Brother
By Lee Tybird

Collected for The Wayside by Kielle

From what I understand, Alex Summers (pre-Mutant-X) has had an incredible inferiority complex when it comes to his brother, Scott. It's true. Scott's pretty perfect. I think that might be why so many fan fic writers don't like him. He's so perfect it can drive readers crazy. It obviously drives Alex out of his mind. Truth, I feel his pain. While I love my own brother, I've always thought of myself as a lower life form, and, while reading an issue X-Factor (Specifically the one where they go to a shrink. Sorry, I can't remember the number) I realized just how much I sympathize.

Disclaimer: Alex and Scott and Jamie and anyone else are Marvel's. No money. Don't sue.


A brother. I've got a brother. He's perfect. He does everything right. He gets everything his heart's ever wanted or needed. I don't remember, but he probably got all of our parents' attention. We've never gotten along. I'm glad I don't have to deal with him on a regular basis. I'd probably go insane.

I guess you could say I'm jealous. I guess you could say I'm being stupid. I probably am, but I hate it that his life is perfect. He's married to a beautiful woman who loves him half to death. He's a good leader, who is respect by the people he leads. He will one day be a wonderful father.

Me? I'm a leader. Not very good. Not very secure. Not like my brother. My girlfriend and I got into our third fight of the week. The people I lead don't give me much respect. I don't have a clue what to do.

My brother would know.

People say I should call him and ask him for advise. I don't want to. It would remind me of how pathetic I am next to him. How wrong I get things the majority of the time.

Sure, my brother's been through some hard times. Marriage troubles, child troubles, team troubles. He's always seemed to come through it and not change. I know for a fact he's had doubts, but it seems like, no matter what kind of trials he's been put through, he can still remain the same. That's how I see him.

Whenever I see him, I never see gray hairs. If he has them, they're hidden very well. Mine have begun to come in. Whenever I see them, I yell at my friend Jamie, saying "This is all your fault!!" Even though it's probably at least half the way true, I'm only joking.

Sometimes I wish I were my brother. Good friend. Good husband. Good leader. Good man. No, I don't deny that he's a good me. He is. I just wish I were as good.

"Get over it. You're two different people," is what I'm told. That we can never be the same, and I'm good in my own way. "What way is that?" I ask. Somehow, I never really got a straight answer.

A brother. I've got a brother.

I wish, sometimes, that I didn't.