. I still am, I suppose. But my cat does not remember it. He lost his mind. He has not found it again yet." Arkady said. Silence fell again but it didn't matter. They had nothing more to say. 

Well…really it was better that Arkady didn't tell him any more, it might break the boy's brain to know that it was Arkady's fault he still smelled like Victor

Chapter Text

"You can literally dream up anything and you've just been killing people?" 

"Yeah. You a few times too, heh." 

Cypher coughs and moves a few inches away from sabretooth. 

They're settled under a tree on a hill, deep in the woods with a gap in the trees about a mile to the front of them. 

A house should be there, but it isn't. Purposely avoided and omitted. Cypher doesn't ask Victor why. 

"Thats not what Krakoa wanted." 

Victor smirks and shakes his head. 

"Don't really care, if Krakoa thought I was gonna be some secret good guy it's wrong." 

Cypher shrugs. 

"Thats fair enough, but what Krakoa though you'd do was fix your head. Your memory is terrible-" 

"Its better I don't. There are things even I don't want to remember." 

Cypher cracks a small smile and Krakoa listens. In front of them the mindscape of the pit changes. Showing the shaky mirage form of Mystique, heavily pregnant. 

"Like that?" 

Victor doesn't respond. 

The scene changes and a teenager comes running at them, wild blonde curls and a wide smile. Down on all fours. 

"Enough Doug." Victor said, no growl in his voice. Only exhaustion. 

The mirage disappears, with a small grumble from Krakoa. 

"Its better for him I don't remember anything from the time period he would have been born." Victor stands up and starts wandering down the hill. "I might just take your head off for fun-"

He freezes in his tracks, faced with Omega Red. 

Not armored and scowling as most people know him. 

No…

Arkady, wrapped up in a sweater that Victor knows is his. A smile on his face That's really only a small tilt of his head. But a smile for him. 

"Cypher, stop it." 

"It's not me, that's Krakoa. I didn't say anything." 

Victor reaches out and Arkady grabs onto his hand. He's…so solid. So real. 

"My cat." He said, victor lets out a choked gasp, something in his head twists- he's on his knees. Scents burning in his nose while the world changes around him, the world-shattering shake of his senses going absolutely wild. 

His head hurts. 

At the center of it Arkady crouches down and cradles Victor's head in his hands. His palms pressed gentle but hard over his ears, it dulls the assault enough for Victor to start breathing again. 

It's familiar. 

—--------------------------------

Victors haier was a…fixation. That was clear. Arkady was always watching, Victor caught his hands twitching once while he watched him braid his hair back. 

An experiment was in order then. 

"Hey red!" 

Arkadys head whipped around with that non-expression on his face as usual. 

"My hands still fucked from yesterday, think ya can help me with somethin?" 

"Da, what is it?" 

Victor nodded towards his bunk. Not too far from Arkady's. 

Or anyone else's on this goddamn jet. 

"Need to wash my hair but I aint got the time. Gotta get a braid in it at least or it'll mat so I was thinking you could help." He said. Arkady hummed, his eyes tracked Victor as he moved. Trying to dig out a brush from where Neena had hers hidden. Why use his own when Neena had one? 

"Why me?" Arkady rumbled. 

 "Hate when Dom does it," Victor scoffed, ripping Domino's brush off where it was taped up behind a lip on the ceiling. "Mystique and Lady D ain't gonna happen. Kotik doesn't have thumbs last I checked. So yeah, you." 

When Victor turnned round again his little master plan almost crumbled. 

Arkady's pupils were blown, just a bit, and his scent bled a mix of arousal and other things Victor didn't take the time to figure out. 

"Ya don't have to of course-" 

Arkady snatched the brush from his hand and scowled. 

"Sit down." He said, Victor laughed, dropped down heavy on his bed and looked over his shoulder. 

"Let's go then Red." 

Arkady smiled, more just a tilt of his head than any movement of his mouth, and pushed Victor's head around with a gentle hand on his jaw. 

Victors scenses dug into that feeling without his permission. 

Red had a scar on the tip of his first finger, calluses rough on his palms. Like they'd been shredded over and over and-his coils. Of course. They skate over his palms. 

Victor almost didn't notice when Arkady started at his hair. Parting it down the middle best he could and working out the knots. 

Really did need a brush. 

It's quiet, except the drag of brush through hair. Victor closed his eyes and let Arkady work. Arkady's breath echoed in his ears as he started to doze. There was just…this amount of comfort to it. 

He's almost sad when Arkady patted his shoulder and leaned away, a long braid trailing neat and tidy down Victor's back. 

Before he can say anything, whether a thank you or a joke about the heavy arousal in Arkady's scent, the cockpit doors to the Blackbird came clanging open with Domino screaming about something. Behind her a high pitch rang out, some kind of sonic weapon. 

It didn't seem to bother anyone too much, but Victor grunted and bent in on himself. 

Hurts-

-then it was muffled. Callused palms and skin heat settled gentle over his ears and pressed tight. Enough to muffle but not enough to be painful. 

"Stop it!" He heard Arkady yell, but Victor couldn't focus. Even with the sonic sound less terrible. 

At least Arkady is there, Arkady is-

—---------------------‐—-------

The sweater was from a safehouse. Victor's. 

Settled in Quebec, the safehause was one of his favorites and he was careful to keep it safe. 

He brought Arkady there. 

Arkady, who knew barely a lick of French and Quebec French is something else. 

It was the end of December, cold, and Arkady shivered. Only once, the cold bit him hard only once. But the second it did, Victor turned and shoved his sweater into his hands. 

In the Red project, with the KGB, he was taught to value nothing. It was quite literally beat into him. But this sweater he takes so much care to keep track of. Victor's stupid ratty blue sweater. 

He sleeps in it every night, tucks it away-hidden under the mattress-after breakfast every day. 

It has a hole. 

A worn patch in the knitting finally falling through after the years. 

Arkady refuses to be upset about it, it's only a sweater! 

It isn't Victor. 

Victor doesn't even remember. 

Arkady stuffs it under the mattress with a scowl and something distinctly not the beginning of a cry. 

He picks up a book on the bedside table, a book titled what's next? that he reads every day. 

The rituals, they keep him whole. 

Always have. Whether it be slashing his own throat every morning in the Red Room and hoping it'll stick, like an alarm clock it dinged every morning. Time to try and die. 

Or tucking a sweater under his mattress after breakfast every morning. 

He finishes the book every day. 

Nothing makes sense. 

Kyle crawls into his personal space on the couch with a smartphone in his hands, something Neena no doubt got him, and a smile on his face. 

It doesn't make sense.

Arkady stands, careful not to jostle Kyle where he's fallen asleep against him, and moves outside. 

His long legs sprawl out in front of him as he gets settled on his front steps. 

The ground shifts and rumbles beside him, instead of just simply being there this time Victor appears like he's fighting to be there. Arkady only glances to the side, then back to the cliffs and the water. 

"What did you do to me?" 

"You've found your voice I see." 

"Red." 

Arkady turns to look at Victor properly, tucking one leg under the other. 

"I've done a lot of bad things, you'll have to be more clear." 

Victor reaches out and settles one hand of dirt and rocks on Arkady's chest. Arkady lets him. 

"You took somethin from me." 

"Nothing that was not freely given." Arkady mumbles, he closes his eyes. 

"Arkady, I've been in my head. This whole time. I don't know everything but I'm starting to pick it up-" 

"Then you know what happened." 

Victor moves his hand to Arkady's cheek. 

"Not really," 

"You'll figure it out. You're smart moya koshka." Arkady stands, his hand slides over Victor's as he pushes it away. 

"Kitten, please-" 

"Don't call me that!" Arkady whips around and points an accusing hand at vicfor. "You do not know what it means." 

He swears and turns away again. But Victor is stubborn. A heavy hand settles on Arkady's shoulder, slides down his arm, sharp claws against his rough palm then fingers sliding between his. It's gentle, slow enough he could say no if he wanted to. 

He doesn't. 

"I want to know red. I need to fill these gaps. You're there, you're in all of them. Please." 

Arkady turns his head and pulls Victor's mouth to his. 

He tastes like dirt, wind, and rocks. Nothing like Victor. 

But he kisses the same as always. Like an artist. 

Then he's gone, and Arkady spits the taste onto the ground. 

—-------------------------------

"Hes cold-" 

Fabric rustles, a groan rings out in the dark of the night. The gate is only a few feet away, but before they can heft their brother back into their arms men come out of the woods and surround them on the ground. 

"Leave us alone, we haven't done any harm-" 

The crack of a slap breaks the silence and she falls to her knees. She covers her brothers sick body with her own. Her other brother stands taller and with a wave of his hand the attackers are lost in whatever nightmare he's made for them. His eyes glow brighter, feeding off their minds until he turns and helps her drag their brother to the glowing gate. 

To Krakoa. 

Chapter Text

"Arkady!"

Arkadys eyes snap open, his book is tossed across the room and he's standing at the door in half a breath.

Kyle doesn't give him a chance to talk.

"Theres something going on, at the gates, the professor is there. Magneto. Half the council. It smelled like you, are you okay? What'd they do? I thought you were there-"

"I'm alright, take me there cub." Arkady said, Kyle nods and turns tail. He drops the all fours and dashes into the woods. Arkady struggles to keep up, but only barely.

It's a gift from Krakoa that they find their way there much faster than usual.

"Leave him alone!"

Arkady pushes past the council members, to see Professor X and Magneto standing above a small group.

Three kids.

His.

He knows it.

The girl is standing tall, between Xavier and a body spread out on the ground wrapped in red. Holding the body's head in its lap is another person. Dressed in dirty white.

"You can't be here, he's dangerous-"

Xavier is cut off by the girl's loud voice again. Tears streak down her face with it.

"Hes dying! You said we could come here, you said we'd be safe here!" She slides a step back and glances around. Behind her the white person's eyes glow a vibrant blue, but Xavier waves a hand and they yelp in pain. Those eyes don't go out though.

Arkady shoves his way to Xavier side and slides past him, he puts himself between the kids and the Professor.
Out of the corner of his eye he sees the girl sort of rag-doll, she doesn't relax really but she lets herself fall to her knees. Shielding the boy in red with her body.

"Omega Red-" Magneto tries, but Arkady won't have it.

"Why can't they be here?"

Magneto moves his hand and behind him the kids scream, the girl begging to just leave them alone.

Clearly there's metal in their bodies, especially the boy in red's, because Magneto raises him into the air and drags him closer. Arkady stands in the way and keeps them spread apart. Magneto sort of smirks and closes his fist.

The boy in red screams and his eyes open wide, Arkady feels it then.

The boy has death spores like him, but rather than take he gives.

Sickness burns in his throat and Arkady grunts with the pain.

"Stop."

Magneto doesn't.

Arkady flashes his hand forward and catches Magneto's neck in his broad hand.

"I told you to stop." He growls out. Magneto chokes, then throws Arkady away.

He hits a tree, then back on his feet.

The kids stare after him, but then he's in front of them again.

The girl speaks.

Calmer.

Barely held together.

"Hes dying! Please, please he's hurt. You said we were welcome. That we could be safe. We have nowhere else to go."

Magneto sets the boy in red back onto the ground, the air still smells of sickness. The heavy burning ache in your throat when you've got the flu. The weight in your limbs of pneumonia. It hurts.

The boy in white curls around his brother, his eyes glow and the red boy's whimpering stutters to a stop as he's pushed down into sleep again.

Arkady takes up his post between the kids and the Professor again.

"I will watch them. My responsibility." Arkady said, Xavier tilts his head. Clearly he and Magneto are talking in their heads.

"They are yours. Anything that happens is on your head. Deal with it." Magneto finally said.

With a nod Xavier turns to push the growing crowd away.

Arkady turns and drops to his knees, he cradles the boy in red in his arms as he stands. Then pins his eyes on the other two.

Twins mot likely.

Even though the boy had no hair, and the girls jaw was sharper. They had the same nose, the practiced movements of two people who have always had the other at their shoulder.

"Come." He said, Kyle at his side as they turn into the woods and walk.

All the way back home.

The kitchen table is swept clean and the boy in red is laid out as comfortably as he can manage on it. He doesn't wake, or move much at all really. The other boys powers must be strong to keep someone in so much pain in peaceful sleep.

First order of business, after sending Kyle out on mindless errands to talk to them alone,

"What are your names?" Arkady said. The girl shrugs.

"We don't have any. I'm Omega Black, he's Omega White, and he's Omega Red." She points at each brother as she speaks. The silent boy, then the boy in red laid out on the table.

"Those are not names." Arkady said, more a mumble to himself than anything else.

"Its what we've got." She crosses her arms and gives a small nod to White. "He doesn't talk, in case you haven't noticed."

White gives Arkady a small wave. Less that he's shy, more that he's concentrating on keeping both Red and his powers dormant.

"Whats wrong with him?" Arkday said, it's a good time to focus on the more pressing matter.

Black presses against Red's neck, finding a pulse and nodding for Arkady to check.

"Hes feverish, that's all it was for awhile, then he got sick, when everybody else got sick. Hes in so much pain-"

White moves his hands, quick curt sign language, and Black translates it with a glance.

"He's panicked, the sleep isn't helping anymore. It used to. He would get worse and White would put him under for a little while then he'd be alright." Black shakes her head.

Under his fingertips Reds pulse is stuttering and slow. His skin hot, muscles tense.

He isn't sleeping, not really, he's caught in that half second before you wake up.

Arkady pulls him into a bridal carry again.

"I'll take care of it," he pauses at the door and continues, "don't mind the tiger." Before kicking the door closed.

He isn't sure what they'll do, so long as nobody gets hurt he doesn't care.

The farther he walks the more restless the boy in his arms gets.

Not that he has much strength in him. He's lean like Arkady was as a kid. Thin with sickness. His skin only getting warmer. Eventually his eyes snap open with a yelp, he claws at Arkady's arms and squirms.

Arkady doesn't drop him though, he goes down to his knees as gentle as he can in the meadow he likes to read in so much.

Red pushes him away and tries to sit up, panting and shaking.

"Breathe, it hurts more if you don't breathe." Arkady said, the kid does as he's asked. With some difficulty.

Before he can speak, and work himself up more, Arkady continues.

"You have to let it out. If you don't let the spores go they'll eat you, kill you." Arkady holds a hand out to his son.

"I will take care of it, you will hurt no one." He said, the boy looks down at Arkady's hand, then back to his face in a quick flick of his wide eyes.

"I can't, you'll die. They'll get hurt-we've always wanted to meet you. Please, please I can't-"

"You must. Your siblings are safe, you will not harm me." Arkady reaches out and holds tight to Red's shoulders. "You have to let it out or you will be killed by your own mutation. You have no choice, I am sorry."

Under Arkady's hands the boy trembles. He bites his lip, hard, then goes lax. His head bumps against Arkady's collarbone as Arkady wraps his arms around him.

Arkady nuzzles his face against the boy's hair, taking in his scent before he's overwhelmed by sickness. He tenses up and stretches out his powers, pulling in the spores that are such a match for his own. Taking. Always taking.

The boy whines, he squirms to get closer. Like a toddler. How old is he?

Arkady jerks his head to the side and coughs a thin stream of blood. Swallowing down the rest and focusing in.

Slowly the pain starts to decrease, he'll need rest time but for now he's alright.

Arkady opens his eyes-when had they closed?- to see his son staring up at him. Watery red eyes crawling across every inch of his face.

Then he faints.

Arkady catches him and pulls him into his lap again, he cradles him like a baby. Finally he takes a second to breathe, to see his son for the first time.

He looks just like him, though he is a tad less pail. His hair a little more gold. His face is sofer, almost like he still has baby fat to lose. There, on the bridge of his nose, a few faint freckles.

Arkady leans down and brushes a kiss on his forehead.

—---------------------------

The twins are sitting stiff on the couch when Arkady leaves his bedroom, Red settled in his bed wrapped in so many blankets you could only see one hand sticking out and golden hair sticking up like straw.

Arkady doesn't speak, and as stubborn as Black seems to be she breaks easy.

"Are you going to hurt us? Kill us? We didn't ask to take your place!" She said, she starts to stand but White's hand whips out and holds her there.

He reaches out, stands up when he can't touch Arkady, and hesitates with his hand reaching to take one of Arkady's hands in between his own.

Arkady meets him in the middle as an answer, once he touches him his mind lights up.

It's unlike any telepath he's felt before, White doesn't force his way in or walk like a tourist in your head. He's a boy who lives in these places, the worn pathways of liminal spaces. Brainwaves he sleeps tucked between. A boy who lives in his head, more than his body. He is able to take, to twist and hurt, but he doesn't have to.

Then Arkady understands.

White steps away and sits back at his sister's side, a lone tear slides down Arkady's face.

He doesn't know what to say, what to do. With Kyle it was simple, but with his own children? He has no clue.

"You are welcome here." He mumbles. Then he turns, and out the door again.

Arkady drops to his knees, flops onto his side, and lets it all go. Curled up in his meadow.

This time Victor isn't here to save him.

He's carved out, empty, surrounded by all that was taken.

"You? A father?" Vassily laughed, then pushed Arkady away. "Idiot, monsters aren't fathers."

Arkady stopped walking with a nod, in front of him Vassily walked toward home.

Like a knife in his gut the words twist and he spins with a scream. He catches the eye of a neighbor. An old man, a military man.

He kicks the door open with a raging growl, his hand clenched into fists beside him. The air tastes like death.

The old man yells something Arkady doesn't care enough to absorb. He snatches a half dull knife from the table beside him and falls on the man. Beneath his knees the man screams and kicks, but Arkady isn't little anymore. He's tall, built like the trees and just as much a force of nature.

Warm blood splashes sticky-slick across his face eith the force of the first stab. If he had died just then maybe it would have stopped.

But he didn't.

Arkady opened his mouth in a blood chilling scream, a banshee wail, and held his knife in both hands. Down, and down, and down. Over and over blood paints him and the walls.

Arkady leans back and licks his lips, the iron tang lights something in him. Like a match he ignites.

The man's body withers beneath him, and Arkady burns.

—---------------------------

Once again Victor finds himself shoved back to the familiar woods of his early years. His sounding board for all his ideas, yes, but annoying now.

The parts of his mind he can't reach, the parts painted red and speaking Russian, push him away every time.

"Fuck!"

A three crashes to the ground, then another.

"FUCK!"

Victor sits down with a heaving sigh. No use, he closes his eyes and pulls up an image. Cypher, with that smug smile, pulling him into being a few yards away to chase-to hunt.

"(I've proved you right! Haven't I? Come see!)"

The words are sobbing, quick clipped Russian. Pride, pain, the air tastes like blood.

Victor stands and whips around to face the voice, a door stands against a tree. Inside he smells blood, Arkady, terror, familiar death spores. Though they lack the usual sting.

Fuck it, there's nothing else to do.

Victor steps inside and the door slams behind him.

"(Mama-I am a monster.)" Arkady sniffles, Victor freezes. He's never heard Arkady sniffle. He only ever grunts.

But he turns the corner to see him properly, then it clicks.

A memory, Arkady is small. Lithe with a little baby fat still on his face. He's…a kid.

Victor drops to his knees beside him, catches Arkady's wrist when he swings the knife at him. A little pressure and the knife clatters to the floor. Arkady thrashes.

"(Bastard! Die! Everyone needs to die!)" Victor slaps one big hand over his mouth and turns him to get eye to eye.

"(Stop red, you've got to stop. Whatever this is, it's hurting you.)" He said, Arkady claws at the back of his hand. Tears stream through the blood on his small face.

"I love a good murder, I do, but you're choosing a very bad one to relive-"

Arkady bites and rips a good chunk of his hand off, rather than spit it out he swallows and lashes out, his knuckles shatter Victor's nose and he wriggles away.

Victor swears and holds his hands up. Copper fills his nose until he can't smell anything else while he stands stock still and waits for Arkady to calm down.

They stare at each other, unblinking, from either side of the tattered corpse. Blood still sliding down the walls.

"You can't stop me!" Arkady switches to English, probably without realizing it, "I'll kill everyone. Everyone!"

He lunges at him, victor catches him and slams the kid against the wall hard enough to knock the breath out of him.

"I know, you will. You do." He isn't sure how he knows. Maybe…maybe that's one of the blank spots. "You told me. I think you brought me here. The whole place, empty and rotting. You did it. You ended it." Victor said.

"I…" in front of him Arkady changes. Growing up in seconds in front of his eyes. Until standing there, in the same threadbare clothes, is the Arkady Victor knows. Tall and wide, laced with metal. Lines of age around his eyes but nowhere else, as if he'd seen so much they aged faster then the rest of his body.

"I do." He said. Victor nods.

"You did."

Arkady drags his eyes up from the floor, when he looks at Victor's face it feels like he's carving every feature into his memory. Every freckle and wrinkle, deep hazel eyes. Ragged scruff-

Arkady kisses him.

Rough hands cradle his face and pull him closer in a kiss that's so soft it hurts. Victor makes a sound, only a gasp really, and grabs onto Arkady's shoulders like a man drowning.

Body warmed metal, hot like jewelry carried in flesh day in and day out, curls across his neck. Then down and around and around. Arkadys coils pull him almost off his feet-then they do, and he's a foot off the ground. Maybe more.

Arkady pulls away and stares up at him with fucking hearts in his eyes.

The pad of his thumb brushes across Victor's cheek, something in him eases.

"I can't-" Victor shakes his head and tries again, "-I can feel this. You. Sensation memory. But I don't remember the actual event."

Still.

It's a comfort to be wrapped like this in Arkady's coils. Red looking at him with joy. Familair.

"Tell me red, at the very least how I lost my memories." Victor whispers.

Arkady looks away, melancholy, and the world shifts. Flashes, quakes.

A pit of metal, spikes, blood, screaming, Graydon, hell, then-

Nothing.

Victor blinks and it's gone.

Arkady sits him down, slow, without meeting his eyes.

"You died." He said, Victor grabs onto his coils when he tries to slide away. Hot skin, warm metal, it's so familiar. So out of reach.

"Don't leave red-im so close. I can remeber. I can. I am." Victor said, he pleads really. He'll never admit it.

Arkady closes his eyes, one hand curls around Victor's hipbone. He presses him closer with a choked breath.

"You left me." Arkady said, "Weapon X Force. That's what you called us. It ended when you died. You gave your life for us." Arkady scrunches his eyebrows together, Victor gives in to temptation and presses his thumb against the little wrinkle between them.

He doesn't notice the world change.

An abandoned complex of some kind, metal, bloody. It smelled like fear.

On the edge of a pit sat two people, they come into focus and Victor leans away from their embrace with surprise.

"Monet? You? What are you two doing?" He said, Arkady doesn't open his eyes. But still when he juts his chin out to point at the pair he's accurate. How many times has he relived this?

"You two had a thing didn't you?" Monet said, Victor whips his head around so hard he gets a crick in his neck.

Past Arkady only nods.

"I thought so, the way he looked at you." Monet continues.

Past Arkady looks up from the pit of metal, only to quickly jerk his head back. Like if he keeps looking Victor will crawl out of the wreckage.

"He isn't coming back." Monet said, she stands and dusts herself off. "I'm leaving. Gotta go figure myself out. Good luck Omega." She offers a small wave, then takes to the sky.

Past Arkady doesn't bother watching after her. His eyes stay pinned to the pit.

Past Arkady swipes his hand through a puddle of blood, then licks it off with a sigh.

His eyes never leave the pit.

"You…" Victor turns to look at his Arkady now, current red, and nuzzles close.

"I waited for days." Arkady mumbles.

"You thought I might come back?" Victor whispered. Arkady nods.

"Darlin'-"

"I didn't know you had, I didn't know where you were. When you showed up again I couldn't approach tou. I didn't think you remembered." Arkady said. Victor blinks and they're standing in that familair blue house. Arkady pushes him away enough to get away from the wall and a few steps into the room.

"I missed you." Arkady tugs Victor against him again and presses his face against his neck, that soft space under his ear. Victor's instincts ease, a few things clicking into place and he calms down more than he has in ages.

"You-"

He doesn't finish his thought, he cuts himself off instead.

"You didn't take anything, it's pheromones." He said, he feels Arkady nod. "But how? You're not a feral."

Arkady moves to look him in the eyes, the air turns sour around them. Sickness, the smell of hospitals and prisons. Cold winter-

"My death spores are pheromones cat." He said, Victor hums. He can't manage to avoid his want-need-to kiss Arkady then.

There's something about it as their lips meet again, unlike the other small kisses they've been sharing.

It's a coming together, a reunion. Absently Victor smells salt, whether it's his tears or Arkady's he doesn't know.

Arkady pulls away to breathe but it lasts less than a second. Immediately they press back together. Victor whimpers and cradles Arkady's face between his hands like a precious thing. He is such a precious thing. Arkady catches his hand and threads their fingers together. Every movement they make, as close as they can be without melting into the same space-sharing the same cells-is easy and perfectly in tandem. Holding their hands together palm to palm as Victor's sharp nose bumps into Arkady's.

The air between them when they bother to breathe is thick, but not heavy. No its…its welcoming. A blanket after a long day. It smells like them both. Almost impossible to pull their scents apart and Victor doesn't want to try.

At some point, around the time Arkady works his hand under Victor's shirt to press his palm flat against the heat and thump thud of his chest, they stop trying to seperate to breathe at all. Gasping as they kiss.

It's not foreplay, not something to push to the next thing. It's seeking comfort. Offering it, receiving it.

Victor's crying.

They both might be.

Victor curls his hand around the back of Arkady's neck, a question-will you find me? Come get me?

Arrkady tilts his head to deepen the kiss, an answer-always.

Victor sniffles and runs his claws gentle and slow through the hair at the base of Arkady's skull. It's softer there, like feather down. Baby chick's and little dogs. It smells perfectly like him. No place really holds a scent that that spot there. Victor slides his claws across the place where hair turns to skin with a heavy sigh. Breathing, baring down, while Arkady twists his fingers gentle as can be through victor's chest hair.