Disclaimers etc. in Part 1

The Object of His Affections
Part 2

***

Logan drove like a maniac, cigar stub jammed between his
teeth.

It wasn't that he was afraid Marie was in danger. He
just always drove like a maniac, and the lack of traffic
at mid-morning on the Thruway did nothing but encourage
him.

He made the trip in about half the time it would
normally take, and pulled the BMW into the Mobil Station
just off Route 17.

Marie, her two friends, and a seedy-looking character in
grease-stained coveralls were sitting on the hood of the
Neon, eating McDonald's.

Marie was laughing, her head thrown back, the column of
her throat bared. He stopped and stared through the
windshield.

Marie's neck was mysterious territory, rarely seen and
usually covered by one of her many scarves. He wondered
what it tasted like, then shook himself.

He got out of the car and the gas jockey jumped up, as
if suddenly remembering he was supposed to be working,
not flirting with Logan's girlfriend.

<Whoa. Slow down, bub,> Logan told himself. <She's not
your girlfriend. Yet. And if you don't play it cool, she
never will be.>

"Rogue," he said, keeping his voice low and neutral.
"You ready to get out of here?"

She blushed. <Uh oh.> Did that mean she liked the gas
jockey? Or was something else going on?

"Yeah," she said. She ducked her head and grabbed her
duffel bag.

Kitty and Jubilee smiled guilelessly at him, and he knew
he was in trouble. He wasn't sure yet what exactly the
trouble was, but he knew he was neck deep in it and
would keep sinking unless he got control of the
situation soon.

"If you just pay Todd for the repairs, we can get out of
here," Kitty said.

"Pay--" he growled, reaching into his wallet. "What
happened to your credit card?"

Kitty flushed. "Uh, we maxed it out."

"What's this 'we,' kemo sabe?" Jubilee said, cracking
her gum. She turned to Logan. "KitKat bought some book
for the Prof, so we were over the limit. If you just pay
Todd, Kitty and I'll drive the rust bucket and you can
take Rogue." She sniggered. He narrowed his eyes, but
she didn't stop. Obviously, she'd intended that double
entendre, and damn his body for responding eagerly to
the thought.

"I could have just given the guy the credit card number
over the phone."

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't really be rescuing us,
would you?" Jubilee answered reasonably.

"Jubes!" Rogue said from the front seat of the Beemer.

Something was definitely going on, and it had nothing to
do with his credit card or the car repairs. He leveled a
long glare at Jubilee, who shrugged and cracked her gum,
slipping her sunglasses off the top of her head and onto
her nose.

Ten minutes later, they were cruising back down the
Thruway.

Logan shot curious sideways glances at Marie when he
could, but she stared out the window. She hadn't made
eye contact with him yet, which was kind of worrisome.

She took the red bandanna out of her hair and pulled the
heavy mass into a ponytail. He breathed deep. She
smelled of sweat and gas, leather and Marie. It was a
pleasant combination.

"Oh God," she said suddenly. "I must stink. I'm so
sorry, Logan. I should have ridden with the girls."

<Shit.> He hadn't expected her to notice him breathing
her in. "Nah. You smell good."

From someone less delicate-looking, the sound she made
would have been called a snort, but even when she was
knocking back shots of Jack and swearing like a sailor,
there was something curiously ladylike about Rogue.
"Yeah, okay." Her disbelief was obvious.

He took another deep breath and thought, <This is it. Do
it now. Tell her.> "You always smell good." He nodded
decisively. "I think that's why I trusted you right
away."

Another snort. "I hadn't showered in a week, Logan. I
must have stunk like a... really stinky thing."

"No. You smelled good. Natural. Like you. I like it."
<Work with me here, kid,> he thought.

She darted a quick glance at him, a smile lighting up
her face, before she turned back to the window.
"Thanks."

He grunted in frustration. She was going to make him say
romantic stuff. He hated saying romantic stuff. It never
came out right and made him sound like a pansy.

"You look good, too."

She looked down at herself, and he looked as well, when
he could take his eyes from the road. She was wearing a
short, white v-neck t-shirt that exposed a strip of
lethal skin above the waist of her low-riding blue
jeans. Her arms were encased in gloves made of the
softest black leather he'd been able to find, hand-made
in Italy just for her. The bandanna, which had probably
started out around her neck, was now holding her hair in
the ponytail.

"Not exactly ready for the cover of  'Vogue'," she said.

He shrugged a shoulder. "You always look good." <I sound
like an idiot.> Where was his usual charm? His ability
to flirt the pants off any woman in a fifty-mile radius?
When had he turned into a twelve-year-old boy?

She smiled again. "Thanks."

There. That was it. That smile. That's what made him
feel young and stupid. Because he didn't want it to go
away. He wanted to make her smile like that all the
time, and he was afraid that if he said the wrong thing,
she'd never smile at him again.

<This is it. Don't fuck it up.> He removed the cigar
from his mouth and took a deep breath, steeling himself
for the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

"I'minlovewithyou," he blurted, rushing the words
together.

She turned to face him so quickly he was afraid she'd
get whiplash. "What?"

"I'm in love with you." Slightly slower this time.

Her reaction was not exactly what he'd been hoping for.

She burst into laughter.

He blinked.

She was still laughing.

He sucked hard on the cigar and shook his head. He was
sure he was having a dream now -- a nightmare, really --
and it was time to wake up.

He flexed and extended half an inch of adamantium from
each knuckle, and it *hurt*.

She was still laughing.

Not a nightmare then. At least, not one from which he
could wake up.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, as her giggles subsided
and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"How much did Jubes and Kitty pay you to say that?"

<What the--> "What the fuck are you talking about,
Marie?"

The good humor fled from her face. "It's not a joke?"

"A joke? I tell you I love you and you think it's a
fucking *joke*? Jesus Christ, kid." He shook his head.
That stung more than he thought it would.

"I'm sorry," she said tentatively.

He said nothing.

She reached over and took his hand off the steering
wheel.

"I just -- You've been flirting with me." She turned his
hand over, tracing the lines on his palm with her index
finger, then rubbing his knuckles. "I just figured it
out today." She twined her fingers with his. "You told
me you loved Jean, and that I was too young," she
reminded him. "I believed you."

"Well, I thought it was true when I said it," he
allowed, "but it's not true anymore." He gripped her
hand tightly. "So, what do you say?" He held his breath,
waiting for her answer.

She laughed again, a nervous chuckle instead of the
full-out laughter of earlier. "Um, I love you, too,
Logan, but--"

He froze. "But?"

She winced and grabbed his wrist. "You're hurting me."

He dropped her hand as if it was on fire.

"But?" It was a low growl.

"It took me a long time to get over you, to deal with
the fact that you didn't want me. I can't do that again.
So, if this is some sort of, of pity thing or
something--"

"It's not."

"Logan--"

"I'm telling you, it's not. It's definitely not pity.
Listen to me." He glanced over at her, and saw she was
chewing her lower lip, always a sign of nerves or deep
thought. "I know you, and I know you know me. And you
love me anyway. We're not -- it's not some sort of
fantasy thing here. It's real. It's us. It just took me
a little longer to figure it out. Do you know what I
mean?"

"Yes."

"So?"

"So, what?"

He huffed, exasperated. "So, you and me -- are we a
thing, or not?"

"I love you. I never denied that, Logan. But you're
going to have to give me some time to get used to the
idea of you and me being -- a thing."

"I can do that," he said immediately.

"Can you?"

"Marie." Ignoring common sense and all driving
etiquette, he cut across three lanes of traffic, pulled
the BMW onto the shoulder and threw it into park, so he
could face her without worrying about driving.

"Kitty and Jubes--"

"Know the way home. They've been ahead of us the whole
time."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He wasn't going to let her change the subject.
He turned to look at her, resting his hands on her
shoulders.  "Darlin', I just told you I loved you. I've
never said that to anyone before." She opened her mouth
and he said, "Let me finish. I might have said it
*about* Jean, but I never said it to her. And I never
will. Because I love *you*. I don't know how many more
times I'll have to say it to convince you, but I will.
Because it's true."

"Show me."

He raised an eyebrow and grinned.  "Right here, on the
side of the road?"

She blushed and he wondered how far down her body it
extended. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. He
leaned in close, his lips almost brushing her ear. "I
wanna make love to you, Marie."

He could feel her body's response, but she sighed and
said, "That's not what I meant."

He sat back. "Oh. 'Cause I don't mean to brag or
anything, but it'd be really good."

"You have no idea, sugar," she purred, giving him a look
that warmed his blood and sent it racing south. "But I
meant, I need you to act like you're in love with me,
not just say it."

He bit back his first response. He had to handle this
carefully. "Okay," he said after a few moments. "Can you
help me out with that? Maybe give me some guidelines?"

"First, if we're a -- thing, you can't be with any other
women."

"Of course," he said immediately. "Not interested in
anyone but you." It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "I
may look," he continued. "I mean, I'm not dead. But it's
you I want."

She nodded. "Two, you can't play the big manly man all
the time. If we're in a relationship," and he fought
back an instinctive wince at the word, "we discuss
things and make decisions together. We're partners. I
don't want to be your 'little woman' or some other
crap."

"Fine. I'm not up on all this Oprah bullshit, but I'm
all for us being equal partners. I want you to have your
space, because I want mine."

"Okay. The thing is, though, Logan, you actually have to
*do* this. You have to remember to *talk* to me. You
can't just --"

"Don't I talk to you now? Tell you shit I don't tell
anyone else?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then-- Look, I'm not perfect. I know that. I know
I'm not exactly Prince Charming." He reached out a hand
and ran a finger over the white streak in her hair. "But
I can show you that I love you, if you let me."

Her eyes widened but she didn't pull away at the close
contact. "What are you saying?"

He brushed the pad of his thumb lightly over the curve
of her cheek, too quickly for her mutation to kick in.
"Let me touch you."

She swallowed hard. "I-- Logan--"

"I want you to believe me."

"I believe you." It was barely a whisper; if he hadn't
had hypersensitive hearing, he'd have missed it. Her
eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Don't cry, darlin'," he said, running a hand over her
hair and hugging her to him. He wanted so badly to touch
her, not even to show her how he was feeling, but simply
because she was Marie and he needed to touch her, to
reassure her that he was there, even if he screwed up
sometimes.

"I'm not," she sniffed. "I just -- God--" She pressed
her lips to his chest, over his heart, and he buried his
face in her hair, breathing deeply. "I never thought --
never -- that you would want me like this. And now you
-- God." Her words were muffled from being cradled
against his chest, but he had no trouble hearing her.

"Hey, hey," he said. "I'm an idiot. I know."

She looked up at smiled, and again he realized how happy
she made him, how happy he wanted to make her. "It's
okay," she said. "I won't tell if you don't."

"That's my girl."

She squirmed, and suddenly was in his lap; she straddled
him, pushing him back against the soft leather of the
driver's seat. "Now what was that about wanting to make
love to me?" she asked, looking up at him coyly through
her lashes.

He didn't have to be asked twice. In a move that would
have been impressive from a smaller man in a larger
space, he had her on the back seat of the car in a
flash.

When they strolled into the mansion kitchen two hours
later, hair mussed and lips swollen, looking satisfied,
Jubilee smirked.

"Good thing we called you to rescue us," she said.

"Yeah," Logan answered. "Good thing."

~end~

***

~victoria

~*~

The Muse's Fool:
http://www.unfitforsociety.net/musesfool
read my diary: http://musesfool.diaryland.com

Hi all,

This is the comparison piece to ”Do You Love Me?” posted a few days ago.
In time this fic can be read on fanfiction.net here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=104470


Enjoy:


Cuts Like A Knife
By Nadja Lee          6/06/02
English is not my native language. Please forgive me my mistakes.
Disclaimer: “X-men” and all the characters here belong to Marvel, 20 Century Fox
and I intend no infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make
no money of it.
Disclaimer: “Knife” was sung by Rockwell (at least this version I’m listening to
now is *LOL*) and belong to him, song writers, record company and I intend no
infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make no money of it.
Only the original idea contained within this work is the property of the author.
Please do not copy this story to any website or archive without permission of
the author.
Timeline: Set in the movie universe. After the movie.
Universe: Set in the movie universe.
Romance: Scott/Jean, Logan/Rogue
Summary: Scott thinks about his very strange and often painful relationship with
Jean and compares it to Logan and Rogue’s.
Archiving: Want, ASK, take,  have.
Feedback: Yes, please. My e-mail address is nadjalee2000@...
Rating: R.
Sequel/series: Comparison piece to “Do You Love Me?”
Thanks to Estelle for the Beta.

* * *
Part 1:
“Do you love me, Scott?”
I’ve never known love; I don’t know what it is. I’m an orphan; love was for
princes in fairytales…..never for me.
Do I love you? What a strange thing to ask. Of course I do……..but I also hate
you. You bring me the greatest joy and the greatest pain.
You play a game and too late I figured out that I was part of it. Closeness or
distance, love or hate, joy or sorrow………it’s all just a game.
When you smile at me I melt and I can’t help smiling back, when you put your
arms around me I swear I’m in Heaven, when you’re near me I want to bless the
day I met you.
But then you turn around. You avoid me; pull free from my embrace, go hunting
and hurt me in the worst possible ways. You bring me to my knees, you hurt and
taunt me……
At first I thought it was a phase. The only thing I had to compare our love to
was what I’ve read in books or seen in TV and they always make it look so easy….
their love was only joy and happiness. So when you started pulling back I let
you go, when you flirted with others in front of me I pretended I didn’t
see…….when you stayed away for entire nights only to return to explain in full
what you had done………I tried to be strong but tears fell from my eyes and I fell
to my knees and begged; please don’t break me this way. Please don’t. Your words
and actions are like a knife. It cuts me like a knife to my heart. I’m so deeply
wounded.
But you continued to hurt me; you always do. It’s a game, I know that now.
Love’s nothing but a game. Little by little my childhood fantasies of a perfect
love dimmed and left only cold hard reality. Well, two can play this game. Two
can be a knife. I haven’t lived on the streets for nothing. I can take that
coldness back I gave up to love you; believe me, darling, if you want to compare
coldness and hurtful schemes……..I’ll bury you.
Don’t judge me for what I do; you started it. I’ve yet to take a lover and you
have had many so don’t look like that……..I must admit I do enjoy the flash of
hurt in your eyes when I purposely kiss Kitty in front of you. She admires me,
hero worships me…….I use her. Maybe if I could let my wall down I could see her
in another light than a tool to get to you but as long as you can wound me so
deeply I don’t dare to open my heart.
Our game continued and culminated when Logan and Rogue arrived. Of course you
had to put the moves on him; I knew you would. What you hadn’t counted on was he
refusing you. No one has ever refused you before. I couldn’t help laughing at
your baffled look when he turned you down rather loudly in the dinner
hall……..priceless.
I see them together; Logan and Rogue. I envy them so strongly I can taste it. I
don’t love Rogue in that way but I envy the love they share. It’s so pure and
simple. They have no games and no barriers. They’re open and honest………Gods, I
wish I had a love like that. Their love is in one word; perfect. They’re so
matched to each together, there is no power play or hurtful words between them,
no role games………no mind games. He’s her protector and she’s his soul and heart.
So simple and so pure. So………….perfect.
Don’t I deserve a love like that? Maybe I don’t. Maybe I want a love like the
love I share with you; filled with joy………filled with pain. Maybe I need it.
But the truth is it hurts me. Cuts like a knife. I’m bleeding, I’m drowning. I’m
so deeply wounded. How will I ever heal? Can I heal?
“Do you love me?”
Your question is unreasonable, darling, but so is this game we have to play. So,
what shall I say? I can’t lie. We never lie in words……..only with everything
else we’ve got.
“Occasionally, Jean…….. occasionally.”
And in my mind I add; when you don’t cut me like a knife. Can’t you see I’m so
deeply wounded?


The End

Greetings all:)  Here to drop off for your viewing pleasure, "No Choice #8: 
Discovery".  If needed to refresh your memory since it's been so long (lol), the
first 7 parts can be found here:

http://wtv-zone.com/xxtheroguexx/authorsko/indexko.html

Enjoy:)
Kristine

******************************************

Title: Discovery
Author: Kristine
Email: xxtheroguexx@...
Rated: NC-17
Summary:  "No choice in the matter for it was already done."
Series: No Choice #8
Warning:  Sex ahead....Don't look so shocked....'g'
Disclaimer: Me no own....Marvel and Fox does....nuff said.
Feedback: Better than se...um...yes please! Love it, hate it...I want to hear
it:)
Archive: Sure...just let me know where it's headed.
Website: Agony & Exstasy ~ http://wtv-zone.com/xxtheroguexx/index.html
Thanks to:  Helena....'wink'
Dedicated to:  The wonderful people from DDFH.  Were it not for them, I would
never have had the courage to post my fics in the first place.  I thank you
ladies and gents for the much needed encouragement:)
Notes:  Good God, where to begin?  I suppose I should first apologize for taking
so damn long to get this out.  Um....Sorry about that.  Let's just chalk it up
to too damn much time spent in doctor's offices and hospitals.  That done....I
couldn't quite decide how to end this series and it finally dawned on me that I
couldn't do it in one chapter...Not unless you all wanted to wait
for-freaking-ever for the epilogue.  I'm a damn slow writer...LoL  I've got it
figured out now. This isn't the epilogue....A couple chapters to go yet:) 
Anyways...On with the fic!

------------------------------------------------------

Rogue watched in silence as Wolverine emerged from the shower, his body
glistening wet, rivulets of water pooled around his feet as he took the towel
she offered from her hands. She silently followed him, her own towel clad body
shivering slightly as they left the wet heat of the bathroom. She could sense
his tension as he strode across the room and sank heavily into a chair.

Wolverine hadn't spoken or touched her since the woods. He had simply gathered
her up and they had made their way back to the motel to collect their things. In
the three days that they had been driving, the only sounds he had uttered were
the occasional growls directed her way if she strayed to far from him when they
made an infrequent stop.

This was the first time they had stopped for the night since and Rogue had been
a little surprised when he had pulled her back into the bathroom with him while
he showered. That he wouldn't even let her out of his sight long enough to take
a shower told her that he was still angry, still afraid she'd try to run again.

'I want to make it better', Rogue thought as she crossed the room. She missed
his touch as much as she missed the sound of his voice and she was determined to
have both back again. Her dark eyes stared into his hazel ones as she slowly
knelt before him, settling herself between his knees. She placed her cheek on
his knee, rubbing slowly, enjoying the silky feel of the hair on his legs
against her face, her eyes never leaving his. She slid her hands up his legs,
parting his towel in the process to reveal his burgeoning erection. A small
smile played upon her lips when he growled at her, so different from the ones
she had been hearing the past few days. She had missed that.

Licking. Nibbling. Sucking. She watched as he threw his head back, groaning
loudly when she took him deep into her mouth, pulling back to tease the velvety
head with her tongue before swallowing him down again and again. She wanted to
cry at the feel of his fingers sliding into her hair. His touch. God she had
missed that. She had missed being with him. She had missed 'him'. His hips
snapped upward and she felt him swell with a cry that could have been her name
as he spilled into her eager mouth.

Releasing him, Rogue placed a soft kiss on the head of his cock and then
whispering his name, she slowly levered herself up, her towel falling away from
her body. Settling onto his lap, laying her head upon his chest, a soft sigh
escaping her when his arms wrapped around her waist. The beating of his heart
under her ear lulled her and she snuggled deeper into his embrace, stopping when
she felt him stirring beneath her. She lifted her head to look at him, her
breath catching in her throat when he kissed her. Hard. Thrusting his tongue
between her lips when she gasped for air. his large hands anchored in her hair.

Rogue caressed his tongue with her own, a whimper when his mouth left hers
turning into a moan of pleasure at the flick of wet heat across a nipple. She
could feel his straining erection pressing against her when she arched her body
towards his mouth, arousal rushing through her at his groan when she rocked her
hips against his. With a snarl, he claimed her mouth, rough hands lifting her
and Rogue bit down on his lip in surprise as he suddenly buried himself to the
hilt inside her. She shivered as he took hold of her hips, lifting her until
just the tip of his cock remained inside her and then slowly pulling her towards
him, grinding them together when their bodies met again. Again and again,
lifting, thrusting, Rogue raised and lowered herself, matching his rhythm. She
could feel his breath, hot on her neck, the movement of his thrusts becoming
ragged and she knew he was nearing his completion.

Her own climax washed over her, voice breaking as she called out his name,
shaking and shuddering as she tried to keep the rhythm. She felt his growl
vibrate through her as he thrust hard into her, fingers bruising her hips as he
held her in place, his cock pulsing deep inside her. She collapsed against him,
her eyes already beginning to shut in exhaustion, his arms winding around her
holding her in place.

Rogue was nearly asleep when he spoke, the sound of his voice startling her so
much she didn't comprehend what he had said.

"Sorry?" she whispered, happiness that he had finally spoken waring with
fearfulness of what he had said. "I didn't quite hear what you said."

"Mine." he ground out. "Mine." His hands slid down to cup her bottom as he stood
and carried her towards the bed.

"Yes. And - and you're mine." She tightened her arms around his neck as he
lowered her down on the bed.

"Made you mine."  he said. She shuddered as he licked at the marks he made on
her neck.

"Yes." She smiled at him as he rolled them onto their sides, his hand sliding
down her body before resting on her belly.

"Feel it?" He began to gently rub her belly. "Mine. Like you."

"Wolverine?" Her voice questioning, Rogue stared at him, her mind whirling.
"Feel it?  Feel what sugar?"

Even as the words left her mouth, realization slowly dawned on her.  No choice
in the matter for it was already done.  She looked down, watching his hand dance
across her skin, his answer echoing through her head.

**********************************
"Rogue."

Jean Grey's soft voice broke through Rogue's reverie. Jean had helped her so
much these past months - never questioning, never judging, just simply being
there. Unlike - But no, it was best not to think about him right now.

"Hmm?"

Soft fingers smoothed the hair away from her face before reaching down to grasp
her hand. God she was tired.

"Rogue. I'm sorry sweetie, but another one is coming."

Rogue gripped Jean's hand tighter as she felt the first ripple begin. She
couldn't count the times she'd sought Jean out - sometimes to talk, sometimes to
cry. Jean would simply offer her ear or shoulder and a nice cup of tea. Rogue's
lips curved in a small smile at the thought as she turned slightly to face the
doctor.

"S'kay Jean." she managed to grit out as the contraction began to slice through
her.

~End~

Series: X-Men: Academy
Title: COLD WAR (Episode II)



author: B'Teena DOL/Scare Glow (my boyfriend *G*)
language: English is not my native language, so please forgive me my mistakes.

Disclaimer: All X-Men and other Marvel characters in here belong to Marvel, 20
Century Fox and else. Not mine ;). Just Flash and Avery belong to me.

Universe: Only based on the storyline of the movie 'X-Men' that was released in
the year 2000.

Timeline: Shortly after the movie

Romance: Jean/Logan, Scott/New character, Iceman/Firestar, Storm/new character

Summary: Magneto needs new allies. But he has no idea whom he's dealing with
when he hires this man...

Feedback: I'd very much appreciate it. ;)

Rating: PG

remark: a) On my homepage on http://www.catbull.com/adora/fanfxmen.html you find
all my stories with pics in it. With them they're nicer to read ;). But it's the
same stories :).

b) In this stories Gambit is introduced ;). Besides that scene with
Rogue/Mystique - Rogue/Xavier will remind you on something... *G* Who said
movieverse and comicverse can't be combined if it's for Rogue? *G*

c) http://www.catbull.com/adora/ave.jpg that's Avery *G* at least in my story ;)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Raven Darkholme was depressed.

That didn't happen all that seldom, but that evening a melancholy she otherwise
never felt kept her in its clutches. The cause of it probably was this unknown,
cold room that was supposed to be her new home. That morning, Erik, Victor and
her had completed the remove.

There hadn't been any problems. The X-Men hadn't returned to the cave that
Magneto had used as his fortress before. All the equipment had easily been
brought here, to Snake Island. A tactical mistake of the enemy, but a
predictable one. Charles had always remained defensive. If Erik hadn't been so
warm-hearted against him and his allies, the X-Men would have long been history.
Mystique wouldn't have cared to eliminate them all, beginning with that Canadian
Freddie-Krueger-guy to the nasty insect no 1, Mr.
With-that-thing-I-can-even-read-in-the-dark... But since Magneto set so great
store by it, she held herself back.

At least, Erik had never criticized her fighting method. So, if the One-Eye
would dare to cross her again, she would - in a moment Magneto didn't pay
attention - castrate him kick by kick. With special greetings to his girlfriend,
the weather witch. With Wolverine, she had a little more patience. She wasn't
allowed to kill him, but fighting him was always fun, at least. She loved
challenges.

Anyway, the X-Men weren't really her problem. She had even done with Rogue now.
Some things should better be kept filed away. At present, she was more worried
about the man she had inwardly sworn eternal love.

She could have lived with the differences between him and her about the other
mutants, and also with his regardful way of fighting. But since his imprisonment
he had changed completely.

No, actually, that wasn't entirely correct. The cause of his change had been
this last fight that had taken place only a few days after he had been freed.
The day when he had found out about Victor's little slip.

Mystique herself didn't care about it; whatever Victor did was his own business.
If he thought he had to revenge himself, she wouldn't stop him. She didn't
really appreciate the way he had treated the ice empress, anyway. He just should
have cut her throat when he had finished with her, then there would have been
peace and quiet. Okay, then they would have had to deal with her friends, but
they would have been little trouble, blind with rage as they would have been.
Most importantly, Victor and her simply could have wiped out those losers. When
Magneto's or their own life was in danger, the first directive, not to kill any
other mutant, wasn't valid any more. Well, Sabertooth had wasted that chance.

There had been a rather apocalyptic argument between him and Erik, and since
then something had been wrong with their leader. He drew back more and more. The
plans for his new weapon had been on ice for over two weeks, as well as the
preparations to get Toad out of prison. Insecure. He had become insecure. She
had to talk to him. And that was just the problem. She loved that man. To talk
about it without provoking an argument seemed almost impossible. Sticks and
stones couldn't break her bones, but a rebuke from Erik was like a rebuke from
God. Unfortunately, she didn't have a choice.

Sighing she made her way to his room.



"I've been expecting you, Raven." He sat at his personal computer, deep in
thought. "I hoped last night you'd come to me."

"I was tired." She sat down on his desk and swung her long legs. "Can I distract
you from your work?"

"I'm not working", he denied. "I've just been refreshing my memory." He turned
the monitor of his computer, so that she could see the screen, too. A program,
filled with information about all kinds of mutants, was running. Mutants that
had somehow come to the attention of the public at some point of time. Potential
allies. Erik watched a lot. He chose his partners carefully. Most of these
people had never become interesting to the Brotherhood. But the one picture he
showed her now she didn't see for the first time. "Avery."

"You remember?" He leaned back in his seat, keeping his eyes on her. He tested
her reaction.

She knew that game already. "You've been watching him for seven years, of course
I remember. He should be twenty now."

"21. Since today. Maybe that's why he came to my mind right now. Exactly seven
years ago, on his 14. birthday, he mutated. That was the day his parents were
killed. An explosion caused their house to collapse. Very mysterious, the case
has never been solved. The boy has incredible powers." He rubbed his right hand.
It still hurt, although the heavy burns had almost healed.

"You've always feared you wouldn't be able to control him," Mystique
interjected.

"His mutation is much too powerful for me, that's true. He's always been a risk.
But he has changed since then. He's just been released from prison. Some brawl
with bodily harm, a peccadillo, as it were. Now he has started to study. It's
the best moment to get him." Erik nodded slowly. "Talk to him again. Arrange a
meeting. I want to try, at least. He must under no circumstance join Charles."

"If he doesn't know about him already," Mystique objected.

"Hardly. Avery has always taken great care of nobody knowing he's a mutant. The
accident in the home he'd been taken to was concealed, and after that he went
into hiding."

"But Avery's criminal career..."

"Xavier hardly ever chooses criminals as allies. But even if he wanted to have
just the mutant who carried out the casino robberies single-handedly two years
ago, he wouldn't find him, because he wore a mask. Only we know that this
mutant's name is Avery Anderson, and we only do, because you followed him back
then. Our way is free."

"Does that mean you give up on Toad?" she asked with narrow eyes.

"No, that means I change the schedule. If Avery joins us, prisons won't be a
problem any more."



That day, the end of the seminar seemed like a redemption to the thirty students
of psychology. Though it was almost six o'clock, it was around 77° outside.
Inhuman temperatures for a seminar.

Angelica Jones was quite possibly the only one who wasn't affected by that.
"Cat, you come along to town?"

"No time, unfortunately. Scott will pick me up; we have dance training," her
friend replied. "You know, the Latin dance contest will take place in three
weeks."


"What a pity. So I have to deal with him all alone," Angie grinned, pointing at
the new student who had joined them that week. "I'm showing our newbie around."

"Just be careful Bobby doesn't get envious." Flash winked.

"Don't worry", the very attractive blond guy beside her commented. "Unless the
girl stops calling me 'Ave', there's no danger whatsoever."

"I think Ave is much sweeter than Avery," Angelica grinned. "Do you mind if I
quickly say hello to Scott?"

"Not at all."

When he stood up, Flash noticed - not for the first time since she had met him
on Monday - how tall he was. He could have looked Sabertooth in the eye easily.
The thought of the beast sent a cold shiver down her spine. It was only a
question of time when the next confrontation would take place.

The crowd in the corridor was terrible. Why did all professors have to close
their course sessions at the same time? Rogue would feel anything but well when
she'd start to study here next year. Finally Cat and the others could leave the
building and reached the X-Rover on the parking place. "Hi, Baby." Katja
embraced her boyfriend impetuously, gave him a long kiss. His presence
immediately pushed the unpleasant thoughts she'd just had aside. "May I
introduce..." She broke off. When she stepped aside, so that the two men could
face each other, and then saw Cyclops' face, she knew she didn't have to
introduce. "You know each other?"

"Summers", Avery hissed. His fists were clenched, laboriously suppressed anger
was in his voice. He was obviously about to attack the other one. "I knew. I
should never have come back. This city isn't big enough for both of us." He
abruptly turned and walked away.

"Ave!"

He didn't even turn round.

Flash looked at Scott, surprised. She had rarely heard so much pain in his
voice. "I don't know what has happened between the two of you, but calling him
'Ave' doesn't win you any sympathies. Is everything alright?"

"Of course. Let's go. See you, Angelica." He quickly entered the car.

Flash shrugged. "I'll call you later, Angie."



The training didn't take place that day. Scott twice missed the exit to Ragon,
the little village, the dancing-school was in. He murmured some lame excuse...
and suddenly turned the car towards Ludlov. A town Katja didn't know at all,
although by that time she knew the area around New York quite well.

The place he took her to was nice. A small lake that seemed like an oasis
between all the big cities surrounding it. It somehow reminded Katja of her home
town in Germany. It was growing dusky, and they were completely alone. A unique
atmosphere.

"Scott, what is it?" She placed a hand onto his arm when he turned off the car
and stared out of the windscreen absent-mindedly. "I love you. Whatever might
have happened, you can tell me."

"Come with me."

They sat down on a blanket by the water. She placed herself in front of him,
between his legs, leaning back against the upper part of his body. He crossed
his arms in front of her belly, his chin resting on her shoulder. For a few
minutes, they just enjoyed the moment. They had had little time for themselves
recently.

"Katja, what do you know about me?"

"Hm?" She turned her head, puzzled.

"I want you to tell me what you know about me. It's important for what I'll tell
you... If I'll be able to. I don't know yet."

"Alright." She briefly thought about where to start. "Well, I know you got your
powers at the age of 12, when you and your brother almost died in a plane crash.
Your were speeding towards the ground, and your laser beams prevented the
impact. You were living in the street when Xavier took you in. You were his
first pupil. Shortly after, Jean joined the team, the next one was Storm, two
years later. The three of you have been best friends since then. You saved each
other's life uncountable times. I know you're missing your family despite this
wonderful friendship, because you haven't seen them for a very long time. You
never talk about them, but whenever my mother or my sisters visit me, I notice
there's a deep hole in your life. Anyway, you hooked up with Jean Grey shortly
after her arrival in the academy. You've been a couple for seven years, exactly
until last autumn, when a new mutant, called Katja Ninaus, came to Xavier,
becoming part of the team. A mutant who destroyed practically everything that
had been between you and Jean..."

"Flash... don't."

"Why not? Let's tell the truth and put the devil to shame. You've assured me
more than once that your relationship hadn't been happy any more when we fell in
love, but after all, no one can possibly tell what would have happened if I
hadn't appeared, right? Well, however, Jean fell for another mutant named Logan,
also called Wolverine, a mutant you're not best friends with, to put it
carefully. That's what truly irritates you. You're afraid he'll hurt her one
day, although he cares for her more than for anything. You're alarmed for her,
because she's like a sister to you. Despite the thing with Jean, who is a very
dear friend to me, as well, I wouldn't want to miss a single day of our
relationship. I love you more than anyone before in my life. That's what I know.
Oh, and I also know you met a young man named Avery Anderson 20 minutes ago and
that you've been looking like a zombie since then. That I'm worried about you,
because you've stopped talking to me since that meeting on the parking-lot,
although we swore each other that we could talk about everything."

"I'm sorry," he quietly replied. "These things... are very difficult for me to
say. But I want to try nevertheless, because I'm afraid. I haven't been this
afraid for years. I want you to know what happened between Avery and me. To
understand..." He stopped, tried to recollect himself. "So you know I lived in
the street. I take it the professor told you about it some time, for I never
mentioned it."

She blushed. "Well, I..."

"It's okay." He gave her a tender kiss on the temple. "Actually, I'm glad about
it. You never pushed me to talk about my past, and I think highly of you for
that. Perhaps it's better for you to have known a few things already. You'll
hear enough new facts now. I hadn't had a home since that accident with my
brother. I had seen and experienced a lot when Xavier found me. But nothing was
as horrible as meeting the Andersons."

"Avery told us he was from Iowa and had moved here only recently," she remarked.

"I guess he wants to forget his past. I understand he has been in prison for a
few months. He probably wants to build up a new identity. No, Avery is a native
New Yorker. I must know, I spent over two years with him. Avery used to quarrel
with his parents a lot. Instead of attending school he hung around with us. But
just before he got 14, they reconciled. As a sign of that, his parents wanted to
have a big birthday celebration for him in their house. Avery made it a
condition that he could invite our gang, too. They didn't like it, but finally
they agreed."

"You're more than two years older than him... That means you were 16 back then,
weren't you? So that was just before you met Xavier."

"Right. But let me come to that my way. I have to approach this thing slowly,
otherwise I won't be able to do it." He trembled, although it was anything but
cold. "You know, Avery and I were very good friends. I helped him to get into
our gang, and he helped me when other people mocked me about my glasses. I
brought him and his girlfriend of that time together, and he shared the few
things he learned at school with me. Not that I wasn't interested in education.
I just didn't want to be in a class where everyone would just laugh at me and
exclude me. We stuck together all the time. That's why I wanted to give him
something special for his birthday. A ninja-sword that I once had stolen from a
store. He'd loved it. Combatant sport was a big hobby of his. But in order to
prevent him from seeing it right when I'd ring the doorbell on his birthday, I
wanted to bring it to his house when he was at school. I meant to ask his
parents to hide it." His voice got faster and faster, cracked.

"Scott... if it's too hard..." Cat caressed his hands tenderly.

"No, let me finish. I want to get it over." He took a deep breath. "His mother
went crazy when she saw me. I guess she wanted to use the opportunity to teach
her son's bad company a lesson. She claimed I'd wanted to attack her with the
sword and hysterically cried for her husband. He strictly forbid me to see Avery
again. I wanted to say something, defend myself... Then he suddenly attacked me
with a baseball bat. Bad nerves, the man." Again he stopped.

Flash felt tears on her neck, held him tight. "What happened, Scott?"

"The sunglasses I used to steal back then were simple ones. Not like the ones
the professor and I developed later. Glasses like these I'm wearing now can
hardly fall off, but then... I hit my head against a wall, the glasses were
hurled away... I couldn't close my eyes in time..." Now he was really crying.

Last time Katja had seen him crying had been when she'd almost died in her first
fight in the Statue of Liberty. Normally he could keep his emotions under
control. "Did you hit them?"

"Not his parents, but the house. Some gas pipeline. A fire started while I was
staggering into the garden. When I had put on my second pair of glasses, the
explosion was already over. That's all they wrote in the papers. An explosion.
The house collapsed as if built of cards. They didn't have a chance. They both
died in there. The fire-brigade could only recover their corpses. I stayed there
all the time. I wouldn't have been able to run away. When Avery came home he
immediately knew that I was responsible, although he did never tell anyone. He
knew how his parents thought about me and assumed I had freaked out. We had a
fight until they could part us, then we were taken to two different homes. They
wanted to get rid of me again rather quickly, though, because they'd forced me
to take off my glasses, whereupon I gave them a new sunshine roof. They made a
big fuss about it in the papers, wanted to involve labs and research centers.
They probably would have loved to simply lock me away." He laughed bitterly. "I
would have run away eventually, if the professor hadn't come then. But that way,
I found the home I had been looking for so long. I've never told Xavier what had
happened. Nor anyone else. The professor might know a few things, I guess he's
scanned my mind often enough. But since Avery had disappeared from my life, I've
repressed everything that had anything to do with him so much that even Charles
can't possibly know the entire story. You know... I hardly ever think about that
time, but one thing I've never forgotten: Avery's threat to take revenge on me.
He wants to destroy my life, Flash, I know that. I don't like the thought of you
being so close to him at all."

"I'll be careful," she promised. "Actually, he didn't seem very aggressive to
me."

"He's an excellent actor. He won't betray himself by anything. But I'm convinced
he's already working on some plan to revenge himself. Katja, stay away from
him." He turned her to face him. "Do you hear me! I'm worried about you! Promise
me, please!"

The panic in his face broke her heart. "I promise. I'm glad you told me, Scott."

"I was afraid you could turn away from me," he admitted.

"Why? It was an accident. You haven't killed anyone intentionally." A weak
memory touched Cat. She saw herself sitting in the garden with Jean on her first
day in Xavier's mansion, confused, crying. She heard Jean speaking the words
she'd just said to Scott, and suddenly she realized a few things. The doctor
hadn't told anyone. No one knew that Flash herself also had killed three people.
She'd always thought the others were just too discrete to mention it. Now she
knew that had been naive. She was already starting to tell him, then she broke
off. At the moment, Scott was busy enough with his own sorrow.

"Might be. But that doesn't make it better."

Single drops fell. In the distance, silent thunder could be heard.

Cyclops amusedly arched an eyebrow. "So angry? That wasn't my intention."

"Hey, don't look at me that way." Somehow she managed a smile. "I didn't do
that. For once. They had announced storms for today."

He rose and pulled her up. "Then we'll better drive home before we get all wet.
I realize you can control you powers better, at all, can't you?"

"The mental training with Jean has helped a lot," Cat nodded. "Rogue should try
it as well. It's an excellent way to control your powers." She felt like she
should say something more. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I haven't helped you very
much."

"Yes, you have." He laid his forehead against hers. "You have no idea how good
it was to get rid of it all. I've been training to get along with it for five
years; I'll be able to do so further on. What I'm worried about is you."

"You don't have to be, angel. I can take care of myself. If Avery thinks he has
to attack me, I'll give him some appropriate answers." She grinned slyly. "I'm
also an X-Man, you know."

"Yes. And I'm afraid exactly that will be the problem." To him, the topic was
concluded with that. They didn't talk about it any further.

But the conflict had only started.



When Avery reached his flat, an elderly man approached him. "Excuse me, could I
have a word with you?"

Avery examined him briefly. "Since when have you been so polite, Mystique?"

Jaw dropped, the man began to change. His skin became blue, his gray hair turned
bright red, became thick and longer and his eyes got that golden color that was
so peculiar to Mystique.

"How did you know it was me?"

Avery endowed her with a condescending grin. "Your acting abilities could never
fool me, my dear."

She pressed her lips together, but didn't say anything.

"Now, tell me, what do you want from me?"

She shortly cleared her throat. Now, changed back, her voice had that metallic
sound again that made Avery always shiver, even when she talked gently, like
now. "Magneto would like to meet you."

"Like two years ago. My answer hasn't changed. You want to make the same mistake
like back then now?"

She startled shortly. "Don't worry, I'm not that silly. Why do you even refuse
to listen to Magneto?"

Avery sighed, worked up, and Mystique began to lose patience. "Listen, I'm not
interested in problems of an old men, who uses to be a megalomaniac, besides I'm
just out of jail. I don't want any trouble."

She laughed shortly, not a bit happily. "Being a mutant you'll have enough of
it. But talking about mutants, I just saw you meeting a few of them..."

He looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"

She pushed it aside, went to a banister nearby, swinging her hips lightly, and
sat down on it. "I watched your little meeting with Cyclops."

He still didn't understand. "Cyclops?"

"Scott Summers. Calling himself Cyclops fighting Magneto. Well, and his precious
girlfriend Flash was with him, as I recall- Katja, to be exactly. They're both
members of Charles Xavier's school for the gifted."

Now his jaw dropped. "Cat? Cat- a mutant? What school is this? And who's Charles
Xavier?" His arrogance vanished, leaving back a grimace of anger.

Mystique smiled. It always was fun to manipulate newbies. "Avery, I think we
have much to talk about... if you let us."

He thought about it shortly and went to her then. His face was just inches apart
from hers when he answered. "Very well. I'll give it a shot, but I don't promise
anything."

She nodded. "That's all we want."

He stepped back, reaching out his hand. She hesitated, something that made him
smile widely. "Don't worry, love, I don't use my powers all the time..."

Then she took his hand, jumped down.

"So get me to your Magneto." When she turned around, he put a hand onto her
shoulder. "Just one thing... If you should spy at me once more I will use my
powers again. Cool? You should remember that this can be very uncomfortable for
you." He pulled back.

She didn't answer, but she felt a light shiver. She wasn't sure at all if she
wanted to have Avery Anderson in her team.



"You must be very sure of yourself", Avery remarked when Mystique landed the
helicopter on the roof of Snake Mountain, as the fortress of the Brotherhood was
called. "Or does any of you have mental abilities and you delete my memories
before I'll leave?"

"That won't be necessary. When you'll leave today you'll be one of us." She got
out of the machine.

Her arrogance, nearly equal to hers, made him laugh. "What makes you so sure?"

"You're not afraid to face Magneto, who's one of the most wanted villain ever.
You're not afraid of me or of flying to a territory that's completely new to
you, either. If you really don't agree to Magneto's proposal, you could leave
anytime, without any problems. You don't mind this everything at all. But you
startled when I mentioned the name Scott Summers before." Smiling she looked
somehow pretty. "All of us fight for Erik for different reasons. The reason
doesn't matter. The triumph is important."

"You might be right about that." He put his hands into his pockets and followed
her inside the ruined castle that Magneto had chosen as his new home. "But that
won't help you if this triumph isn't of any interest for me."

"Wait for it." She sighed quietly. It wouldn't be easy for Erik to convince him.
"By the way, I'd love to know what Cyclops did to make a robot like you react
that emotional."

"Nothing that would be of your business, sugar", he answered hard.



"Avery, finally we get to know each other." Magneto stood up at once when his
guest entered his office with Raven.

The young man stopped right in front of Erik's desk, ignored the offered hand
completely. "Why am I here?"



<center><img src="ave.jpg"></center>



With a short raise of his hand the leader got a seat from the other side of the
room. "Sit down, please."



<center><img src="magnwind.jpg"></center>



Avery rolled his eyes but did it.

Mystique posed herself next to her boss, still showing that light smile.

"First I want to thank you for coming here this time..."

"Let's get to the point. You've got problems, I'm supposed to help you. So-
convince me." The young man leaned back, folding his arms.

Magneto grinned lightly. "Well, I'll try. As you know, mutants aren't the worlds
most loved creatures, to say it politely. I want to change that. I think that
we're humanity's next step of evolution. Mankind is afraid of us. They want to
oppress us because they feel that we're superior to them. We can't let them.
Meaning: It's war, though most people don't want to see."

Ave shrugged. "So far so good. What does that possibly have to do with me?"

"Patience." Magneto turned the screen of his computer, letting Avery see it.
"That's Professor Charles Xavier, a man with very strong mental powers. He leads
a mutant organization calling itself 'X-Men'. They believe in a peaceful
co-existence of mankind and mutants." He laughed scornfully. "Charles is a
notorious peacemaker who doesn't want to see the truth."

Avery leaned forward, interested for the first time. "What's the truth?"

"Good question." Magneto tipped his fingers together. "The truth is that mankind
will never change. They've always hunted and battle everything that's different
from them. That's why we have just two choices: Fight or fade. I prefer the
first one. As for you..." The picture on the screen changed. "I heard you know
that man?"

Avery clenched his fists instinctively, pressed his lips together when a
photograph of Cyclops appeared right in front of him.

Mystique put a hand onto Erik's shoulder. His way of manipulating was
impressing.

"I take this as a yes", Magneto commented. "Scott Summers works for Professor
Xavier, just like these mutants: Storm, Jean Grey, Rogue, Wolverine and Flash."

Avery slowly gained back control, put his hands onto the armrests again. "So
these are your enemies?"

Magneto startled shortly. "I prefer it to call them blind. They follow Charles
but they're still brothers. One day they'll realize that I'm right and join me."

Avery nodded. "Brothers, alright. But at present there's a kind of fraternal
feud, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately. That's why I want to ask you to help us. One of my men is in
jail at present. I hate to admit, but the three of us - Mystique, Sabertooth and
me - are no match for the X-Men."

Ave just arched an eyebrow. "Why do you think I'd work for you? Because Summers
is your enemy?"

Magneto looked at him seriously. "Why not? The enemy of my enemy... You can't
really be happy, either, about Summers training young mutants, about him being
the 'star' of this organization of Xavier. Besides he'll set everyone he knows
against you, I suppose."

The other man grinned widely. "You know- I don't need any help to deal with
Scott Summers."

Mystique got restless. She felt Avery would win this argument. For she knew how
important this everything was for Erik, she suffered by bit.

Magneto stayed calm. He through a folder to Avery.

"What's that?"

The leader told him to open it. "Profiles of all the X-Men that we know of. As
you can see it would be difficult even for you to fight Cyclops alone. Above all
since you don't want anyone to know that you're a mutant."

Lightly put off Avery read the files. He had to admit that this group was a good
one. Psychics, controlling the weather, strength, healing factor... And skin
reacting powers. A young girl, just 18, given one of the most powerful abilities
ever, but not able to control this mutation. For a moment he remembered the
times when he himself had not known how to use, what had happened to him when he
had seen the dead bodies of his parents, back then. Not an easy life. The woman
looked like a very interesting enemy. "Impressing", he admitted.

"It is", Erik agreed. "That's why you should consider working for me. Why trying
alone the same with much more effort if we can do it much easier together?"

Avery closed the folder. "I don't think we want the same."

"Not exactly, but our intentions doesn't necessarily exclude each other."

"So what is it that I want, in your opinion?", Ave asked.

"To take revenge. Whatever Scott Summers did to you, you want to do the same to
him."

"Why do you think he did something to me?" The young man's cold ignorance
returned.

"Because there's hate inside you that must have a reason. Believe me, I know
that. I hate people just as much as you hate him."

"What did the people do to you?" Ave began to get curious. Magneto wasn't half
as ridiculous as he had thought.

But the leader shook his head. "We don't know each other that well, kid. But we
can change that- if you help me fight Charles. Wouldn't it feel good to be
trouble for the man that got Scott off the streets and made him the hero that he
is now?"

Mystique held her breath. Now it was there, the most important moment. Erik had
played all his cards- now Avery had to decide.

The student got through the files in front of him once more. Finally he looked
up. "I don't want anyone to know that I'm a mutant. Is that clear?"

Erik relaxed, relieved. "Of course."

"Then you have a new ally, Magneto."

"Very good! Thank you." They shook hands. "Mystique, Sabertooth and I will show
you how to use your powers best, most efficient. I'm sure we'll make a great
team."

"Just to make it sure, I need my freedom", Avery remarked. "I like my flat in
the city, don't expect me to move in this Addam's museum here."

"That's your decision. Mystique will give you a communicator. With this we can
hold a constant connection. Any questions?"

Ave pointed at the folder that had changed his opinion about working for the
Brotherhood. "Is there something modern like a copier in this ghost castle?"



"Ey, girls. Praying to Buddha again?"

Flash and Jean startled, their mental connection was cancelled. "Logan..." The
doctor looked at her boyfriend annoyed enough. "You just destroyed the result of
two hours working, thank you very much."

"Two hours? Are you still able to walk?", he asked, amused, looking at her
crossed legs. "The Professor needs you. I myself would never ever dare to keep
you from working." He winked, grinning, and left fast before she got the idea of
throwing one of her cushions at him...

"Guess that's it." Jean stood up. "Did you ask Rogue to do the training?"

"Her last answer was too charming to repeat it", Katja laughed. "She shares
Logan's opinion about this perfectly."

"Emotion control is a very new part of yoga", Jean sighed. "Most people just
smile pitifully at it. But it really helped you very much. Perhaps you first
must have a nervous breakdown right next to Marie without causing the sky to
darken, before she realizes. Anyway, I have to go. Will someone bring you to
college?"

"I take the bus. If I hurry up I'll get it", Flash mentioned, looking at the
clock. She fast got her school stuff out of her flat. Thursday actually was an
easy day for college. She could stay in bed longer than the rest of the week.
But it was ponderous, too, to drive to the city for just one course at twelve
o'clock.

Of course she barely missed the bus that had its stop right next to the mansion.
The driver ignored her when she ran to catch the car, he just drove off. "Damn!"
So what now? She was doing the motorcycle license only in three weeks, so she
couldn't take Scott's bike yet.

"Need a ride, Milady?"

"Avery? What are you doing here?", she asked, stunned. She hadn't seen the black
Ford parking on the other side of the street, breaking more than one traffic
regulation by standing in the middle of the emergency entry.

"Angelica told me where you live. I wanted to pick you up ", he explained. He
had dark sunglasses in his hands that he just cleaned with a little white cloth.

Flash had to laugh. This pedantic gesture didn't fit her current opinion about
him at all. She had to admit that he looked quite good. The bright June sun left
his bright hair shining golden... And this fascinating dark blue eyes... Cat
fast suppressed these thoughts. She shouldn't give Scott another reason to fear
this man. "Why would you do that?" She tried to sound rejecting, slowly neared
the little Fiesta, looking like a failed car clone from a scrap yard.

"I remember you being more charming before. Did Scooter already tell you to
beware of me?"

Scooter? How could they ever have had a friendship with such names? Logan had
once dared to call Scott like that. Cyclops had told him friendly that he'd be
able to breathe through his stomach if he tried again... She shrugged. "You can
say that. But to calm you, I wasn't too excited myself about your acting on
Monday."

"Yes, I know." Now he looked embarrassed.

That fit him quite well... Katja inwardly shook her head on herself. Was this
her reaction on Scott's warning? An adoringly gaze at Ave like a teenager seeing
Nick Carter?

"I just was quite surprised when he suddenly stood there. How could I know he'd
have a beauty like you by his side?"

"Too much compliments can literally kill", she answered dryly.

"I don't like Scott Summers, but that doesn't mean I'd have a problem with his
girlfriend. I like you, and I'd be glad if we could still be friends."

Difficult situation. Fact was, she had to be in the college very soon. He also
had, by the way, so it was unfair to stop him any longer.

Before she could reply, a motorcycle left Xavier's estate. She knew the
characteristic droning by that time, knew, even before she saw the bright yellow
color, that it was Scott's beloved baby. Strange. Cyclops taught mathematics, it
couldn't be him. When the driver stopped next to her and took the helmet off,
the riddle was solved.

"Logan! Are you crazy?", Flash asked amazed. "I seem to remember Scott saying,
he'll shoot you if you take his bike again."

Without a word he took a second helmet from inside the machine. "You..." He
pointed at Avery. "...get out of here. And you..." He gave Cat the helmet.
"...put this on, shut up and mount. Now."

She was too astonished to protest.

"Wait a minute!", Ave shouted.

"Run off, kid!"

That was clear enough. The young man started his car and left.

"Did you lose your senses?", Katja asked. "What's this all about?"

"I said mount! Your course is about to start. I won't risk a ticket because of
too high speed, so hurry up."

Annoyed she sat down behind him. "Okay, I'm here."

"I don't know what Scott's problem with this baby face, who's just driving
against the one way street over there, is, but next time you want to flirt with
that guy you should make sure, Cyclops can't see you", Wolverine growled. "I'd
prefer that, too. I have other things to do than getting, handcuffing and
bringing you to the city."

"I didn't...", she began, stopped then. From the distance perhaps it had looked
like that. "Is he watching me from the window with a spy glass?"

"Garden."

Cat turned her head, and she knew. Because of the heat Scott gave his lesson in
the big courtyard of the estate, where he could see the bus stop. His sharp
eyesight had allowed him to watch everything happening on the other side of the
fence.

When Cyclops saw her looking at him, he waved, smiling lightly embarrassed.

"Let's go", she asked Logan quietly. A little touch of hurt pride prevented her
from greeting back.



"So what did he say?" When Cat returned in the afternoon, Scott was waiting for
her in their flat.

"That he likes me." She sat down in front of her dressing table, avoiding his
sight. "He just wanted to apologize."

"Yeah, of course." He laid on the bed, his arms folded behind his head. "That's
just why he wanted to talk to you, of course."

"Scott- what is it?" Frustrated she put her comb aside, sat down next to him on
the mattress. "I promised you to take care. I'm in the same course as he is, I
can't change that. By the way, Angelica thinks that he's okay, and she spent
nearly the whole week with him."

"It's starting. He already has you on his side. I've seen him manipulate people
before, Flash. Believe me, you're underestimating him completely."

"I'll stay away from him, if that's so important to you", she offered. "But in
this case you're underestimating me. I'm not to manipulate."

"You never meet someone like him", Cyclops insisted.

"Then propose something. What should I do?", she sighed.

"Very simple. You should leave the course. But I don't think you'll do me that
favor, will you?"

"I can't just stop! Do you think that's so easy?", Flash asked, shaking her
head. "You know, it's lightly insulting that you put the faith of an empty
bottle in me."

"That's not it." His face grew dark, she knew she had hit him where it hurt the
most. This was the first big disagreeing in their relationship that had been so
happy and easy so far. That just Ave caused this... Well, it surely wasn't good
for the two men to become reconciled. "Perhaps I'm just afraid, sugar. Avery
managed it to part the most perfect couple in our gang, just because he wanted
to have the girl. If we would have been old enough by that time, I'd say, he
wanted to lay her. For that he just left the girlfriend, he had then, who was my
best friend, by the way. He's cold, he doesn't know any scruples, if he wants
something. I don't want to lose you."

"Your protector instincts honor you." She rested her arms on his chest, kissed
him gently. "Here's a deal: You stop worrying that much and I promise you to
tell him to stay away from me forever. Is that okay with you?"

"That would be great, Cat. I'm feeling rather bad because I make your decisions.
I know how you hate that." He lovingly caressed her neck. "I'm sorry that I was
such a jerk."

She didn't really like the 'Cat' in this sentence. Scott was the only one who
usually called her by her real name. This was something special between them; he
had trained the pronunciation and managed it perfect by now, something that was
very difficult for an American. She always was happy to hear 'Katja' from him.
Sometimes she missed her home Germany very badly. Now, in that moment, her
nickname made some kind of a distance. It showed that the discussion was not
over yet. She didn't hear the sentence 'I'm sorry that I was such a jerk' for
the first time, either. He usually said that when he had won. But after that day
she was just too tired to keep on arguing. "What about going to Nematti's for a
pizza?"

"Of course. I've got a headache from all this trouble, I have to get out of
here, anyway." He took his leather jacket from a chair. "What about taking the
motorbike? You can drive yourself, to train before you do the license."

He didn't make such an offer everyday. Cat finally stopped being angry. "Just
let me put on my leather clothes."

But they didn't get the chance to leave. When they wanted to start, Storm landed
in front of them. "Stop, you two! Emergency!"

The Professor had advised Ororo to train her ability to fly that she had hardly
used so far. That was an inalienable advantage fighting Magneto's strong ground
fighters. For days she flew more through the estate than she walked. Wearing -
like now - her tight black uniform with the elegant cape she looked just
stunning, unnaturally beautiful, with her long white her and her thin body.

Not for the first time Flash thought about how unfair it was. Storm had so much
to give to a man... But she had never been very interested in boys. That was why
she was called the ice empress, in the first place. If it was for that the
lively, hyped young woman had just been very shy. 'Cold like a dog's nose',
Jubilee had once called her. Why, and since Sabertooth had destroyed everything
in Ororo that had been able to love, it was hopeless. It made Cat angry. More,
once more she wished to see the beast rot in hell.

"What happened, Ororo?" Scott took off the helmet. "Trouble?"


"Apparently. A bank robbing in the west part of New York. There are some
hostages. Mystique and Sabertooth were to see in the news."

"Magneto's people play Bonnie and Clyde? Something's wrong about that", Cyclops
mentioned. "We'll join you immediately."



'Something's wrong about that' didn't exactly cover what the X-Men saw when they
arrived. Mystique and Sabertooth had barricaded themselves in the counter hall
of a little private bank, shooting at everybody who neared the house.

Scott landed the flyer on the roof of the affected building. From above the team
watched the executive, who had surrounded the house. "One of the instrument's
playing wrong, and that disturbs the whole orchestra", Cyclops commented.
"Magneto doesn't need to rob a bank to get money."

"Even if, Mystique and Sabertooth don't need guns to escape the police", Jean
added. "Shall we go down?"

"Wait a moment", he refused. "I don't like this. Could be a trap. What did they
say in the news, how many hostages are there?"

"Three. Two employees and one customer. The bank was just closing when it
happened", Storm explained.

"First we have to pass them, anyway", Rogue mentioned, pointing at the police.

It was one of the most important rules ever that the X-Men should never be seen
in public. Nobody should know of the big team of superheroes that had been built
up through the years. Even Iceman and Firestar were more popular than Xavier's
people, though they had just started their career.

"That's no problem." Scott shot the roof door that leaded inside the house. "Be
careful. They might wait for us."



Avery nodded, satisfied. Everything was working perfectly.

He had entered the bank just minutes before it would close to get a checking
account. This had taken much time, as he had expected it. The employees had to
wait for him to go home. Avery had shown his well trained embarrassed face,
apologizing for the trouble. The friendly woman behind the counter had told him
that this was no problem at all.

When Ave had been finished, he had activated his communicator, calling Mystique
and Sabertooth in.

The two secretaries of the bank had been completely shocked when the mutants had
entered the building, heavily armed. Ave had seen one of them pressing the alarm
button before Mystique had summoned both of them to the safe, smiling friendly.

The other one had started to cry hysterically.

"Shut up", Mystique had hissed, without any success. Rolling her eyes she had
called for Victor.

Without hesitating Sabertooth had knocked the woman out.

That was when Avery had jumped forward. "Leave her alone, you monster!"

Victor had just grinned and used his fist another time.

Of course Avery hadn't fallen unconscious, but for the other employee and the
cameras it had looked like it, and that was important. Acting had always been
his specialty.

When the other worker finally had opened the safe, Mystique had beaten her, till
she had blacked out as well, then she finally had deactivated the annoying
cameras.

Now she neared him, smiling. "Everything's fine. Now we just have to wait for
our mutant friends."

"I know, this is my plan, after all."

"How could I forget? You remind me every five minutes. By the way, you may stand
up now, great hero."

"Oh, I'm very comfortable, thanks." He leaned against the wall, folding his
arms. "Did your little pet clear the way to the canalization by now?"

From beneath there was a loud bang.

Mystique grinned. "I think so."

Sabertooth returned to them, got the taken money.

"Don't you want to help him?", Mystique asked, still grinning.

"Don't push me too far", Ave growled. "Nobody said you're always the big boss."

"We're done", Sabertooth reported.

Raven just nodded. "Good."

Victor took a disparaging look at the two woman on the floor. "Why can't we just
kill them?"

Avery snorted. "Because they have to confirm that I was here getting an account.
Besides it would look a little strange if they're dead and I'm not."

The beast grimaced. "Okay, okay, next time." Suddenly he raised his head,
smelled. "They're here."

"Something special for me to watch?", Avery asked.

Mystique shrugged. "Just look suffering and keep your eyes open. Most important
is to know the enemies, every skill and, above all, every weakness. So be quiet
and watch a master doing her work." She sat down next to him, changing into a
young woman wearing office clothes.

"Their team's made up of six people, isn't it? You're alone. How great can that
be?", Ave asked, scornfully.

"Wait for it, Junior." Sabertooth hid behind a counter.

"I can finish you both with just one touch", the young man hissed. "I don't need
anyone to call me Junior, understood?"

"Try it, kid. Then your guts will decorate the ceiling." Victor bared his teeth.

"Shut up! Both of you!", Raven shouted, laying down. "I hear them. Down, Avery!"
When she caught his angry sight, she added with a perfectly sweet look and just
a little touch of irony: "Please."

"Wow, that was good. Did it hurt?" He avoided her annoyed kick fast, laid down
then, closing his eyes, pretending to be blacked out. He was more nervous than
he'd admit. The information about the X-Men that Magneto had given him, was
disturbing. Their team was unbelievable strong. It wouldn't be easy to deal with
Scott. At present he needed the Brotherhood's help, no matter if he liked it or
not.

But Avery had always been very patient.



"Girls, you stay behind us. Marie, get ready."

The young woman raised her hand, which was - except for her face - the only bare
part of her body. Her uniform was much more closed up and tighter then the ones
of the other members. Even her throat was covered completely. "Ready when you
are, Boss." She saluted shortly, clicking her heels, winking at Scott.

Nobody knowing Marie a few months ago would have recognized her by now. She had
accepted her gift, had accepted that all her life had changed, that she'd
probably never be able to touch anyone without a cover anymore. The strength
that she showed, living with this destiny, was unique. She fought like a lion to
not to despair. The high school, her job as an X-Man, the other pupils and above
all the deep friendship with Logan, Flash, Jubilee and Kitty had made her bloom
like a rose. Fighting, she was more lively and cocky than all the others. She
knew what she could do and used it purposeful. The name Rogue fit her perfectly,
anyway.

"Jean, do you feel anything? How much of them are there?"

"I can't tell. Sabertooth's and Mystique's souls are just too strong." She shook
her head. "But you're right, something very strange is going on."

"We should have brought Kitty", Cat sighed. "She could just take a look through
the wall."

"Don't even think of it, I have to stop her enough without you encouraging her",
Storm moaned. "If Jubilee and her would do half as much for school as they do
for their X-Men training, they'd be finished with High School in two months...
This door over there smells like a trap, doesn't it? Perhaps we should take a
short cut." She pointed at the wall right next to her. "If my orientation isn't
very wrong, the hall should be behind it."

"I'll remind you if we leave in the woman's toilet", Scott grinned.

But it was the right position. When he shot the wall, they were just in the
middle of the hall. None of the enemies was there. On the floor not too far away
there laid two unconscious people.

Jean ran there.

"Wait!", Scott shouted, but Logan was even faster, pulled her back.

Just in time, one of the victims jumped up and wanted to attack Jean.

Wolverine got in the way and caught the knife that had been meant to hurt his
girlfriend. He was knocked on the floor, which didn't happen exactly very often.
His loud scream did even Sabertooth much credit. Because of his healing factor
the injure was less a problem as it would have been with Jean having it, but for
a few seconds his breath was taken away, anyway. His mutation didn't include
immunity to pain, and having a dagger in the abdomen hurt damn much. Clenching
his teeth he pulled the weapon out of his body, breathing shallow. Impatiently
he waited for his mutation to heal the wound. The sweat on his forehead showed
how much he was in pain.

"Bitch!" White with rage Marie wanted to attack the enemy, but before she could
reach Mystique, Sabertooth, who had left his hiding place, caught her and held
her high above his head. A bright red laser ray right into his chest made him
let her fall at once, anyway.

Scott laughed quietly, but a kick into his stomach wiped that smile out of his
face. Raven was fast as usual.

Flash and Storm ran there but Mystique got to safety with a double flick flack
fast, smiling pitifully. "Oh, gals... How exactly do you plan to do defeat me
without your weather powers?"

"'Without'?", Storm giggled.

A strong wind took hold of Mystique, forced her to shrink back.

Sabertooth had recovered by then, but Scott and Logan also had. For a moment
they stood still.

Marie had made her way around the scene and took Raven's arm from behind now.
"Surprise!" Like in the fight a few weeks ago she drained her power, which build
an intimate physic and psychic connection. Like last time she felt this
scratching, metallic voice inside her head. But this time it sounded different.
Gently, friendly- loving. It wasn't telepathy, though for a moment she could
feel Mystique's current rage, as well. What she heard was a memory of a time
long passed.

'You're no longer part of the system, Marie. You're above the system. We're
above it. I show you the way to live a happy life. It's no curse but a gift,
that's been given to you. Trust me.'



<center><img src="roguni.gif"></center>



Before Rogue could think about where this memory came from, this memory of a
very different Mystique than this heartless beast that she fought for months
now, a memory of a woman that she had never meet, Raven used her superior
strength to break free.

Sabertooth threw a smoke garnet. "Enough fun for today. We have what we wanted."

With his VISOR Scott could see through the clouds that the enemies fled into the
cellar. He knew that he couldn't follow them alone, so he waited till the smoke
was gone. Then he took a look around. "Logan, are you alright?"

"I can still defeat you with one hand, if you mean that. Girls? That one alive?"

Jean, Storm and Flash knelt next to the second victim, the real one.

"Barely, thanks for asking", a weak male voice from this corner murmured.

Scott startled. Even before he saw the stunned look on Cat's face he knew who
the hostage was. "Avery? Avery Anderson?"

"Do I know you, my friend?" The young man sat up, smiling widely at Storm, who
helped him. "Thanks, pretty. Cool hair color, by the way." Then he saw Cyclops
and frightened at least as much as Scott. "Summers? Do you follow me
everywhere?" He stood up, still a little dizzy. "And Cat, of course, I should
have known!" His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here? You don't want to tell
me you work for the police, do you? Do you belong to these psychos who just
fled?" He shrank back. "Who are you people? What do you want from me?"

Storm neared him. "Stay calm, we don't want to harm you."

Avery took another step back. "Of course, above all not Summers." He turned and
ran to the exit.

Jean locked the door fast. "Wait!"

"What now?", Ave asked, excited. "I want to get out of here!"

"Just in case you didn't realize, the people who took you prisoner are our
enemies, as well as yours", Storm began calmly. "If you run outside like that,
perhaps some Cop freaks out and shoots at you. Wouldn't be that cool, would it?
We're your friends. The good guys. If you've got a few minutes, we'll explain
everything." She shortly looked at Scott. "I suppose you already know more than
you should, anyway."

"Didn't I tell you we need masks?", Rogue commented.

"We'll be wearing masks as soon as I'm out of this team, and not a moment
earlier", Jean contradicted her. "So, Avery- is that your name? What do you say?
Will you listen to us?"

Mistrustful he seized them, slowly, their faces, their outfit, their uniforms.
Storm and Flash with their long capes. Rogue, who put on her right glove. The
gaping spots on Logan's gloves. Cyclops' VISOR, looking like being taken out of
an original Star Trek series. This detail took his attention a bit longer, then
he looked at Storm again. "I don't have any good experiences with mutants, but
alright. Who do you think you are? Superman or something?"

Rogue grinned. "The idea is good."

Jean glanced at her admonishing, turned to Avery then. "Go outside, do your
report, but don't say anything about us. Just tell them that the villains have
been gone when you woke up. Then come to this address." She gave him a card.

Ave shortly looked at it, nodded then. "Ok."

"Please, remember, the Police must not know about us", Jean repeated. "For our
group anonymity is most important. That's the only way to protect mankind from
danger like that one today."

"The girl's right, you wouldn't have such problems wearing masks", he grinned.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything. That's the least I can do. After all you
saved me. Those psychos perhaps would have killed me. Probably I'm lucky that
they didn't do it at once. See you."

The X-Men left off to the roof while Avery went outside, his hands held high.



An hour later Avery reached the address that the redhead had given him. It was
an empty warehouse.

Inside Jean, Storm, Rogue and Wolverine were already waiting. They shortly asked
about his report and if he was alright. When they had made sure that he hadn't
told anyone about them, they began to talk. They explained as much as it was
necessary, as less as possible. Jean again asked him not to say it to anyone.
Then they wanted to know everything about the raid.

"Do you know what Mystique and Sabertooth wanted from you?", Storm asked. Again
and again she found herself seizing his muscular, handsome body. He looked damn
good. Great eyes. He was exactly the kind of man of your dreams, blond hair,
blue eyes, in the dark light looking nearly black, big, trained... He could have
been an actor or a model. Macho, she thought, smiling lightly. Ororo, put
yourself together! A man, keeping her from doing her job, was the last thing she
needed at present. No matter if he looked sweet. No matter if he was charming.
And...

"Why from me? That was a bank, not my home. I just was in their way", he
mentioned. "Pure chance." Without wanting it he ended up staring at her
beautiful face again. The girl was very attractive. He hadn't realized that
seeing the picture that Magneto had given him. Being the master of the elements
and able to fly she was one of his main enemies, too, he better should not
forget that.

"Pure chance, right? Okay, let's summarize this. You come from college, you want
to have an account at the probably tiniest bank in the whole city...", Logan
began.

"I got a little job at the company that owns that bank ", he threw in.

"...and you're - pure chance, I suppose - the only customer in the building",
Wolverine continued. "Then two of the most wanted villains of the city suddenly
have the idea that it would be nice to rob just this bank with a grocery's
turnover on one day and a safe that's nearly empty. They enter the house, wait
long enough for the police to come to barricade themselves in the building. When
we show up they fight us a bit, just for training, I suppose, cause there's
nothing to win for them. When they're sick enough of it, they leave. Pure
chance?"

"Ey, I'm the good guy here, remember?", Avery protested. "You want to hold me
responsible? I thought Summers is the only member of your team who dislikes me."

"The whole thing is just strange", Jean remarked. "I'm sure you're innocent, but
perhaps Magneto wants something from you. Did you ever have something to do with
mutants?"

"I know Mr. Summers but I think that's not what you mean, is it?" He shook his
head. "No, I don't know why I should suddenly be hunted. Probably bad luck. Not
my day. And even if not- what am I supposed to do? There are by no means enough
hints for police personal protecting."

"You know where to find us", Storm remarked. "If you have problems, just call
us. Don't take this too easily. Magneto's people are dangerous."

"Oh, really?" He arched an eyebrow. "Why, thanks, anyway. I'll remember the
offer. Perhaps we'll have another meeting someday. Your clothes are somehow out
of fashion, you know- but I'd be glad to see you again." That he said above all
to Storm. He smiled at her warmly once more and left then.

"Strange guy", Logan growled.

"Ey, not everybody can look as good as you", Rogue grinned, knowing exactly what
really bothered him. "I think he's nice. At least he didn't tell the police
about us. But let's ask the man of the day. If Scott makes it to take his tongue
out of Cat's mouth for just a few minutes, then he'll surely be able to tell us
about Avery."

Jean and Logan looked at each other, amused, laughed quietly. That was a comment
that could just come from Marie... Before they joined the others they shortly
shook hands. Rogue and Ororo, who both had pulled Ave's clothes off with her
sights, surely hadn't realized. Scott and Flash on the other hand shared a dark
secret about him that they wouldn't reveal that easily, that was clear. But Jean
with her telepathy and Logan with his instincts had also realized something. A
phantom menace that somehow surrounded him. They'd have to keep an eyes on him.



"Is that your official explanation?", the Professor asked after seconds of
silence.

"What is this, an examination?", Scott asked angrily. "It's just my business
what happened between Avery and me. That's it." He left, slamming the door of
the office.

Flash startled as if that had been a conscious attack on her nerves.

"He'll calm down", Storm tried to calm her.

"I doubt it somehow. Excuse me, please." She stood up.

"You know that it won't be long till everyone will get to know", Xavier said
seriously. "Big trouble's in the air. It would be better if he told us."

"That's not my decision", she said hard, went outside.

"You know what happened, don't you?" Jean finally asked.

"I have to." He tipped a finger against his forehead. "There's still a wall
inside Scott's head, but I couldn't ignore Flash's thoughts, even if I tried.
Nevertheless she's right. Cyclops himself must be ready to tell us. It wouldn't
be fair otherwise." He thought about it shortly. "It would be best if one of you
checks this Avery. I hate doing something without Scott and Cat knowing it, but
in this case we have to."



<center><img src="xavier1.jpg"></center>



"I feel you're worried. We have to take care."

"What do you mean with 'checking'?", Marie asked. "Spying at someone sounds more
like a job for someone like Mystique."

"A few harmless conversations would be enough. Just to make sure that we're
wrong. That he isn't dangerous. Would you do it, Ororo? We know where he's
working, after all. Think of some reason to visit him. Have diner with him."

"You should do it, Jean", Storm mentioned uneasily. "With your mental powers..."

"...I'd be prejudiced, even if I'd just feel his obvious rage on Scott", she
contradicted her. "Really, it's better if you go. Come on!"

"That isn't a punishment, is it?", Rogue grinned. "That guy's really sweet."

"Arrogant is the better word", Logan growled. "I also think we should watch him.
If he has to do anything with Magneto, then we must know."

Ororo sighed deeply. "If it's so important to you- okay." She left too, some
pupils had asked her to give them extra lessons.

"She's changed", Rogue remarked.

"Quite a bit", Jean nodded. "I never thought this was possible, but our new
mysterious friend seems to interest her. It's good for her if she gets out of
the house for a few evenings."

"Are you sure?", Logan asked, doubting. "Even if our ice empress finally makes
it to leave this depression and gives men another chance... Millions people in
New York, and she chooses just the one who's always in danger to catch a laser
ray from Scott. Great job."

"Your sense of tact is unbelievable." She rolled her eyes. "Let's try to be
happy for her. If she and Ave possibly come together, then that could even
finish this war between Scott and him."

"Yeah, and there, just outside this window, a pig might be flying", he murmured.



"The communicator is not a peeper." Mystique angrily sat down on Avery's kitchen
table. "What's up?"

"Pay me the flying license and buy me a helicopter then I can visit you on your
island anytime", he answered dryly. "I want to do my report."

"Do it on the way. Now that you have time you can come with me on the mission",
she decided.

"What mission?"

"I'll test a new weapon that Magneto has finished today. We have to search for
fitting targets. You know much about street gangs, you surely can tell me where
to find the trash of this city."

"Of course I can." He lifted a loose blank in the floor and got out a bag, went
to his bedroom. "I'm just going changing."

"Don't waste time. I'll turn around if you want me to", she mentioned irritated.
"I don't mind seeing you without clothes."

"But I do, sweetie. Perhaps I'd get into trouble with your boss and lover then.
Besides..." He took a short look over his shoulder. "...you can't tell me that
you never imagined how I'd look naked."

Until she could think of an appropriate answer, he was gone. "Ass", she
murmured. Apparently she had seized him once too much. From now on she had to
take care where to direct her eyes. Of course she didn't want anything from him,
that was bullshit, but better being careful.

At least he was finished really fast. Mystique couldn't help but laugh when he
returned. "My god! Welcome to the 20th century, Avery!"

He wore tight black trousers with long silver boots. Instead of a top there were
just three silver stripes placed diagonal over his chest. The long cape nearly
reached the floor. The elegant mask was made of pure silver too.

"'Liquidator', not Avery. Something that most villains nowadays have forgotten
is distracting people with an striking costume from your face. If I walk down
the street like this, five minutes later no normal citizen who's seen me, can
remember, how big I am or what's the color of my hair. You think I like wearing
that? Let's leave. I'm looking forward to see your next plan fail..."

"Laugh while you can. If this weapon works we'll be able to turn all the people
in New York into mutants in a few days. Then, in half a year, we can do that
with all mankind." She looked quite proud.

"Yeah, of course." That was his only comment when they climbed the stairs to the
roof.

His ignorance annoyed her, but Magneto liked this boy, she knew that. So she
kept on controlling her temperament. "You wanna know how to fly? Get inside."
She pointed at the helicopter's pilot's seat demonstratively. "That's not too
difficult. And then tell me what happened yesterday."



About that time Scott and Cat did their motorcycle tour they had missed the day
before. The destination was the center of New York.

'Private driving lesson' Scott had mentioned, but Flash soon realized that they
weren't just driving accidentally through the streets. They were going right to
the Bronx. "I don't like this", she admitted, seeing all the slums. "What are we
doing here?"

"Refreshing some memories. You always wanted to get to know my family, didn't
you?" He had never sounded that bitter. "I wanna see if some of my friends are
still living here. Perhaps one of them can tell my about Avery's time after the
accident happened."

"I thought you wanted to forget about him?" It wasn't a question.

"It's too late for that. I have to see for myself if he's threat or not. Perhaps
I'm really worrying for nothing. But honestly, sugar- I don't believe it. Turn
left. Oh, and no matter what happens, don't stop before I tell you. We're in the
most dangerous part of the city."

"I never would have guessed", she answered sarcastically. "What's that noise?
Sounds like a helicopter."

"That's just the engine, Cat."

"No, surely not." She stopped, though he had just forbidden it. "It's very near.
Sounds like someone would fly right above the ground."

Now he realized too. "Let me drive. It's better if there's trouble." He started
the machine, activated the turbo drive which made the bike so special. Now there
were loud voices and screams too. And a strange noise. Energy shots. "Katja,
fast, remember a few people that you don't like. I'm afraid we'll need a few
flashes soon."



"Ave, pull up! You'll crash with the wall!", Mystique warned.

"For the last time, call me Liquidator! You told me to direct the machine", he
grinned. "I thought you like flying... There's someone still running down
there."

"I see it." She aimed and shot the last remaining member of the big gang that
they had chosen. "I love flying, but what you do is suicide. Enough action.
Land."

"Aye, Sir." It had visibly be fun for him to frighten her a bit. "I'm anxious to
know if this miracle gun of you works. They look quite dead, don't they?"

"Probably just blacked out", she contradicted him, though she knew better.

He had been right. When they checked the young people they had to realize that
no one was alive. The weapon had caused a fast death.

"Heart attack, I'd say", Avery mentioned. "Magneto should work on the gun once
more, I think. Oh no! Visitors! This guy's more devoted than a bag of fleas. Did
the X-Men place a detector on your helicopter?"

"Nearly looks like it." Mystique wasn't too pleased either seeing two very
familiar mutants on a Harley nearing the scene. "Start the machine. I'll take
care of them."

"Forget it", he grinned. "You really think I'd miss all the fun? We didn't check
them all yet. Perhaps anyone's alive. Besides we wanted to take one of them with
us to do research, remember? So let's show Summers that he's not welcome." He
hid behind the helicopter.

"I agree." Raven took a gun and aimed.

Before she could shoot it, it was blown out of her hand with a laser ray.
"Primitive. Very primitive. You really have to work with such pathetic
methods?", Cyclops asked, dismounting. "Did you really sink so deep that you
have to use guns?"

"Fuck off, if you know what's good for you", Mystique hissed. "This is none of
your business."

"Oh, but it is. A couple of corps are a big problem, for us as well as for the
police. Either you wait for the executive to arrive or I'll have to stun you."
He shortly touched his VISOR.



<center><img src="scfire.jpg"></center>



"Boy, dream on." She attacked.

His first shot didn't hit her. Mystique's acrobatic speed made her a close
combat fighter that wasn't easily to defeat.

But Scott and Cat were a great team by now. He pretended to fall down when Raven
hit him on his chest. He had been able to shrink back in time - knowing that her
kicks hurt - but he let himself fall nevertheless.

Flash immediately used the short break when Mystique stopped to see if he was
finished, looked at the sky.

But before she could use her powers, control the thunderstorm that she had built
with her rage, a heavy hand was placed onto her shoulder. The second enemy that
she hadn't even known of to be there, had sneaked up behind her without her
realizing.

It was an iron grasp around her collarbone. "Didn't you understand? You're
supposed to leave! Do it now, while you still can. Just a friendly warning." He
pulled his hand back.

Some red drops fell onto the floor. Something warm ran down Cat's back.
Surprised she turned around to the enemy, looking at her arm- and screamed
quietly. Where once her leather jacket had been, there now was a wide round hole
inside her skin, made so fast and unexpected that it had begun to bleed strongly
only very late. She shrank back terrified, leaning against a wall, suppressing
the pain that rose very late as well. "Who are you?"

"The name's Liquidator." He took an ironic bow, more elegant than a soldier in
the old France. One step back, the cape swung around one shoulder, right hand
down. In it there was a little ampoule that he presented like a magician did it
with a rabbit that he just took out of his cylinder. "Want another dose? If not
you better care for your own business."

The helicopter was started. Cyclops hadn't made more than a weak draw against
Mystique. "We leave!", Raven shouted at her partner from the pilot's seat.

Flash knew that there was no chance to win this fight, waited, till the enemies
were gone. Then she ran to Scott fast, who was sitting on the street, kind of
dizzy. "Are you okay?"

"Katja, for heaven's sake, your arm!", he shouted, frightened.

"Not half as bad as it looks. Megalomaniac flesh wound." She tried to smile,
went to his bike. "You got some bandages in there, don't you?" Carefully she got
out of her jacket. "I'm sorry that it's damaged. That was a present of yours,
after all."

"Don't bother me with details." Somehow he managed a weak grin too. "We have to
be glad that nothing worse happened. Who was this guy that was with Mystique? I
didn't see much."

"Looked more like a wannabe-villain than a mutant. Magneto doesn't like normal
people, but perhaps there are some of them doing his dirty work for him, anyway,
to make some money. Everyone can play around with acid like this guy had it",
she explained. "But for that costume alone he actually should be imprisoned."

"Be ready, that will hurt now." Scott made a temporary bandage. "Why do you
think it was acid? The wound doesn't look like it. Too straight. Like being cut
out with a knife."

"He had the bottle of the liquid still in his hand." Cat moaned quietly.
"Perhaps Magneto mixed something new. We better leave now. The police will be
here soon. They could blame us for the deaths if we stay here any longer."

"Wait a minute, I see something over there." He suddenly startled. "Someone's
moving."

"Scott, they're dead. Whatever Mystique and this other clown did to them, it
worked."

"I trusted your hearing before. Trust my eyesight now." Carefully Cyclops made
his way over the dead bodies, knelt down next to a young man with long brown
hair, turning him around. "Can you hear me?" He hadn't been mistaken. The boy
was breathing, shallow, not very regularly, but he was breathing. "Flash, call
Jean. She must come here with the Rover at once."

"Dieu saint dans le ciel..."

"What?" Scott neared the face of the victim. "What did you say?"

"Holy Jesus, what was that?" The man opened the eyes that were surrounded by
much black make up.

Scott shrank back. For a moment he had a horrible vision. He saw red laser rays,
just like his ones, leave the stranger's eyes, burning him completely. Then he
took a second look and knew the reason for this illusion. The boy's eyes were
red. An albino. "Are you alright? What's your name?"

"Remy... Remy LeBau. Thief and magician, always at your service." He sat up,
took a look around. "What's up with my people? Rick! Larry! Miguel! Wake up, the
bastards are gone!"

Terrified Cat and Scott looked at each other. How should they tell him?

"Rick? Spike! Men! That's not funny!" His voice began to tremble. "Say
something!"

Flash leaned to him, took his hands gently. "I'm sorry."

"No!" He just whispered it, but in the scary silence of the back-street it
sounded like a scream. He jumped up. "Where are they? Where are those villains?
I'll smash them like insects!"



<center><img src="gambit.jpg"></center>



Blind with rage he took the top of a trash can, threw it against a wall of the
next house.

With a loud detonation the metal exploded, ripping a big hole into the bricks.
No fire, the metal was just torn.

"How... what..." Terrified the young man looked down on himself. "Was that me?"

"Good question", Flash mentioned, shaking her head. Or someone stuck a bomb onto
that thing."

"Then there'd be flames, cherie." Remy hesitating reached out his hands, took a
stone. "Anyway- just chance, I guess." He threw again.

This time the explosion opened the wall wide enough to see the stairs inside the
house.

"What did you say, my friend?", Scott asked quietly.

The man was at least as shocked as the others. It was clear that he hadn't
always had this ability. "Could it be that you forgot to tell me something, mes
amis?"



"How did it go?" Magneto and Sabertooth waited on the roof of Snake Mountain for
Avery and Raven. "Did it work?"

"Hm... Partly", Ave mentioned. "One success. Out of 20 people. The others are
dead."

Erik's face didn't show any emotion. "Well, it's a beginning. We'll have to do
some more modifications. At least it works. Where's the mutant now? Why didn't
you bring him?"

"They interfered", Mystique answered. She didn't have to say who 'they' were, by
now that was some kind of code within the Brotherhood. "We could just watch it
happen from the air."

"Very well." The leader didn't show his anger, probably just Raven saw the fire
of hate in his eyes. A sun turning to a supernova couldn't set off more energy.
"I'll keep on working on the weapon. Sabertooth, Mystique, you begin the
fighting training with Avery. In a week at the latest I want to free Toad. We
have to hurry things up. Charles feels much too sure. It's time to go back to
battle."



For the first time since weeks Raven spent this night with Erik. They had had
much too less time just for each other recently.

He sat in front of his computer again. This time he added some data to Avery's
file. "What do you think about him?", he asked when she had locked the door.

"He doesn't take us serious", she answered simply, sat down on his desk again,
her favorite position if she wanted to have him for herself only.

"Might be." Magneto closed the screen of the laptop and took her in his arms. "I
know you don't like him. It's just- the trouble with Victor was just too
dangerous for the Brotherhood. We have to find more members. Avery is the
beginning. He won't stay with us forever, that I know. But till he leaves us,
he'll be a big help to us."

Or a big danger. She thought about mentioning it, but she let it be. She'd keep
an eye on Ave. If it would turn out that that he wanted to betray Magneto, she'd
kill him personally.

When her leader - who was her lover for nearly four years now, as well - pulled
her near and kissed her, she managed it at least for a few hours to forget
everything.



They had brought Remy to the sick bay immediately. They remembered too well what
had happened to the last people being hit by a weapon from Magneto. But the
young man, nearly 18, native French men, with an accent, that partly couldn't be
understood at all, was completely healthy. He had just been turned to a mutant
in seconds, all of a sudden.

"A special enzyme called Midiclan was responsible. Every mutant has it in the
blood, that's why I didn't pay any attention to it searching Flash, when she
came here last fall. There was no hint that just that caused her mutation. But
Remy and the other teenagers, who died, have a very high concentration of it in
their body, like Cat, much more than usual. Magneto somehow used this enzyme to
build a weapon." Jean looked at them seriously. "Remy's friends began to mutate
too, but the burden on their circulation was just too big. The heart stopped
beating. I don't know how our friend here survived it."

"I've always had a very strong immune system", the young man next to her
mentioned. "That could be the reason."

"Very unlikely. But without more data about the weapon I can't find out, either.
I guess, Magneto's doing research about that right now."

"Mystique surely saw that you woke up, Remy, before they left. They've been in
the air with their helicopter much longer than usual before they vanished. If
Magneto solves this problem with the heart, then we're in big trouble. Then
nothing can stop him from mutate any human", Scott mentioned. "Our only
advantage at present is that Remy's here."

"I should never have come here in the first place." Flash began to tremble. "I
came to New York to stop being a danger to other people, and now I killed 19
people."

"You didn't kill them", Remy answered, honestly surprised. "You always hold
yourself responsible for everything happening around you? You know, the hole in
the ozone layer doesn't just exist because you once used a spray bottle, either,
ma cherie. I'd like to take a look around now, if I may."

Xavier nodded. "Talk to you later."

"Anytime, mon capitaine." He left the room.

"Very nice young man", Jean remarked. "He acts as if nothing at all happened. He
puts up with the death of his friends very good."

"He knows that here he'll have a better life than on the streets." The Professor
smiled, lightly amused. "Don't forget that he was a member of a gang. We'll have
to keep an eye on him during the first weeks. But I think he could make a great
addition to our team. And it looks like we'll need all the fighters we can get."
He became serious again. "We have to get data about this weapon. Jean and I will
continue to find Magneto. Prepare a main attack. As soon as we get to know the
hiding place of the Brotherhood, we'll have to strike. Erik is fast if it's for
leaving. Scott, Logan, you intensify the training with Kitty and Jubilee.
Magneto doesn't know them and their mutations yet, that's a great advantage for
us. We should ask Firestar and Iceman for help too, when it comes to that fight.
Storm, you already know your mission. If Avery's a key to Erik, we can't leave
him out."

"I'll pick him up in his company in the evening", she nodded.

"Thanks. Be careful. That would be all."

Everyone left, except for Rogue. "Professor... I have to talk to you."

"What is it, Marie? Did something happen?"

"You can say that again." She took a deep breath. "I know it might sound more
than a little crazy... But I think I'm not the woman I used to think I am. I
want to ask you to search my soul. I suddenly feel like living in a wrong body."

"For how long?"

Something in his sight told her that he knew something. "Since I touched
Mystique yesterday. What do you know about it, Professor?"

"Just what your thoughts tell me. In them I can read that you know Raven
Darkholme not only since you came here, to the mansion. Lay down, Marie." He
pointed at a sofa.

Only hesitating she did it. She had never really seen him do his telepathy. She
was unsure. But the words and the feelings that she had experienced the day
before were just to mysterious to forget about it. "I'm ready."

Xavier placed his hands next to her head, closing his eyes. "Relax." He began to
concentrate, searching for a clue in Rogue's mind. He ended up on the day when
she had mutated. He saw her with the boyfriend, she had then, saw her being a
slightly shy but happy young woman. He continued this way and saw her come home
from school that day, saw her at the front door, then going to her room...

Suddenly a hand from the dark took hold of her, pulled her around, was pressed
against her face. Her strength was drained. She collapsed. A terrible, stinging
pain in her chest... Seconds later she stood in the hallway again. What had
happened? She looked into the mirror on the wall, realized, relieved, that she
looked the same as before. Perhaps she had for a moment just fallen asleep,
standing. She was very tired lately. She bowed her head- and saw her own corps
lying on the floor.

They both frightened very much, Marie and the Professor, cancelled the
connection. "No!" Rogue was breathing very fast. "What was that?"

"I don't know." Charles ran over his temples. Behind them there was a constant,
strong pain. The price of telepathy. "I've never seen something like that. It
was... as if I would have been in two different bodies."

"There were two different ones. The woman who took hold of me- that was me. A
copy of me. My god, what's wrong with me?" She began to cry.

"Calm down, Marie." Xavier caressed her arm lightly. In spite of the heat she
had to wear a pullover, as usual. "There's someone who can tell you, you know
that, don't you?"

"I haven't seem them for more than a year, Professor. They rejected me when I
wrote them what's up with me. They don't want to have anything to do with me
anymore." The young woman wiped away some tears. "My parents wouldn't help me."

"You don't know until you ask them. If you want it, then I'll come with you", he
offered.

She shook her head. "No. If I go... then Logan shall protect me."

"I'm sure he'll do it if you ask him for. We'll find out what happened to you,
Marie. I promise."

She had trusted these good, wise eyes from the start, when she had meet him for
the first time. The Professor was like a father to her. When he said he'd help
her then he'd do it. "Thanks. I'll go as soon as possible."



"Can I help you, Miss?" Mistrustfully a grumpy porter stopped Storm at the
entrance of the big office concern that Avery had said he was working for. He
seized her slowly, her long legs in elegant black leather trousers, her thin
upper body, covered by a tight white top... Then he saw her white eyes and
stopped thinking about having a date with her. "Customers aren't allowed to
enter."

"Avery Anderson. The man's working for you. I'm just here to see him." She tried
not to get too angry. If she wore colored contact lenses and a headscarf, like
the ones the woman in her home Egypt did, he probably wouldn't have been half as
unfriendly.

"The love affairs of some unskilled workers aren't my problem", the man hissed.
"You wait outside."

Just barely controlled she turned around when she heard a surprised - and happy
- voice. "Ororo!"

"Mr. Anderson..." Without thinking about it she suddenly called him that way,
though the day before they had used their first names all the time. She had
thought it to be difficult facing him again. But when she saw his pretty eyes,
his charming smile that had hunted her in her dreams last night, she was glad
she had come here. "Hi. I was just in town... Would you like to go to one of
these homely American culture restaurants? I'd like to talk about yesterday once
more."

"McDonalds?", he grinned.

"I prefer Kentucky Friend Chicken, but the idea's good", she laughed. "So?"

They left the building. Seeing Avery's impressing height the porter didn't say
anything anymore. Being tall did help sometimes.

"If my car's good enough for you..." He seemed to be embarrassed. "It looks
terrible but the engine works and it never gave up when I needed it. I have a
constant parking space here. The only advantage in this company. Hell of a job,
but I make some money, that's important."

"Why, then it's good that I'm not here with the company's car", she remarked.

"Are you here because of your 'company', Miss Monroe? Am I an X-Men file now?"
He stopped.

"Not really", she said in refusal. "Of course we're worried. Everything that has
to do with the Brotherhood could be a danger for us. But that's not why I'm
here." Oh, that was a big lie. It was difficult to look at him, telling it to
him. Why did she feel so unsure in his presence?

"Why then?" Avery forced himself to look into her eyes. Usually he didn't have
any problems with tricking other people. But the lie, he'd start today, wouldn't
be easy. This woman was fascinating. He hadn't experienced such an attraction
before. And it wasn't just because she was damn beautiful.

"I didn't know myself till I got here", she admitted. "But now I do. You know-
most people can't even remember my second name, though it's American, actually.
You were the first one who still knew my first name on the day after." It was
lame, but it wasn't entirely wrong. She wasn't sure if she agreed to what
happened to her since she knew him. But she was ready to find out what would be
next.



Never she had felt that alive.

Storm had always been a very reserved woman. Her mutation didn't base on
emotions, like Flash's one did, but if she herself lost control over her
feelings, it could happen that the sky darkened. That's why she had always taken
care of letting her brain make the decisions. Life was so much easier if you
thought about it rationally...

Avery made it within a few hours to change her completely. In the fast food
restaurant he brought her to a table in the middle of the room on purpose,
though she shortly protested. "I don't like it if everyone looks at me."

"Why? Because you're superior to most of the others?" He offered her a seat as
if they were in a noble restaurant. "You don't look like the hiding mutant kind
to me."

"You think you know me that well already?"

She sounded lightly insulted, and he had to grin. "I will soon. Your family's
from Egypt, is that true? Wonderful country."

"The spy is me", she commented. "How could you know?"

"Angelica. " He nibbled on his chicken wings abandoned. "I wanted to know a few
things about the ones who saved me."

She couldn't think of a good answer so she concentrated on the food, that was
easier than looking at him. Had she really agreed to do this rendezvous
voluntarily?

From his age she wouldn't have expected him to take her anywhere else but to the
hamburger spot or into some biker bar, but he surprised her again. He brought
her to an elegant dancing bar outside the city.

"The music's extraordinarily great", he explained, parking the car.

"Avery, I can't dance", she admitted.

"Nor do I. Just improvise", he grinned. "Could it be that you're afraid of the
crowd again? You have the right of having fun just like everyone else, `Ro.
You're not different, okay?"

"You claim that you don't know any mutants except for us, but you seem to know
quite much about them... Oops!" It had been raining while they had driven here.
She'd nearly slipped on the muddy ground of the parking space.

"Careful, Milady." He supported her gallant. "Hold on." He took her arm gently.

She startled as if he had electrified her.

"Are you okay?", Ave asked, surprised.

"Of course." Her laugh was visible false and unsure, she realized herself. Had
she really thought just she would be able to have a date? Her? She would call
for a cab and forget everything. "I better go home now."

"Ororo, do you like me?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course." Well, 'like' perhaps didn't exactly
cover. 'I have a goose-flesh, every time you look at me' fit much better.

"Is there somebody waiting for you at home? Perhaps the jealous admirer?", he
continued.

"No..."

"Then come with me." He kept on going.

"Why is that so important to you?" His cool, carefree way hadn't shown so far if
he just was very nice and open-minded- or if he was flirting with her like a
teenager. Now she wanted to know.

"Because you just said you like me. Nevertheless you're about to jump miles into
the air because of the shock, if I just touch you. I'd like to change that. I'm
not used to people being afraid of me. Let's get inside."



"Was it very bad?" Avery stopped his car. Again he parked in the entry of
Xavier's mansion. He didn't care for traffic rules too much. They'd have another
date tomorrow, actually he could leave now. But he didn't want to let her go
yet.

"What?", Storm asked, puzzled.

"Your last relationship." He supported his arms onto the wheel, laid his head on
it, looking at her attentively from the side.

"Pardon?" He was a good watcher. She shouldn't be surprised that he had realized
her unsureness that had grown more and more since this one talk on the parking
space of the dancing bar. But she didn't like it that he mentioned it. "What
makes you think so?"

"You wait for me in my company and invite me for dinner though you barely know
me. We talk for more than six hours. I need about two hours till you finally
call me Avery again. When I tell you that you're beautiful you answer me that
you're too old for me though you're just three years older than I am. When we go
dancing you bloom so much that I begin to hope again that you're interested in
me. But every time I touch you, you startle as if I was beating you.
Nevertheless you're afraid to look into my eyes, because I could see something
in them that you don't want to show." He stared at the gears. "You probably
think that I'm the kind of man that falls in a quickly rush of love. One of them
having a new girlfriend every week. That's not true. You've been my first date
since... since quite a time. I'd like to give this a chance, and if you don't
want that, because you're afraid of me, than tell me now. It's not too late
yet."

"I'm not afraid of you." She intonated the last word just a bit, not even on
purpose, but he realized.

"But of what? Of what they could say?" He pointed at the mansion with his head.
"After all you told me not to say anything to Flash or Angelica about our
meeting... I understand that because I know Summers. He surely wouldn't like it
that we date. Well, I don't have a problem with hiding it - everything that
happens - till the others can accept."

"Everything that happens?", she asked gently. "Really everything? That wouldn't
be easy."

"I've been on more difficult missions." He lightly arched his eyebrows, laying
his hand on hers. "No matter what you had to go through, it won't happen to you
with me by your side. I ask you again, what are you afraid of?"

"Of me." Only when she said it she knew that it was true. All the evening she
had denied to admit that deep inside her feelings had stirred up for this
intelligent, profound man, for his strong, pure soul that she had been able to
take more than one look during the long conversation. Now she couldn't hide it
from herself, not from him, either, and now she realized that she was right: She
was damn afraid. She thought well about what to say next. "I barely have any
experience with men." A lie again. There was just one experience that she had
made, and she wouldn't tell him that. How would he react if he got to know?
Would he still look at her with this adoring sight? Unlikely. "Besides you know
what my job is, and I don't mean teaching English and History. I'd bring you
into danger. I can't risk that. There's just one decision."

He nodded slowly. "Now you told me what you should do. But I'd also like to know
what you want to do. It can't be the same, otherwise you'd have let go of me by
now."

She lowered her head and saw, surprised, that he was right. She tried to pull
her hand away. She really tried. But her body didn't react to her brain. "I..."
What was left to say except for: I give up? "Don't hurt me, Ave", she whispered
quietly.

"That name sounds sweet if you say it", he smiled, gently turning her head to
him. "I will never hurt you, Ororo. I swear it." Lovingly he ran through her
long white hair. "You know... In the moonlight you look like an angel." With
that he leaned over to her and kissed her.

For a moment she startled, but only shortly. Something that she would never have
thought to be possible happened: This kiss for the first time deleted every
memory of Sabertooth inside her head, since this thing with the beast had
happened. When it was over, much too fast - she had never thought she'd be sad
that a moment like this was over - she had much to say to him... But she decided
to mention a simple, loving: "See you tomorrow." Then she got out of the car
fast. They had enough time. Another time she'd tell him how happy she was that
she had meet him.

He watched her till she had disappeared in the house. When the door was closed
behind her, finally he could relax. The tension that had been built up since he
had seen her at the entrance of his company at six o'clock, needed an exhaust.
He beat hard against the dash board. The pain helped him to think clear again.

He had made a mistake, very well. He had obeyed his feelings. And he couldn't
mind less. He hadn't made a contract with Magneto, after all. Blind, the leader
had called the other mutants. They were his brothers. So he couldn't say
anything against Avery being their friend- as long as Ave helped the Brotherhood
when it came to the fight.

Avery ignored the irritating little voice inside his head asking if he'd be able
to just betray Ororo as well then. He drove home.

--

More episodes coming up soon!

###########################

  B'Teena DOL
http://www.catbull.com/adora
He-Man/She-Ra & X-Men lair



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi all,

Thanks to Jonas for getting me to write on this fic again.
Secondly thanks so much to my ever so lovely beta, Estelle for her speed and
just for being there. Thanks
Earlier parts can be read here:
http://www.100megspop3.com/scottororo/fiction/FellowshipOfHeroes.html
Quick recap: Our heroes were still on their way through the mountain.

Enjoy:



Part 6:
“I hate this,” Rogue admitted as the fellowship was on the move again. She
hadn’t felt safe since they had left Rivendell. Why couldn’t they go back there?
The city had held a beauty and peacefulness, a sense of security and comfort she
longed for. Logan squeezed her hand and pulled her close to him. The battle
seemed to have divided the fellowship. Logan, Rogue and Scott walked together
closely followed by Boromir, Merry and Pippin. Ororo and Legolas walked together
and then the rest of the fellowship followed.
“Scooter, this is becoming ridiculous not to mention dangerous for Rogue. I say
we go back to Rivendell,” Logan said lowly to Scott, making sure the others
couldn’t hear.
“And do what, Logan? Lord Elrond told me Rivendell itself was under attack.
Wherever we are, we’ve landed in the middle of a war and we don’t know how to
get back. We’ll be in danger no matter where we are,” Scott whispered back.
“How do we know we’re helping the good guys here, Scooter? What if this Ring
gets all powerful or destroys everything if someone destroys it?” Logan asked,
barely able to keep his voice down in his attempt to get his point across.
“I guess we don’t know. We just have to trust them,” Scott admitted, keeping an
eye out for any danger and not just Orcs.
“Are you telling me you trust everyone in this happy little gathering?” Logan
asked disbelieving,
“We trust each other and of them…” Scott’s eyes swept over their new companions.
“I trust Boromir. He saved my life. The Hobbits are no threat at all. They can
barely fight. Ororo trusts Legolas and I trust her judgment.”
“You don’t trust the King?” Rogue asked and her eyes found Strider who walked in
the lead in front of them.
“No. He’s a man with a mission. He’s a good fighter and therefore a potential
threat,” Scott explained.
“He’s a fanatic and so is the old man. They’ll destroy the Ring no matter how
many lives have to be lost in the process. If he thinks us a danger he’ll not
hesitate to kill us,” Logan said darkly, saying what Scott hadn’t.
“What of the dwarf?” Rogue asked and looked at Gimli. He seemed savage with his
ax and she trusted him the least, though maybe it was only because she knew him
the least.
“He’s a great fighter but I’ve yet to decide if I trust him,” Scott admitted.
“He’s hard to figure out and that may make him the greatest threat.”
“The old man will be no trouble,” Logan dismissed Gandalf as a threat.
“I’m not so sure. I think we have yet to see his real strength. He may be the
strongest of them all,” Scott mused.
“But what of them? Do they trust us?” Rogue asked and again her eyes swept over
the fellowship.
“Boromir trusts us, the Hobbits seem trustful of anyone by nature, Legolas
trusts Ororo and therefore us too. Strider I know for sure has his doubts about
us and for Gimli and Gandalf…..it’s hard to say,” Scott admitted.
“I hear something,” Legolas suddenly said and all began to watch their
surroundings closely. They were again walking through what looked like a big
palace tunnel and the darkness could hide many things.
“Something grows near. I sense a darkness close by,” Legolas warned and everyone
looked nervously around, their weapons drawn. Suddenly the darkness seemed to
come alive with dark demonlike beings that all gathered around the group.
“What are they?” Scott wanted to know, eyeing the creatures suspiciously, his
hands on his glasses.
“Goblins,” Gimli said hatefully, his axe at the ready. He looked forth to avenge
his cousin’s death and see honor be restored to his name.
“Ahh……if anyone has any suggestions don’t hold back,” Logan said sarcastically
as he popped his claws and pushed Rogue behind him. He growled warningly at the
nearest Goblins.
“They…….have stopped,” Ororo said in wonderment as indeed the Goblins had formed
a ring around them but they all stopped about 10 meters away from them. Ororo
turned to Legolas to ask him why they would stop and saw he had an arrow ready
to shoot but what caught her eyes were something else….
“You’re glowing!” Ororo said surprised and indeed Legolas was emitting an out of
this world white light and now she noticed that the Goblins stayed further away
from him and Gandalf who held the light than any of the others.
“They fear light?” Scott asked as he too had noticed Legolas’ light.
“Great with the light show and all, Junior, but how about getting them away?”
Logan bummed and lashed out after a little too brave Goblin.
“Maybe if we…….” Boromir began but stopped as a great noise shook the hall.
“What the hell was that?!” Logan demanded to know. The noise frightened the
Goblins who all ran away.
“I don’t think we want to know,” Rogue said softly. Whatever could frighten the
Goblins away….
“Look!” Legolas pointed towards one end of the tunnel and a giant firelike
monster moved towards them.
“Shit. We’re not staying here. Grandpa, get a move on and get us the fuck away
from here!” Logan demanded and took Rogue’s gloved hand in his, pushing the
group towards the opposite end of the tunnel.
“Follow me. To the bridge of Khazad-dÛm!” Gandalf yelled and ran towards the
bridge, the others following him.
“I suddenly miss Magneto. At least he had a normal ‘I just want to rule the
world’ policy,” Scott complained as they ran all they could.
“I hate to say this, Cyke, but for once I agree with you,” Logan admitted and
played along Scott’s little joke in an attempt to ease the mood at bit. He felt
Rogue was falling behind and without further ado he quickly turned around and
swept her up into his arms and ran all he could with her, holding her close to
his chest. Logan could see the bridge and cast a strange look at Gandalf who had
chosen this particular moment to stop for sightseeing.
“Move on,” Gandalf urged as Boromir, the Hobbits, Gimli, Legolas, Ororo and
Logan with Rogue ran past him.
“Actually we had planned to become permanent residents here. I’ve always wanted
my own fire demon in the backyard,” Logan mumbled, annoyed at the old man’s
tone. At least Scott’s orders were always reasonable and not statements of the
obvious…..well, most of the time anyway.
“Gandalf,” Aragorn stopped beside the wizard and looked concerned at him.
“Go. Lead them on,” Gandalf urged, knowing what he had to do.
“But…..” Aragorn began to protest.
“Go!” Gandalf demanded and pushed the young King onwards. With a last look at
the wizard he held close at heart as a dear friend Aragorn moved along.
“Dead you’re no use to us,” Scott warned as he ran past the old man, having a
pretty clear idea what he had in mind.
“I don’t plan on dying,” the wizard said and there was such deep knowledge in
those words and such wisdom in his eyes that for a moment Scott didn’t doubt him
for a moment. Then he returned to reality and just nodded at the wizard as he
ran past him.
“Good luck,” he mumbled to the old man as he ran onto the bridge. He noticed the
others weren’t over yet.
“What are you waiting for? A written invitation?” Scott yelled towards them, his
concern for his teammates making his voice hard. He reached the group and saw
Legolas hold Boromir close to his chest and pull him back.
“Thanks,” Boromir gasped.
“What…..?” Scott began confused.
“The bridge is destroyed,” Legolas explained and moved his head a little so
Scott could see that indeed a piece of the bridge was missing. However it wasn’t
too far to the other side.
“We can jump,” Scott suggested.
“Some of us can. The Little Ones……” Boromir voiced his concern.
“We’ll jump with them,” Aragorn decided.   A great noise sounded behind them and
all turned to see Gandalf trying to keep the fire demon away with his spells. He
made a pretty impressive protective light shield around himself as he fought the
beast.
“Okay, let’s move,” Scott ordered and Aragorn cast him a brief annoyed look for
daring to give orders.
“I will go first,” Legolas said and so spoken he jumped and landed gracefully on
the other side. He quickly turned around and held out his arms to help the next
one.
“Ororo, go next. Help her,” Scott demanded of Legolas and Ororo nodded. She
called on her control over the weather and as she jumped she managed to get a
wind to help her so she landed as gracefully as a Goddess in Legolas’ open arms.
They fit so perfectly together, Scott thought briefly before the noise from
Gandalf’s battle brought his thoughts back on the present.
“I’ll go next,” Logan said and held Rogue tight in his arms, ignoring her
protests that she wanted to try and jump herself and he jumped. He landed close
to the edge and Ororo and Legolas helped him to safety as he eased Rogue out of
his embrace.
“Little Ones, come here,” Boromir called and took Merry and Pippin in his
embrace and jumped with them. The others helped him as he landed on the other
side. Gimli jumped but his tight small built almost didn’t permit him to make it
but Legolas caught hold of his bead and succeeded in getting him safely across.
Casting a quick look at Aragorn Scott could see they would soon have to have a
talk about who should lead them. Giving Aragorn this victory Scott let him be
the last to jump as he jumped over with Sam who protested that he only wanted to
jump if Frodo was with him. Last came Aragorn with Frodo safe in his embrace.
When everyone was safe they all turned to look at Gandalf who was still having
trouble with the fire demon.
“Maybe we…….” Scott began.
“Orcs!” Legolas warned and quicker than the human eye can see he had caught an
arrow that had been aiming straight at Ororo's heart. He threw the arrow to the
bottomless deep below the bridge and began to fire at the Orcs who began to show
up everywhere.
“Run. We have to get out of here,” Aragorn yelled as he too began to fire arrows
at the Orcs. They all began to move towards the end of the cave where Logan
thought he saw a faint light; were they finally through the mountain?
“Got one,” Scott said satisfied as he had succeeded in getting an Orc with his
eye beams though it had been hard and the beam was now very weak. Ororo again
tried to call on her powers but again found it impossible. Logan tried to run as
a shield before Rogue, knowing he wouldn’t die if hit because of his quick
healing powers. He got to test that theory as an arrow hit him in the shoulder
and he quickly pulled it out.
“Logan!” Rogue yelled fearfully.
“I’m alright,” he reassured as he continued to run towards the exit. Logan
noticed that though they were all under heavy fire from the Orcs' arrows they
seemed to like Legolas as a target which was strange considering he had a bow
and arrows and a deadly aim while most of the X-men and the Hobbits were sitting
ducks.
“Any particular reason why these guys hate you so much, Blondie, or is it just
on general principle?” Logan yelled to him and winced as he saw Scott being hit
in the leg. Knowing Scott didn’t have his healing powers; Logan’s own wound were
almost healed now, Logan ran to Scott and supported him as they ran on.
“Orcs were once Elves. They hate us more than anything else in this world,”
Legolas answered as he kept returning fire.
“Gandalf!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!” Frodo yelled and all turned to look at the wizard.
He had succeeded in throwing the fire being into the bottomless pit below the
bridge but the being succeeded in grabbing a hold on the wizard’s leg and was
pulling him with him down.
“No!” Frodo started to run back into the heavy arrow fire to get to the old man.
“Frodo!” Boromir called and stopped him, taking him up into his arms and
prevented him from running towards his friend.
“Let me go!” Frodo demanded as his eyes were fixed on the wizard. Scott tried to
see if his eye beams could reach the being but his powers were too weakened.
“Continue, you fools,” the wizard yelled at them as the fire being dragged him
with him into the bottomless pit and what would surely be the man’s death.
“NOOOO!” Frodo yelled and kicked out after Boromir to get free.
“Be still, Little One. There is nothing you can do,” Boromir whispered but Frodo
wouldn’t listen. He didn’t like Boromir nor did he trust him and now he had
prevented him from helping his friend.
“There is nothing to be done. Move!” Scott yelled as the Orcs seem to draw
closer. Aragorn snapped out of his own misery and sorrow and lead them towards
the exit and indeed……..they were out of the mountain but at what price? The
fellowship had lost a valued member. Scott wondered if they could go on now.
“Can things get any worse?” Logan bummed and Scott considered it.
“Probably, Logan. Probably.”

TBC

Hi there; I'm Wynne, a new member. I just signed on as I
only got into X-Men e-groups very recently... and I'm already in
heaven. *grin* Nadja Lee's "Cuts Like a Knife" was the first thing I
read as it popped up on the front page. It was wicked, it was
intriguing, it gave Cyclops/Scott a lot of depth that he really didn't
have in the movie, and it made me rub my hands together in glee!
If all the fanfic in the archives is that good, I know how I'm going to
be using the majority of my free time in the next few months.
Amazing how even after all this time, my interest in this film and
movieverse fanfic has only grown.

	 Because of this interest, I've started up an RPG that
focuses on the struggles between the Brotherhood, the X-Men, and
the humans. I'm really hoping to make it less a normal RPG, and
more a place where people can write a joint round-robin style fanfic
and perhaps eventually assemble the current game and its threads
into coherent storylines. A little bit hard to do, but if the players will
help me come up with a vision and try to stick to it, I think it could
be quite good in the end. We can submit it to archives as we go
along.

	 Currently, no characters at all are taken, as I just started it
today. If you're intrigued by the concept of writing with others,
please feel free to write me with any questions you have, or just
join and see where it goes.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrotherhoodX/

	 And now, back to scouring the archives for more
Logan/Rogue and Brotherhood fanfic... *sigh* how I love green
mutants!

--Wynne

Chapter 10-Brotherly Love

She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Female,
definitely, with her firm, jutting breasts and long, sinuous limbs.
Her blue scaled skin and golden eyes might be those of a serpent or a
mermaid. Exotic, mysterious, alluring— He stared at her, trying not
to, feeling himself growing hot and hard, limiting himself to brief,
flashing glimpses of the table where she sat with Toad and the Man as
he went through the fighting routine the Man had set for him. Leap,
slash, duck, attack, spin, thrust, turn, slash, repeat, repeat,
repeat, faster, faster, faster—

"My boy—"

He snapped to attention and at the Man's beckoning finger went to
stand by his side.

"Mystique, meet our newest brother."

She regarded him openly, smiled, and her pink tongue wetted blue lips
in a slow, sensuous caress. "Him?" she asked. And her voice, low,
rumbling organ tones, reverberated in his loins. Her musky scent, one
of sea spray and leaf mould, made him dizzy.

Now the Man smiled as well. "He has seen the error of his ways.
Haven't you, my boy?"

"Yes."

"And what are we fighting for?"

"The Brotherhood of Mutants fights prejudice with power, fear with
fire. We are the advanced, we are the evolved. We are the future of
mankind and we will be accepted and honored."

She laughed, and it sounded like water chuckling over a rocky
streambed. He was enchanted.

"Sabertooth will be amused," she commented.

"The fervor of a new convert," the Man agreed, "but heartfelt,
nonetheless. The poor boy needed focus in his life and I have
provided that. Sit! Sit!" the Man now ordered, and Boy sat beside
good, old Toad so that he could gaze and gaze at the lovely creature
before him.

"—comes at a bad time," the Man was saying.

Boy realized that he hadn't been paying attention and tore his eyes
away from the woman to concentrate on the Man. To be inattentive
meant pain. Although, recently he had received fewer and fewer
reprimands. He was finally 'shaping up' the Man said, and that was
good. He wanted to make the Man happy. So frequently, the Man was sad.

Once he had dared ask if it was something he had done to make the Man
so despondent. And if so, to punish him harshly. And the Man had
drawn him to his side, and smiled a sad smile, and mussed his hair,
and said no, no, that he was a good boy, a brave boy, and that the
Man was just remembering. In that way telling him that 'remembering'
was a bad thing.

"I'm on the point of breakthrough in my research," the Man
continued. "The newest DNA tests look promising, very promising. To
leave now would mean almost three months of wasted effort."

The Man frowned at the table top. "And the experiments are taking
even longer now that my assistant has inexplicably disappeared." He
fixed Toad with the unforgiving, steely gaze Boy dreaded so much and
that one felt a tremor of fear run though him. "You didn't have
anything to do with Fawn's abrupt departure, I trust?"

"Me?" Toad honked indignantly. "I juth know what I already told you.
Thee didn't come to work and thee wathn't at her houth either. And
all her animalth were gone. The cageth were empty."

"Peculiar. Well, it can't be helped. However, you see the situation."
He turned to the woman. "If I could have two weeks more, even
one . . . "

She shrugged, and Boy was charmed by how the scales ruffled on her
shoulders like a bird fluffing its feathers. "It's your decision."

"They won't be able to find me as long as I wear this." The Man
tapped a finger on the dull, reddish helmet he had put on soon after
the woman's arrival. "How did they discover that I was missing?"

Her eyes shrank to little gold sequins. "I've been wondering that
myself, and I don't know. One day they thought I was Magneto, the
next—I had to morph through five people to escape."

The Man addressed the table's last occupant. "Does anyone at the
school know you're here?"

They all stared at him, waiting. Boy gaped, gasped. Fear made his
breath ragged and his eyes frantically searched the familiar, cozy
lab for some answer that would please the Man. He found nothing.

"S-s-s-school?" he stuttered at last and unconsciously cringed.

Toad hic-hiced. "Heth forgotten!"

"Yes." The Man looked with mingled sadness and displeasure on his
creation. "We'll stay one more week, then. Meanwhile, Toad, you will—
"

The woman rose to her feet in a languorous, lithe movement like water
flowing up and came around the table to stand behind the crestfallen,
newest brother. "I'm tired. Want to take me somewhere I can lie
down?" She draped an arm over his shoulder and laid her palm on his
chest.

He stiffened at her touch and his flesh burned under her cool hand,
but he kept his eyes on the Man. "I- I haven't been dismissed yet."

Water tumbled over rocks as she laughed. "Magneto, what did you do to
him?"

The Man looked up, apprised the situation at a glance and gave a sour
smile. "Go ahead, my boy, show her a room, you're dismissed. And you,
Mystique, be careful with him. He's fragile still."

*******

She would sleep in neither the Man's room nor Toad's room, would have
nothing but his room, even though it had no door and just a mattress
laid out on the concrete. She laughed when she saw it. "You'll be on
the bottom, then, but for now . . . ."

She pressed him against the broken wall and began to unbutton his
black shirt, one of the Man's discards, button by slow button,
slapping away his hands when he would fondle her breasts, and gouging
deep, bleeding furrows down his chest and around his nipples with her
nails, yanking out tweaks of hair, biting.

He stared up at the ceiling, quivering, panting, his own nails
digging into his palms as his flesh ripped open under her touch. Pain
was good, it meant he was alive. It seemed that only fear and
suffering could bring him out of his usual deathlike stupor, and her
petty cruelties of smarts and stings, pricks and hurts did not wound
him so much as make his skin burn and tingle, his groin ache. Fire
ran through his veins as first punishment then pleasure followed one
another in rapid succession and he moaned in delicious agony. For no
sooner did her scratches draw blood than the skin healed, leaving a
trace of red to mark her passage. Eventually, he was in this manner
tattooed all over his chest and the shirt was in her hands.

"Turn around," she ordered, and he obeyed.

She drew his arms behind his back and began tying them together with
the shirt twisted into a rope.

He tried to look over his shoulder and she struck his face with the
back of her hand.

"Hold still! It's more fun this way."

He was on the mattress now, she having pushed him there, and he
submitted. The Man had long since burned out all rebellion.

She pulled down his jeans and his manhood sprang upright. With a
delighted laugh she encompassed him with her loins and rode him and
rode him, beating his chest with her fists, clawing it with her
nails, nipping his flesh with her teeth, kissing, licking. He groaned
as the fire grew and grew, finally surged through him to suddenly
explode in a shuddering rush.

Laughing breathlessly, she threw herself on him, rubbing her breasts
against his chest even as she raked her nails down his ribs. He felt
himself rise in her again and closed his eyes in ecstasy.

"I can be any woman you want." And she cruelly bit his nipple.

He cried out, looked up to see a woman with fair skin and long red
hair straddling him. One of the dreams! He struggled to free himself,
attack, but his bound arms were beneath him and her added weight kept
them pinned fast.

"I can also be your own worse enemy." The red haired woman stood and
turned into a ferocious, hairy, animal-like man with claws jutting
from his fists.

It was himself, he realized, but a violent, frightening self. The
beast looked at him, laughed, and drove his claws deep into the bound
victim's chest. He screamed, writhed, coughed up blood.

The next instant the beautiful blue creature was at his side, running
cool fingers down his face. "Now we're even," she said, and kissed
him long and slow on the mouth. Her blue lips were smeared with red
when she left.

After a time he emerged from his former cell. He knew it now as such,
knew also he had deserved to be prisoned there, punished. Had he not
dared to defy the Man? He remembered all—what he had been, what he
had done—and was shamed and sickened by his perversity.

For the shock of self attacking self had completed Magneto's work.
The strong had killed the weak. Shaped by the Man, forged by fire,
now tempered by blood, what rose from the crimson-stained mattress
was a fighting machine dedicated to the Brotherhood. Wolverine.

Darker Destiny: Just Not Good Enough
By Nadja Lee                                     14/05/02
English is not my native language. Please forgive me my mistakes.
Disclaimer: “X-men” and all the characters here belong to Marvel, 20 Century Fox
and I intend no infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make
no money of it.
Only the original idea contained within this work is the property of the author.
Please do not copy this story to any website or archive without permission of
the author.
Timeline: Set in the movie universe/an AU. Before the movie
Universe: Set in the movie universe; NOT the book which goes with it.
Romance: None
Summary: A young man tells of his life and choices…
Archiving: Want, ASK, take,  have.
Feedback: Yes, please. My e-mail address is nadjalee2000@...
Rating: R
Warning: May contain disturbing elements. This is a VERY dark tale! You have
been warned.
Dedicated to JenN who loves Bobby so I couldn’t leave him out of this…..though
she might have preferred I did…..*smiles*
Sequel/series: Part of the “Darker Destiny” series.
Thanks to Estelle for the Beta

Have you ever wondered what it is like to do everything to please yet always
come out short……..


What more do you want from me? I don’t get it. I’ve tried so hard, I’ve changed
so much……Yet nothing is every quite good enough for you.
It shouldn’t matter anymore. I’m no longer a kid but somehow I can’t let it go.
Why do I still long for your respect? Your love? When I know you’ll never give
it to me. I thought parents were supposed to love their children no matter
what……..well, someone obviously didn’t tell you that.
There was a time where I would have done anything; given anything for a kind
word and soft smile from you. But that was not to be.
All my childhood you measured me up to my big brother or yourself and always
found me lacking. I tried to be strong, I tried to fight but I couldn’t take it.
Nothing I did was ever good enough. I never heard just one word of praise, never
felt just one soft smile or embrace. Why? Why couldn’t you do that? For me?
Did I mean so little to you, dad? Was I really so worthless? Didn’t you see how
I fought? Didn’t you notice the tears your coldness brought to my eyes? Why did
you get mad at me for crying instead of comforting me? Why did you reach out and
strike me when I sought your nearness? Why did you push me away?
I could never ask you those things; I was too afraid. I was always afraid or
insecure. It wasn’t respect I showed you; it was fear. Fear and a great need to
just once be good enough. I tried…….I truly tried, dad.
You had been on the football team so naturally so should I. I hated it from day
one but I tried so hard to do good; for you. My entire life revolved around
doing well for you. I didn’t have it in me to win; I have never been a
competitive person. I tried……and I failed. So in desperation I started doing
drugs to help me get stronger, run faster. And people started to look at me in a
new way; with respect and admiration. I finally had what I always wanted. For a
while it seemed even you was about to come around.
Then everything fell apart. The coach discovered I was using, I was thrown off
the team and I had to tell you that. I’ve never feared anything so much in my
entire life as I did that day, knowing I had to face you.
When you finally came home I was a nervous rack and something in me was sure you
were late just to torment me. Your questions to me were as they always were; how
was school and practice? I had to tell you and so I did. I forced it out and
tried hard to keep from crying; I didn’t want to appear that weak, didn’t want
you to have that satisfaction. Then everything exploded. You yelled at me.
Called me worthless, a no good boy you wouldn’t admit to being yours. You said
you were ashamed of me and wanted me out of your house. Tears started to fall
from my eyes as I tried to explain. My tears only angered you further and unable
to hold back you slapped me so hard I fell to the floor before you went out the
room, yelling at me to get the Hell out.
Somehow, I don’t know how, I pulled myself together and with tears in my eyes I
packed a bag, took all the money I had with me and left the house and never came
back.
Life on the streets was harder than I had imagined it. I knew there would be
coldness, fear and isolation yet before I had felt it I didn’t understand the
depth of it. The disgust in people’s eyes as they passed me on the streets
coloured my cheeks red with shame and soon I needed something to help me escape.
One thing led to another and what I needed to escape had to be stronger and
stronger. Soon, I lost control though I doubt I had much of that to begin with.
My life began to have just one single-minded purpose; find some way to get the
next fix. I did anything from robbery to blowjobs, I got mugged and beaten up
but somehow I always got what I came for. And for a few blissful hours my mind
was far away and for the first time I was truly happy. There was no shame, no
guilt, no disappointment, no longing, no loneliness, no hunger, no cold and no
abandonment.
As I sink steadily faster and faster I know I’m nearing the bottom but it’s too
late for me to stop now. I’m lost and I know it yet I can’t stop. In the few
clear moments I have I wonder if you have ever tried to look for me or if you’re
too ashamed. I wonder if you miss me or have even noticed I’m gone. Maybe you’re
just happy to have gotten rid of me?
I don’t know but somehow I feel that if I did know the answers to just some of
those questions……I might have had a chance…………I just might……..

~Bobby

Chapter 11-Allies

Rogue waited in the Blackbird's storage compartment until all sounds
of the team's departure had ceased and the door was firmly shut on
silence. She had felt relatively safe stowing away in the bin that
held the life vests, correctly assuming that Cyclops would not set
down on the lake where he could be easily seen from any of the three
buildings.

Now she climbed out into the cockpit and peeked through the craft's
window at the little forest clearing in which he had chosen to land.
It was near dawn and a mist rising from the lake sifted through the
trees, rendering everything vague and dreamlike. If she didn't hurry
she would miss them in the fog. Once she found the team she knew it
would be impossible for Cyclops to send her back, which is why she'd
waited until they had gone. If she'd revealed herself earlier she
felt sure Mr. High 'n Mighty would have tried to lock her in the
plane!

A moment later she was outside and swallowed up by the forest. She
stopped in her tracks, listening for some sound of the team's
passage, but the quiet was unbroken save for the occasional creak of
branch and a faint drip-drip as moisture condensed and fell off pine
needles. She couldn't have lost them already! Her heart began to beat
faster as she looked around wildly.

Think, you little baby, think! she told herself fiercely as the
ghostly trees closed in on her, beautiful and threatening. Awright,
they gotta be goin' towards the lake and water goes downhill,
so . . .

There was a slight slope to the land and she followed its gradual
descent eagerly. Even if she didn't meet up with the team in the
woods, she'd be sure to spot them on the lake shore. Or so she told
herself as the slope became steeper and she must thrash her way
through crystal-jeweled brambles and clamber over wet-slicked,
uprooted trees.

She paused to catch her breath and a faint rattle of branches made
her jerk around. At first she didn't see anything in the gloom, then
a vagrant breeze shredded the mist an instant and she found two
enormous eyes staring at her from behind a leafless bush. Her hand
flew to her mouth to muffle a shriek.

"Are you lost?" asked a soft voice, a girl's voice.

Rogue gave a ragged laugh. "Ah'm just fine. Thank you. It's my
friends that are lost!"

"Two women and a man? I saw them go that way."

The girl came out from behind the bush and pointed to the left.
Draped over one shoulder was a squirrel, on the other perched a
large, black bird.

Raven or crow, Rogue didn't know which. "Are those your pets?"

The girl smiled, stroked the squirrel's tail. "Friends."

Peering closer at the stranger, Rogue thought that the two of them
were about the same age, but it was hard to tell in the mist. The
other's skin and hair were so light that all Rogue could really make
out in the dimness were the large dark eyes. The girl was taller,
though, and much more sensibly dressed for tramping through the
forest than Rogue in her long, green coat, which had already picked
up a bulky collection of leaves, twigs, bark bits, and mud. The other
girl, however, looked at home in the woods in her sturdy boots,
jeans, sweater, big leather jacket—

"That's his jacket! You're wearin' Logan's jacket!"

The girl glanced from the jacket to Rogue, puzzled. "Who's Logan? I
got this from Dr. Lehnsherr down at the base. He said Wolverine
didn't need it anymore."

"That's him, that's Logan! Logan's called Wolverine 'cause he's got
claws."

The stranger slowly shook her head. "Wolverine doesn't have any
claws. He's called that because he thinks he is a wolverine."

Rogue flipped a hand in dismissal. "Whatever. The important thing is
my friends and Ah are here to get him and take him home. He's hurt,
isn't he? Ah felt him hurtin' inside my head. But . . . "

She frowned at the toe of her shoe without seeing it. "He's not
hurtin' so much any more," she said slowly. "Now, he just feels
sorta . . . hollow."

The girl stepped closer. "You're here to help Wolverine? I'll show
you where he is. Oh, by the way, I'm . . . Fauna."

"Rogue."

The two girls sized each other up, liked what they saw, smiled.

"Let's find your friends before they attract attention." Fauna stared
at the bird and it suddenly launched itself into the air, but the
girl made no move to leave.

"Aren't we goin' to go look for the others?"

"In a moment." She turned to Rogue, her brow creased. "I thought he
was crazy. Wolverine. He told me Dr. Lehnsherr was experimenting on
him. Cutting him. Burning him. But I didn't believe it because he
didn't have any scars."

"Oh, Logan heals up super fast. He was cut real bad once savin' my
life. But a couple three days later he was good as new and nothin'
showed."

"I know that now. When Dr. Lehnsherr took him to the lab that last
night, I followed and hid. He and Toad did terrible things to
Wolverine. And he screamed so and they wouldn't stop and . . . and I
ran away. Again." Fauna blinked rapidly and when she looked at Rogue
her smile was tenuous and her cheeks were red with embarrassment.

"Ah ran away from home too," Rogue offered shyly. "That's how Ah met
Logan. But shouldn't we be findin' my friends?"

"In a minute— Finally, here you are, slowpoke!" The bird landed on
her outstretched hand and the two looked at each other. "Come on!
They're just inside the tree line going around the lake. If we hurry
we can head them off."

She zipped up the jacket with the squirrel inside and set off going
straight downhill at breakneck speed. The bird flew overhead.

"You talked . . . to that . . . bird!" Rogue panted, chasing along
behind.

Fauna flashed a grin and leaped over a fallen tree. "And he talked to
me!"

*******

Wolverine grabbed Mystique's wrist as she came down the hall, jerked
her into his cell with such force that she struck his chest. He
imprisoned her in the steel circle of his arms.

"My turn, darlin'."

Her eyes glittered with anger and her tongue tip flicked out like a
snake's. She struggled in his grip—but not too hard, he saw. He had
taken her measure.

Still holding her pressed against him, pinning her arms to her sides,
his hands caressed the silky smoothness of the scales on her firm,
round bottom, her narrow waist and supple back, while his tongue and
lips explored the contours of her delicate blue ear, her throat, her
cheek, the salt/sweet of her mouth until with a convulsive gasp she
went limp, slipping out of his rough embrace to sink onto the stained
mattress, lifting her arms to him in invitation. Smiling, he lowered
himself on her.

"Now we'll be even," he promised

*******

Rogue managed to skitter down onto the lake trail just before the
three came around the turn. "Hi, y'all! Nice day for a rescue, huh?"

Cyclops jerked to a stop, his hand at his visor. "Rogue? How did you
get here?" The hand dropped along with his jaw.

"She was hiding in the Blackbird, Scott," Jean said matter-of-factly.

He turned on her. "You knew? And you didn't tell me?"

"Rogue deserves to be here. This is her fight too."

The girl looked at the woman with new eyes. Why, sure! Jean must have
psyched me out, hidin' there in the bin. And she never said nothin'
to nobody. That's one awright lady, Rogue decided.

"Like she says, it's my fight too. And Ah got us some help! This is
Fauna." Rogue looked around and didn't see anybody behind her. She
studied the foliage suspiciously. "Now stop that and come on out!
These are friends."

Slowly the girl emerged from behind a tree, looking as timid as a
forest animal. She nervously twisted the squirrel's tail around a
finger, her cheeks pink. To put her at her ease Rogue made the
introductions.

"This is Cyclops. He can blast things with his eyes, so he wears that
little blinder thingy so he doesn't fry anybody that doesn't need it.
Storm over there does wild things with the weather, and Jean can move
stuff with her mind as easy as look at you. She can read your mind
too, so watch what you're thinkin'. And me . . . " Rogue's face
fell. "If people touch my skin they get hurt real bad," she said,
subdued.

"H-hello . . . "

Rogue heard the girl's hesitation and pulled herself together. "Like
Ah said, this is Fauna and she talks to animals and they talk to her
and she's goin' to take us to Logan and she knows just 'bout
everythin' there is to know about this here base."

"I'm surrounded by women!" Cyclops groaned.

"So?" Storm's eyes started to simmer.

He looked at the four, who between them controlled weather, objects,
animals—even his own power, should Rogue touch him. "Uh . . . I like
it!"

Well, here it is, a stab at the one no one wanted to touch. Alpha version, but
pretty decent. Surreal sex suitable only for CGI rendering. <g> The Goddess
demands feedback for her bard - she likes my Swahili!


Dark Legend Utimizo (1/1)
X-Men AU – Dark Legend Universe

RATING:           NC-17
PAIRING:         Charles/Ororo.
ARCHIVING:     Yes to the list archives and the challenge archive, other folks
should ask.
FEEDBACK:     Yes, please! Feedback is mother’s milk! Tarchannon@...
DISCLAIMER:   Akasha and Marco are mine – ask nicely and you can play with them.
The others belong
to the people at Marvel, and I’ll only use and abuse them a bit – probably less
than my muses did!
SERIES/SEQUEL: Yes, the Dark Legend Universe. Response to the Dark Legend
Challenge Series. Tarchannon's Chapter 5.
SUMMARY:      A plague visits the House of Xavier bringing death and dark
changes. Charles and Ororo
                         seek that which they have lost.
NOTES:            1)  “_” contains spoken dialog, /_/ contains thoughts, *_*
contains mental communication
2) This Ororo is Kenyan and speaks some words in Swahili. These words and their
definitions follow the piece to avoid spoiling plot elements.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to Amy Lou for the bunny lines. I put them to good use,
and got them out of your head!
COMPLETED:   6/20/02

                                                 *
*                                              *
High above, in her small penthouse atop the staff wing of the Academy, Ororo
stood, hands unconsciously clawed, gripping the stone railing. She was lost,
another barely noticed hour of another long New England night spent standing on
the balcony, staring blankly over the fields and trees into the distance, eyes
forever white now.  She barely slept after the metamorphosis, both fueled and
enraptured by her new state of being.

Since her recovery, she had known that she was different - so _very_ different -
she could barely recall the reason she existed before. The trappings of her life
– her friendships, her studies, her prized plants, her collection of original
African art, her weaving – had all fallen away, seeming small and unimportant
now.

“The Goddess embraced me,” she murmured over and over to herself like a mantra,
breath visible in the chill she unconsciously generated about herself though the
night was warm.

She could feel the weave - the colors, the textures, the iridescence. She was
enmeshed, but she was above, soaring bird-like over the tapestry that was the
physical world. A technicolor patchwork of ever changing, pulsing, glittering
threads. It drew her away, the colors, the patterns – the edge of a cloud, the
tumbling of a boulder down the mountainside. Everything was there, every
boulder, every wave, every breeze and fire. Every non-living thing on the planet
was hers to behold in minute detail, each woven into the other in a seamless
pattern. But, she, _she_ was not merely restricted to merely seeing the tapestry
of life, she could change it with a thought, pulling threads like Atropos
spinning fate. A power beyond compare, without an equal.

But the tapestry was an inhuman place, sterile, lonely, intricate patterns of
inorganic energy. She felt the emptiness, the cold. It drew her in, and
unconsciously her world mirrored her mind. The stone was wintry under her
fingers. She felt the essential warmth of herself slowly trickling away, and had
felt it for some time. But the ability to affect that was beyond her power, even
now.

Annoyed, frightened, and frustrated, the Goddess screamed into the night, a
cold, inhuman, terrifying sound. Lightning launched upward into a cloudless sky.

Untethered, released, she had begun to drift.

                                                 *
*                                              *
There were nothing, but they were everything.

He was adrift on a sea of stars in a vast darkness, the tiny brilliant lights
seductive, colored unique. But the spaces were achingly empty.

His mind wandered across the astral universe, with only the faint creak of the
leather of his chair or the insistent need of his physical body to remind him to
return. He could travel so far now, far enough to get lost.

No longer were the stars singular entities. Though he could reach out to one,
hearing it’s song - sometimes shrill and sometimes melodic – it was rare to juts
have one in his mind. He heard constellations, galaxies. A symphony of cacophony
that was both stunningly beautiful and awesomely terrifying. It played in his
head constantly now, even his formidable shielding inadequate to block them out
for long periods of time. When not immediately engaged in the real world, he
caught himself drifting on the cacophony of life.

He knew that his new powers were too much, that the changes that the virus had
made were dangerous for even someone with his control, but once he heard the
music – the marriage of Cage and Glass and Mozart – he could not imagine it’s
absence. He could not fathom how he existed before. Even using Cerebro didn’t
touch the experience. It was limited, filtered, artificial, small in comparison.

His sensory perception of humans had become acute, but thankfully his
involuntary perception of mutants hadn’t been altered very much. Though he could
hear the collective humanity nearly all the time, he had to focus like before to
read his children. But his ability to produce prodigious psychic force was
universal. He hadn’t been able to resist testing his range and his power, using
both humans and his children as test subjects. He was well aware that he
shouldn’t have done it, especially without their consent, but sometimes
shortcuts had to be taken. He couldn’t help but think it was for the best in the
long run.

After all, they were going to come again, and probably soon – if not the Friends
of Humanity, then another group. The attack Eric had predicted was virtually
certain to come – the fear and the hate was a prominent theme in the music. If
the humanized Legend Virus returned to the US, the attack would come, probably
within hours of the announcement in the press.

Preparations were underway, mutants being gathered, and for now he could wait.
The music lulled him away, adrift among the stars, and Charles sat in the
leather high-backed chair at his desk, staring off into the distance, solitary
but never alone now.

Never alone.

                                                 *
*                                              *
Charles floated out into the entry hall. With his newly awakened telekinetic
power, he could have ‘walked’ but it was far less trouble to fly. Though his
current TK abilities were inferior to those Jean had developed before the virus,
they were still a formidable addition to his abilities.

Three new mutants had arrived to join the cause, and Charles wanted to meet them
in person. Actually, to _impress_ them in person. Though he already had a tough
subcommander in the new Scott, and an effective drill sergeant in Logan, a taste
of the power at the top was always the most effective tool of obedience he had
found over the years.

Of the three, two had been recruited. Akasha Williams, an African American woman
of 22, had the ability to warp space. All indications suggested that training
would allow her to create portals, as well as provide defensive shielding from
most weapons. Marco DeLaria, a 20 year old Italian, had the ability to assume a
fluidic form. He thought that their abilities would be extremely useful.

The third recruit, twenty-nine year old Acadian Remy LeBeau, had been sent by
his father, a notorious underworld figure. He was a world-class thief, had
exceptional nightvision and agility, was a trained warrior, and had a energy
conversion mutation that allowed small objects to become explosive weapons.

/Potentially very useful,/ Charles thought as he passed though the door. /But
his fortuitous arrival is suspicious./

Scott was pacing up and down in front of the three new recruits, explaining in
no uncertain terms about what would be expected of them. All three stood
uncomfortably but calmly, not quite looking at Cyclops as he paced. He was
acting rather like Wolverine, Xavier noted.

Charles cleared his throat, mentally clamping down on the psychic music that
overwhelmed him at times.

Scott stopped immediately, nearly snapping to attention. Looking to Charles,
Scott Summers introduced their leader, revealing just a hint of the seething
anger under his steely control. “I would like you to meet our commander, Charles
Xavier.”

Three pairs of eyes turned and watched as Charles floated around to face them.
He looked at each in turn, briefly scanning them. He nodded at Akasha, then
Marco, finding them suitable and genuine in their interest.

Suddenly, in the back of his mind he felt a strong presence. Distracted, he
turned his mind away for a moment. Ororo was coming, and she was coming for him.
The emotions and the power were rolling off her in waves.

He turned his attention back to the other recruit, trying to finish before Ororo
descended. He sent his mind toward Remy LeBeau.

/Curious,/ he thought. The Cajun’s mind rippled like a drop of water in the
wind, deflecting his probe. He opened his mouth to speak.

Then she was there, projecting directly to his mind. Her intentions were clear
and so powerful. He turned in space to look at her, a dusky midnight goddess in
pale gray. Her eyes smoldered, electricity palpable in the air. Her projections
were making him hard, and the offer she presented was just possibly too good to
be denied.

*A moment,* he sent to her, hoping that she would take no offense. Though he
could take her, he wouldn’t want to ruin such a valuable asset.

Charles turned back to the new recruits, the Cajun in particular noting their
interaction with great interest. He felt Ororo’s impatience building very
quickly.

“I am pleased to meet you,” Charles told them as warmly as he could muster, his
distraction bleeding through. “I hope your time with us will be productive. Now,
if you will excuse me…”

Charles turned back to Ororo, who’s color was rapidly darkening with
displeasure. Tiny sparks were crackling about her, causing her long white hair
to undulate wildly behind her. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the smile
that played on the Cajun’s lips.

/I have to watch that one,/ he thought to himself as he willed himself to move
to her side.

Floating quickly up the stairs, he joined his Goddess for the ascent to her
temple, having already decided to accept her wicked offer.

                                                 *
*                                              *
/I will not beg. Will. Not. Beg. Goddesses do not beg./

Ororo knew this, yet Charles sat across the room sending phantom touches along
her body and waiting for her to do just that. She wanted this, she wanted him,
his body, his essence. The tang of desperation was a sour tang on her tongue.

She had known that she was slipping, less human every night, and it frightened
her. She had considered her options all night, and when dawn had come, she had
made her decision. There really was no other choice – the Goddess had to take a
consort, and only one was a suitable match.

So she had chosen to present him with a offer he couldn’t refuse. A partnership,
a merging with her nearest equal, the coupling of mind, flesh, and power. The
taming of the only one that could stop her from doing whatever she chose.

He had accepted as she knew he would – her flesh was still alluring and her
power an aphrodisiac to one such as him. He was both more and less than he was,
but still experienced and powerful – and unbalanced as was she.

Together they could be unstoppable. Together they would be complete.

Now she stood, as was her wont, gripping the stone balcony of her aerie,
reveling in the feelings her drew forth from her depths, the humanity that she
drank like blood to a vampire.

The air grew warm and still.

She could feel him, see the threads of power. He wanted her, not just her body,
though he ached for that. No, Charles ached for her _mind_, her dispassionate
control. And her power.

His hunger was a terrible thing, and for a moment it unnerved her. Playing with
such power was like playing with fire. But fire was something she understood,
something she controlled. She could ignite the air about him with the faintest
flicker of her mind, faster than his telekinetic shield could operate.

His eyes glimmered in the fading light, and the invisible kneading moving across
her like the last flickers of sunlight at dusk. She relaxed, reassured, growing
excited my his ministrations.

Without warning, she spun to face him, eyes rings of power arcing into space,
then stopped perfectly still, staring at her ex-mentor.
He was a handsome man, powerful, rich. He wore his strength like a cloak. He
could be her mate – and he wanted to be, mind and body, his desire plain, his
erection clearly visible. She licked her lips in anticipation.

He had never been a father figure to her as he had to Scott. She had known her
father, and he had died with the other of her tribe. Died because of her. No,
Charles had ever been her friend -  her rafiki, her advisor. There was no reason
that they should be apart. There was no one to stop her now that Charles had
come to her, not even his ex-mate, once locked away but now free.

“Come to me, serehangi,” she whispered, both commanding and pleading, the sound
crackling on the air like static, and she raised her arms, beckoning.

Charles look at her, and for a moment, she saw him falter, unsure. But as
quickly as it came, it vanished, and the older man rose before her on legs
powered by force of will alone. He walked to her, his eyes glittering, never
leaving hers. They promised many things – lust, need, hunger. She stood, rooted,
as he crossed to her, his mind caressing her in ways she had never dreamt of.

He stopped before her, within the circle of her arms but not touching her, and
leaned in with his mouth. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the rush of his
kiss and the fury of his mind.

But the touch did not come, and after a moment she opened her eyes. He was
staring at her, hands just off her body, lips millimeters from hers. She watched
in incredulity as he smiled, but did not lean in.

Her anger flared, face contorting frighteningly, and lightning echoed across the
sky as it arced overhead. The crack of her hand striking his face sounded in
counterpoint.

He staggered back a moment, but his eyes never left hers, the smile not fading
even as the blood trickled from his nose. He straightened, and stood his ground.

*Good, this isn’t a game,* he whispered in her mind.

She staggered and groaned as he dumped the lust of a hundred men directly into
her mind.

                                                 *
*                                              *
He tasted the copper of blood on his lips, and it made his blood sing. He had
never really understood Logan’s memories of this call of unbridled lust until
just this very second. Experiencing it secondhand just didn’t compare.

The tenuous connection that he had established with the Goddess flared with
power, a power so alien that it stunned him.
But he _wanted_.

Something of his own, not borrowed, not imaginary, but tangible. Someone to act
out the thousand fantasies that he had acquired along with the lust for women.
He was desperate for her nearly inhuman control. And of course there was the
power.

Still smiling, he straightened by fortifying the fields about his legs. Even her
terrible anger was beautiful.

His soul throbbed in time with the lightning blasts overhead, the link providing
a hint of what she felt. He opened it a little wider.
Attraction, lust, want, need. Her primal simplicity producing a primal greed.
Honesty.

*Good, this isn’t a game,* he whispered in her mind.

He closed the distance between them in an instant, roughly catching her mouth in
a ferocious kiss. He forced his tongue between her lips, tasting metal and
desperation, holding her firmly in grasp. He sent a pulse of the sensations that
it was producing in him over the connection.

He felt her struggle for a moment, but after a second of initial surprise, she
relaxed into his grip, and her tongue and lips began to respond to his
ministrations. He ran his tongue across his lip before plunging it back into her
mouth, adding the tang of copper to the mix of emotion and ozone. She moaned,
her hands clutching roughly on his sides.

He shifted slightly, allowing his straining erection to press up against her
thigh, moaning at the contact in a low rumble and releasing another glimpse at
his sensations.

Ororo grabbed his face in one hand his ass in the other, gripping both tightly,
hard enough to embed nails in flesh. Electricity crackled. Overwhelmed, he arced
back and let loose a shout and the connection opened between them.

                                                 *
*                                              *
The world expanded, energy superimposed over melody… colors, vibrations,
textures, music. His Goddess was there with him, connected, arcing like points
in a Volta sphere, and they floated above and within… rocking, pulsing. He could
feel his body, separate but joined… her body was his… a juxtaposition of
completion, a confluence of power. They rode the waves of iridescence, power
flushing through them.

She had jerked him down to her, tongue plunging, teeth nipping, seeking
connection. White teeth worried his lower lip. The sensation made him whimper
and thrust against her muscular thigh. The air about them warmed and grew
bright.

He caressed her breasts, nipples being aroused, gently tweaked… harder, harder.
Invisible hands cupped and kneaded her buttocks, producing rolling pleasure that
caused he to cry out. Screams and moans echoed thought the grounds.

His jacket was quickly discarded, shirt half torn off, shredded my manicures
claws, and dangled, held on his muscular torso only by a shredded silk tie. She
nipped and groaned as hands slid under her dress and over her wet mound.

Bloody streaks were left in shuddering starts marking his broad back and
staining the expensive shreds white cotton with crimson.
Her dress was lifted, panties tugged down and forgotten, fingers expertly
plunging in time to his driving tongue, as he pressed her back against the
railing.

Spinning him about and pressing him back, she sought his nipples in the white
fur and bit them over and over in waves. His pants were undone, dropped around
ankles, belt hanging, nothing else in the way of the expanse of flesh. His
aching, weeping hardness was stroked rhymthically above mentally-stiffened,
trembling thighs. The white hot building of need - his, hers, others… stars
connecting, fire spreading, an arcing web of insistent lust.

Above them, the skies cleared, revealing the a handful of stars encircled by
blood red clouds. They were rising, winds circling.
A scream. A shout. Penetration. Floating free.

Wetness. Faerie fire. Thrusting. Heat. Need.

Invisible probing. Flying. Multiplicity.

Slamming. Incoherence. Merging.

Stars twinkling across an iridescent tapestry.

Arcing incandescence.

Utimizo.
                                                 *
*                                              *
The Goddess awoke to the first light of the sun, lying sprawled over the
sleeping form of her mate. He was sated, healthy, powerful. She could still feel
him.

She gently extracted herself from him, straightening what little was left of her
dress, wincing in pain, and noting the dried blood. She unconsciously returned
to stone railing.

She could feel the sun moving, and she waited patiently, closing her eyes and
turning her face to meet the first light of dawn. She was warm for the first
time in months.

She stayed still, enjoying the moment, blocking out that which haunted the
fringe of her consciousness, until she could stand it no longer.

She could feel the chill, out there, waiting for her.



*****NOTES: My Ororo, like the Aurora in my 2020 stories, is Kenyan and speaks
Swahili as her primary language. The words she uses here are actual Swahili
words, defined as follows: utimizo – completion, rafiki – friend; serehangi –
mate.

********************** End of Utimizo (1/1) – Feedback desired –
Tarchannon@... ***********************

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Title: Crush
Author: Lia (juliannahawkhotmail.com)
Summery: Kitty thinks about her feelings for Scott.
Pairings: Kitty/Scott. Mentions of Jean/Logan.
Warning: Jean bashing.
Rating: PG (yes, you ARE seeing that right!)
Disclaimer: Many Moore owns 'Crush'. Marvel owns the X-men. I own the plot.
Sue and you'll get three pennies I found beneath the couch cushions today.
Feedback: HELL YES!
Dedications: My Soul Sister, Heather. My Hunny Bunny, Jeannie. And to the
best gay friend a gal can have, Logan!
Author's note: "Speech" 'Thoughts'


Kitty watched as Scott began to write a series of equations on the board.
Math, her worst subject, yet somehow, with Scott always there to help her,
she was doing incredible. The way his lips moved to form the words, and his
fingers held the chalk…She shook herself, before she drifted off to other
things those fingers could be caressing. She couldn’t help it, her mind
wandered to a day almost eight months ago.

*You know everything that I'm afraid of*

Kitty shrieked in fear as the garter snake wound itself around her trowel.
She bolted from the gardens, running right into Scott. “Kitty, what’s
wrong?” He caught her upper arms before she could trip.
Kitty blushed. “A snake, it, I mean,” she lowered her head, brunette hair
falling to hide her sheepish face.
“Here, let me get it for you.” Scott bent down, and unwound it gently. He
carried it over to the other side of the house, placing it in a tank one of
the boys had set aside for collecting them.

*You do everything I wish I did*

“Thank you. I’m sorry I screamed. Snakes just scare me so much.” Kitty
looked with disdain at her trowel.
“Here,” Scott picked it up, wiping the handle with his black t-shirt.
“Better?”
“You have no idea,” Kitty whispered to herself. “I’m such a chicken.”
“Why? Because you got scared of a snake?”
“Yeah, the others would just tease me if they knew.” Kitty knelt and began
to dig out the weeds in the ground.
“Can I trust you with a secret?” Scott lowered himself to lie on his back
next to her.
“Of course, I would never, ever tell anyone!”
“I’m absolutely deathly afraid of spiders. You should’ve seen how much Jean
mocked me the first time she saw me run from one.”

*Everybody wants you, everybody loves you*

Kitty’s heart broke inside her chest, as reality crashed back in. Jean. His
fiancée, the woman he cherished, worshipped, beautiful, smart, perfect
doctor he wanted to marry. She could never have his love; it was locked up
tight in someone else’s name.

*I know I should tell you how I feel*

Kitty couldn’t help but feel if he knew, he’d want her. Jean was too
perfect, and she laughed at him! Kitty could never laugh at anything Scott
did. He was too perfect. The way he always tried to help everyone, always
giving. She just wanted to give back to him so much.

*I wish everyone would disappear*

If only Jean was gone, than they could be together. She could already see
it. The way he would hold her, his arms wrapping around her waist. Always
protecting her. His kiss would be so warm and full of love she’d never need
anything else.

*Every time you call me
I'm too scared to be me*

“Kitty?” Kitty’s head snapped up to stare into the red glint of Scott’s
visor. “Are you alright?” Kitty looked around to realise she had fallen
asleep in class. “Kitty?”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”  She grabbed her books hurriedly.
Scott placed a gentle hand on her elbow. “Is something wrong?”
‘YES!’ She screamed mentally. ‘I’m so head over heels in love with you I
think I‘m gonna die if I don’t tell you. But I can’t because you have Jean,
and no one could ever want me!’ Kitty shook her head no. “Nothing, just,
haven’t been sleeping well.”

*And I'm too shy to say*

“You know where my room is if you ever need to talk.” Scott let go of her
elbow. “I want to protect you Kitty, even if it’s just fro ma nightmare.
Anytime, you’re welcome.”
‘Oh do I ever know where your room is! Just ten steps away from mine.’ Kitty
smiled, “its just the whole thing with Rogue, it’s scary.”

*Ooh, I got a crush on you
I hope you feel the way that I do*

Scott pulled her into his arms. He hugged her warmly, kissing the top of her
head. “It’s over now, I would never let anyone hurt you. Understand me
Pretty Kitty?”
Kitty hugged onto him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. ‘He
called me Pretty Kitty!’ She relaxed, letting the warmth of his body fill up
her heart.

*I get a rush when I'm with you
Ooh, I've got a crush on you (A crush on you)*

“Ok, go get ready for supper.” He let go, smiling down at her. “Talk to me
Kitty. I’m here for you.” He left the room, leaving the door open for her to
leave. Kitty leaned on her desk, the biggest grin over her face. “I think
I’m in love with you Scott Summers.” She looked up, and saw the picture of
Jean he kept on his desk. She couldn’t stop the lone tear that trailed down
her skin as she saw how lovingly is was placed.

*You know, I'm the one that you can talk to
And sometimes you tell me thing that I don't want to know*

“Kitty?” Scott knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.” Kitty sat up, patting the mattress next to her. “What’s wrong?”
Scott sat down, his head hung low. “Jean, she…I shouldn’t be bothering you
with this.”
“No, please.” Kitty held onto his wrist. “Friendship goes both ways, tell
me.”
“I saw her kiss Logan.” Scott gave out a small sob. His body jerked as he
tried to hold it back.

*I just want to hold you*

Kitty wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She whispered to him soothingly
as he cried quietly into her shoulder. Pressing her forehead against his,
she smiled gently. “It’s all gonna work out, don’t worry.”

*And you say exactly how you feel about her*

“How could she betray me like this? I love her so much. I’d do anything for
her. I don’t care what it takes. Anything, everything, all she has to do is
ask.” Scott wrapped his arms around Kitty’s waist pulling her closer.
“I don’t know how she could. Everyone can see you worship her. She’s
incredibly stupid if she’s willing to throw that all away.”

*And I wonder, could you ever think of me that way
A crush on you*

‘Oh Scott! How can you not know how much I love you?! You’ve come to me for
comfort, I give it. I’m willing to give you all of me. Anything, and yet you
want her. She’s broken your trust, betrayed you. Yet you want her. Why can’t
it just be me? Could it be though? She hurt you, you seeked me out. Scott,
please tell me there’s something in your heart that is calling out for me
like I call for you.’

*Ooh, I wish I could tell somebody
But there's no one to talk to*

“I should go. It would be wrong for me to stay here. Kitty, thank you, from
the bottom of my heart, thank you.” Scott stood up, still holding Kitty
close. “Right now you’re the only person I think I can talk to.”
‘Why can’t I have someone to talk to? I need someone to hold me, to help me.
Why can’t it be you? Scott, please, let me into your heart.’ Kitty gave him
a squeeze, and released him. “Whenever you need me. My door is open.”
“As is mine.” Scott kissed her forehead lightly. “Thank you Pretty Kitty.”

*Nobody knows I've got a crush on you
A crush on you, I got a crush*

Kitty watched as he left. Throwing herself onto her bed, she buried her face
into her pillow. Tears flowed freely from her eyes. “It’s just not fair,”
she sobbed. “How can I stand to be here when I love him so much? I want his
touch, his love. Why can’t it just be me? Nobody knows, and it’s not fair!”

*You say everything that no one says*

“Pretty Kitty.” She wiped at her tears, looking at the bedside clock. “How
can he call me that, I’m not. Everyone knows it, yet he calls me that. Why
can’t he just love me back? Why can’t I just be perfect for him? I want to
be; I try so hard. Scott, I love you.”

*But I feel everything that you're afraid to feel
I will always want you, I will always love you*

“No matter what happens, I’ll love you. Even when you go back to her. Even
when you marry her. Even when she has your kid. Even if she leaves you for
another man, again and again. If you come crying to me, I’ll give you my
comfort. You have my love. Even if you wonder if it is your kid, I’ll love
you. When you know its not and love them anyways, I’ll love you even more.”
Kitty pulled a blanket over her body, and went to sleep. Dreaming of a day
Scott might be loving her instead.

*I've got a crush...*


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Chapter 12-Underground

Rogue did not like the tunnel. Fauna had said that because of the
cruel, cold winters up here in Canada that the lower levels of the
compound's three main buildings were all connected together, and that
the easiest and safest way to get to Logan was to take the hidden,
underground route. Rogue supposed it was a good idea, but she didn't
like the tunnel's cold, stale air, or the funny smell of stinky feet
that reminded her of the gym locker room at the high school back
home.

Each of the three team members had little lights as part of their
equipment and used them now to pick out the way. The tiny beams
revealed just enough to make Rogue not want to see more. There's just
too much nothin' that can be hidin' anythin', she decided.

Fauna was up in the lead with Cyclops and the raccoon. She had left
the squirrel and the raven back in the woods and instead had asked a
raccoon to come with them into the tunnels. "Because," she had
explained, "raccoons hunt in the dark, and this old fella is willing
to scout ahead for us." After them came Jean, then Rogue, and last
was Storm.

They'd had no problem getting into the building. Fauna had found a
set of keys in the guard house last October when she'd arrived and
had explored the whole base looking for anything that might help her
get through the winter. But it turned out they didn't need the keys
because the door lock was just a mess of metal.

"Logan. His mark." Rogue heard Cyclops say, looking like he'd just
eaten a too-green grapefruit. Then he started swearing a blue streak
when he spotted his motorcycle and the measly old scratch on its
fender.

When they first came down the stairs from outside, the big room at
the bottom looked like any other basement— junky with old, broken
furniture, wood crates mostly empty, boxes and boxes of mildewed
books and leaning stacks of musty computer printouts. But then, as
they started along the tunnel, Rogue just knew that it was only the
little pencils of light that kept the walls from snapping shut and
burying them here forever. And if she felt like that, what must Storm
be feeling all closed in like this away from the sky? She reached
back and took the woman's hand.

"Hope you don't mind. Ah'm a little scared."

It worked. Rogue heard a sharp intake of breath, then Storm squeezed
her hand in reassurance and the woman's tension eased a bit as she
gave a little laugh. "I can't say I like it down here either, but at
least it's fast and it's hidden. And the sooner we get Logan, the
sooner we can get out."

After about ten minutes they came to another wide space which proved
to be the basement of the second building and they followed the
raccoon through the same kind of clutter that they'd found in the
first, weaving a crooked path to the far wall.

But now the raccoon seemed to be lost. Rogue could see its eyes
reflecting the light like a cat's as it rounded boxes, then came back
only to set out once more, trotting back and forth along the wall.
Fauna knelt on the cold concrete and the raccoon rushed to her. She
picked it up in her arms and smoothed its fur.

"He can't find the tunnel entrance," she announced. "It was open when
I was down here three or four months ago. Maybe Dr. Lehnsherr closed
it for some reason."

"Storm, Jean," Cyclops said, "split up. Look along the walls. I'll
start over here." The three spread out, taking the lights with
them. "You two stay there," he called over his shoulder to the
girls. "We'll be right back."

The dark fell on Rogue and Fauna like a heavy, black cloth. From time
to time they saw little sparks like fireflies on either side of them,
then as the searchers picked their way among the crates the lights
winked out to reappear once again, smaller, dimmer.

This basement area seems a whole lot bigger than the first one,
thought Rogue. But then we didn't explore the first one 'cause the
raccoon went straight across it to the tunnel. She put her back to
the chilly wall and took a deep breath to calm the jittery feeling in
her tummy. The stagnant air felt thick and heavy in her lungs as if
the blackness was swamp water and she was drowning in it. She was
glad Fauna was standing right beside her, so close she could feel the
heat of the other girl's body. But she didn't want to talk to her.
Somehow, in this smothering dark she felt like she was blind but that
there were lots of other things around that could see, and she didn't
want to make any noise. She just wanted to hunker down and hide.

They hadn't noticed any little lights for a while but they could
still hear the voices of the three calling to each other. Rogue
almost wished they wouldn't, because their words were so twisted and
booming and echoing that it sounded like they were arguing.

Noise approached, rapid steps, a jerking light. Rogue held her
breath, then Storm showed her light on her own face.

"We found the door. It's locked. Cyclops wants the keys."

Fauna handed them over and Storm sprinted off the way she'd
come. "Down here," she called over her shoulder. "Just follow the
wall!"

Just following the wall wasn't as easy as it sounded. Small
peninsulas of crates reached long fingers into the basement, and they
must follow by touch up one side and down the other to reach the wall
again. Still, thought Rogue, it's better than standin' and waitin'.
At least we'll soon be with the others.

Fauna gave a sudden start, leaned down, put her lips to Rogue's
ear. "Something's wrong. The raccoon smells a stranger. Somebody must
have come in from the tunnel."

Rogue clapped her hands over her mouth and bit down hard on her lip
so as to hold back the little cry coming up her throat. She did not
want to hear this.

*******

Wolverine rolled off Mystique, swiveled his head towards the empty
doorway.

"What—," she began. But he sealed her lips with a hard, horny palm
and, once she understood, released her to pull on his jeans and get
to his feet.

"Voices," he breathed, standing just inside his cell to peer down the
dimly lighted hall.

He sniffed, detected no new odors. Despite all logic, the sounds,
faint even to his hypersensitive hearing, came from the far end of
the corridor which was secured by a heavy metal door.

"Tell the others," he ordered. "I'll investigate."

She nodded, rose, gave his hair a painful yank. He knew it for
affection and replied in kind with a stinging slap on her rump. She
grinned and left.

Wolverine pinched out the candle without bothering to wet his
fingers. The switch to the room's lighting was outside the door and
he generally left it off, preferring the gloom.

He loped down the tunnel-like passage, his bare feet silent on the
concrete, rage and fury seething in him. Intruders? He fervently
hoped so. As yet, he'd had no opportunity to be of service to
Magneto, prove his loyalty, do his duty. His duty: defend, protect,
repel—slaughter.

Crouching at the far door, he placed an ear against the cold metal.
Voices, yes, though what was being said was too muffled by the
metal's thickness for him to comprehend. But intruders? Most
certainly.

His lips twisted in a sneer of contempt as the narrow gap under the
door brought him familiar, hated scents. Fresh rain and the acrid
smell of ozone—Storm. Heady, sun-warmed mint and sharp lemon—Jean.
Salt and sulfur—Cyclops.

The voices faded as the trio moved away and he carefully slid the
bolt out of its catch, extinguished the hall lights, and pushed the
door open just wide enough to slip through. He paused there, the
closed door at his back, questing with eyes, ears, nose.

The space on this side was large, warehouse size, black as the bottom
of a hole. But his acute vision made out a dim jumble of crates and
boxes stacked about haphazardly, preventing any clear line of sight.
Good hunting! was the thought that came immediately to his mind. The
age-old game of predator and prey—and he knew well which of the two
was Wolverine. However, he kept his claws sheathed for the time
being. Let their deadly snikt be the last thing his victim heard.

He felt the berserker frenzy surge in him and knew the danger of
that. Planning, stealth, was needed here, not the wild, brutal
rampage he yearned for. Magneto would wish to question these
interlopers. And if Wolverine feared anything it was surely not these
pitiful fools stumbling about in the dark, rather the displeasure of
his maker.

Sluggish air currents confused the scents, mingling and stirring them
only when the intruders moved. No, despite the bewilderment of
echoes, sound was the best indicator of the trespassers' presence.
And now, as if he had willed it, soft, cautious steps came toward him
preceded by a narrow line of white light, groping ahead like a blind
man's cane. He glided to the nearest crate, another shadow among the
hundreds.

He wanted it to be the man. Let it be the man! Too well he remembered
the other's scorn, flaunted superiority, his smooth-faced smirk. Let
it be the man. From this one his claws would drink. Magneto could
have the women to interrogate. And after he was done with them,
Wolverine would have the women too—for his pleasure. But now, let it
be the man.

Stinging salt, sulfur's stink came to his nostrils. It was the man.

Chapter 13-Conflict


Wolverine shot out his claws, deliberately leaped into the beam of
light so that for the last few seconds of life his victim would know
the terror of death. Startled, the man jerked to a stop, one hand at
his visor, then—

"Logan! Thank God!"

Rattled, Wolverine's attack lost it impetus. He remained crouched,
trying to think what to do. This was not the way it was supposed to
happen. The prey should cower, try to run, or, if bold, brace itself
to fight. This one did not follow the time-honored pattern, instead
approached with empty hand outheld. The predator chose to take that
open palm as a sign of aggression and with a snarl tensed to launch
himself.

"Scott, look out!"

Lemon and mint—

Wolverine quickly shifted stance, his back secured against the crate.
To his left the redhaired woman, to his right the man. The man was
more a threat, so— He focused on his chosen target once again and
released the boiling rage. From behind he dimly heard the woman's
cry: "—not Logan anymore—a beast—"

He sprang and something trapped him in mid-air even as a spear of
fire lanced his left side. His howl was drowned by the woman's scream
and the force that held him suddenly vanished, dropping him to the
floor.

Only a moment he lay so, stunned, the fire eating deep into his
flesh, before he struggled to his feet. The woman stood before him.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for Scott to—"

He threw his right arm across her throat, clamped her against his
body, retreating with her as shield toward the tunnel door.

"Stop, or I'll fire!"

Wolverine laughed and it came out a growl. The man was weak; he would
not release his burning ray if it endangered his woman. They all
three knew it. His free hand searched behind for the door handle
while he kept an eye on the enemy and the panel pushed open against
his fingers. A quick look back showed him Toad, Mystique, Magneto.

Magneto scanned the situation with a sweeping glance, regarded his
wounded minion and his prize with pride and pleasure. "Well done!
Quickly, now, inside. Toad, bolt the door!"

It was accomplished as soon as ordered and then all followed Magneto,
running down the corridor, the woman caught between Mystique and
Toad, while Wolverine, gritting his teeth against the slow-healing
burn in his side, played rear guard.

How much longer before the man besieged the door? That question was
what spurred their heels. The woman was their only assurance that
they might all survive that attack; her presence alone granted them
more time to escape. And so it proved—almost. They had all but
reached the lab door when the explosion deafened them, flung them to
the floor, and a ball of fire roared up the tunnel.

*******

Rogue and Fauna huddled next to the wall, not knowing where to go,
what to do, now that the team was discovered, and so they felt the
thick concrete at their backs suddenly shake, saw the flare of
scalding red momentarily reveal in minute detail the stark, square
crates surrounding them, heard the deep rumble of the blast roll
round and round the huge room like thunder, and— Like thunder, the
rumble was followed by rain.

"F-fire sprinklers!" Rogue turned her face up to the chill sting of
pelting water. Oddly, the mundane normalcy of the emergency system
calmed her and she took Fauna's hand, pulling her along the wall
towards the source of that sheet of flame.

When the girls arrived, Cyclops and Storm were cupping water in their
hands and throwing it at a glowing hole in the wall. It used to be a
door, Rogue saw, because the handle was still there, but the middle
was nothing but steam where the water splashed. Around the edges
pulsed red, metal lips like the horror house mouth at the fun fair
that swallowed the little carts filled with screaming kids.

"Enough! Let's go!" And Cyclops sprang between the burning lips to be
gulped down by the darkness beyond.

Storm drew her cloak close about her and prepared to follow. Rogue
halted her with a touch on the arm.

"Where's Jean?"

Storm's eyes burned white. "Logan caught her and they went off with
Magneto!"

"With Magneto? Not Logan!" Rogue protested.

"I saw it myself. Just as I arrived with the keys, the door opened
and there was Magneto, Mystique, and that horrible Toad. Logan
dragged Jean inside and the door closed." And the lips sucked in
Storm.

Rogue cautiously peered inside, keeping her distance from the
devouring mouth. "Water's on the floor in there too. Ah guess it's
awright," she decided reluctantly.

Fauna bent over and picked up the set of keys. "Your friend must have
dropped these when they started wetting down the metal." She put the
keys in her pocket and turned her back on the hole. "The raccoon's
not about to go in there and neither am I."

"We can't just leave them."

"They left us!" Fauna pointed out.

And Rogue felt the same bitterness as the other girl. We're not part
of the team, Rogue realized. To Storm and Jean and Cyclops, Fauna and
me are just bratty little kids taggin' along, always in the way,
always needin' to be looked after.

"Awright, then what?"

"First we get out of here." Fauna was already following the
raccoon. "And then I have an idea where Dr. Lehnsherr . . .
Magneto . . . might be, and what we can do about it."

Rogue thought it over and for the first time since she'd come down
the stairs—hours ago it seemed like—she felt happy. Maybe we'll even
end up rescuin' the big folk!

*******

Wolverine choked down a groan, slowly rose to hands and knees out of
care for his seared back. The sprinklers had turned on and the burns
weren't as bad as they could have been. On the floor where he had
lain the woman stirred, opened her eyes. She was alright, then. He
thought he might have suffocated her, falling on her that way.

Magneto and Mystique had scrambled up and ducked into Wolverine's
cell to escape the fire ball. Toad had leaped over the prisoner to do
the same, knocking her back down into the path of danger. And
Wolverine— Unthinking, he had thrown himself on top of the woman,
shielding her face against the flames with his body. Her uniform and
gloves were fireproof, but the delicate skin of her face—

"Stupid!" he muttered—whether to himself for protecting the enemy, to
her for getting caught, or to life in general, he didn't know. He
wavered to his feet, stopped himself just before reaching down to
help her up, ignored her look of gratitude and murmured thanks, and
scowling, followed along behind to the lab.

The heavy, vault-like door clanged shut behind him and Magneto spun
the wheel, sending the five bolts, each as thick as Wolverine's arm,
into steel sockets. Now the man turned from that task and smiled down
at his prisoner seated in the chair where Toad had shoved her.

"A relic from the Age of Paranoia," Magneto explained, gesturing at
the door. "This room was part of the base's bomb shelter. I doubt
your young friend's glance, destructive as it is, quite has the power
of nuclear fission."

"Better plan to stay in here a long time then." She returned
Magneto's smile and began reordering her hair. "Scott is stubborn."

Magneto frowned, displeased.

Wolverine knew that look. Agony was born from that look. He backed
against the door to be as far as possible from what would come next,
grabbing the locking wheel behind him to stop the spasmodic shaking
of his hands.

"You will tell me Charles's plans and who else has been notified that
I am here."

"I don't know Professor Xavier's plans. I am merely the school
doctor."

Magneto laughed. "It is pointless to lie to me, Miss Grey. Charles
has told me all about you. You were his first student. You came to
him when you were eleven. You are like a daughter to him. And now you
are his closest confidant. You will tell me what I want to know."

She remained silent, unconsciously rubbing one hand over top the
other.

"Fine!" came the cold voice, and Wolverine's guts turn to ice. "Toad—"

Startled, Wolverine caught his breath, released the wheel as if it
burned him, peered narrowly at the woman. "Wait! Let me. I'll make
her talk."

Magneto scrutinized him, his initial surprise turning
thoughtful. "Very well, my boy. Let us see how persuasive you can be."

Wolverine glared down at her. "What the hell do you think you're
doing? Why are you here?" His voice was low and tight with menace.

She looked up, a smile trembling at the corners of her mouth. "We
came to take you home, Logan."

Wolverine blinked, recoiled as if he'd been struck. He was lost and
people searched for him? Friends searched for him, wanted him? Came
to this hell hole for him? To take him home. A shiver like an
electric shock ran through his body and each nerve tingled. For an
instant the lab and its occupants sprang into unnatural focus and he
saw everything, everyone with brilliant clarity.

"You knew he was here," Magneto now said, a statement, not a question.

"Professor Xavier told Logan that Alkali Lake might hold some answers
to his past."

Magneto smiled. "He has found his past. He has relived his past,
haven't you, my boy?"

"Yeah . . . " Wolverine pulled himself together. "Yeah! Dumb broad,
you wasted your time coming for me! This is where I belong. The
Brotherhood has the right idea. Force!" His fingers dug into her arm
and he shook her roughly. "Why should we have to hide what we are?
We're the future! And we'll damn well fight to get our freedom. Our
freedom, hear?"

He shot out his claws barely an inch from her nose and saw her jerk
back, turn pale. With a jeering laugh he resumed his post at the door
and gripped the wheel with steady, cunning hands.

Title: "Lost in the Translation"
Author: Diebin
Rated: PG-13 for language and themes
Summary: Rouge tries to give up Logan for Jean--and finds out that she can't
make other people's choices for them.
Pairing: L/J, L/R
Archive: WRFA
Disclaimer: I own not. You sue not.
Notes: I had a fever last night. I had very strange dreams. I woke up this
morning with the almost overwhelming desire to write this story. I did so.
Rather quickly. Not quite sure why . . but hey. *shrugs* When the muse cracks
the whip, I jump.
Dedication: Beth, Jenn, Ann, Vic and Andy, for caring enough to take over the
list. Donna, for being my Tyler, and to all the people who sent me nice e-mails
over the last few weeks. You're golden.

~*~

I guess the one thing he never got was that I wouldn't be honored. Wouldn't be
flattered. Wouldn't thank him for the privilege of knowing how he'd degraded
everything that was supposed to be us.

He didn't see it that way at first. And I guess that's what made all the
difference.

Starting at the beginning. It's the only place to start. Start when he found me,
cold and shivering in his trailer.

I knew I couldn't trust him. You don't trust people who hurt other people for
money. If they'll do it for money, they'll do it for free--because it's the only
kind of life they know. Hurt. Reward. Hurt equals reward.

It becomes a habit. One that you really can't break.

I knew I couldn't trust him, but I did anyway. Because when you're young and the
world has beaten you down, you're always ready for that little piece of hope
even if you never admit it. Expect the worst--but you never really stop hoping
for the best, no matter how bad things get.

Things were bad. But I had that little bit of hope, and he fanned it into life
so slowly, so gently. Like he knew how fragile it was and was careful not to
overwhelm it. Never let me think he was perfect--but always so close. Chase me
down and find me. Save my life. Bleed for me. A slow, stately progression until
I truly believed, yes, he was the good thing in my life I'd been waiting for.

That was the beginning. And it was beautiful.

He left and yet he didn't leave, because no matter how far he wandered there was
always something of him left--if only because he called to check up on me--and
Jean, her face full of conspiratorial mischief, passed on every conversation in
loving detail.

Jean, the sister I'd never known I wanted, the mother I'd never known I'd need.
The only person in the school other than Xavier himself who knew what it was
like to be victim to voices that wanted to own little pieces of your soul. Long
nights together in the lab, Jean telling me to concentrate a little harder,
breathe a little deeper--she's the reason I kept my sanity.

And I'm the reason she kept hers, when Scott sacrificed himself on a mission to
keep her alive. It rocked the school, his death. Rocked it on it's foundations
and left us all so shaken up that we couldn't quite get over it. Xavier died a
little inside, and that left Jean and Storm to be that much stronger at a time
when neither could afford it.

Jean was so fragile. So very, very fragile and I had decided long before Logan
came home that if he was the one who could put her back together, I didn't care.
Wouldn't care. Wouldn't let him choose me.

My first mistake. Thinking I could make choices. Thinking that I could make
/his/ choices, and that for some reason he'd abide by them as if I had the right
to decide the course of his life.

I might have encouraged her, a little. Swallowed pain, swallowed pride too--and
encouraged her. After all, I'd had him in my head. I knew the interest was
there. I thought it would still be there--strong, growing, alive. I thought they
had a chance.

I did. In the aftermath, a lot of things got hurled at me that I didn't really
deserve. I never did this to prove I was better. To prove I was more loved. I
didn't want Jean's pain--I didn't want her broken heart.

I just wanted her happiness.

Funny how little things like that get lost in the translation.

~*~

I was twenty-two and he was living in the mansion pretty much full time when it
happened. Almost a year after Scott's death, and Jean was still trying to be
strong on the outside but was so broken up inside that you could almost see the
broken starting to seep through again.

I'm not sure how it happened. I'd been steering clear of the two of them,
because I'd seen the cracks in Jean's shields . . . and I'd seen how Logan
seemed to fill the cracks without even trying. He was the strong that was
missing from her life. He was the compass that pointed inevitably north, like
Scott always had.

She needed him, and I didn't want to be the reason Jean didn't get what she
needed.

Jean asked me once--asked me if I loved him. We'd taken a bottle of wine to the
roof and it was just enough to loosen the tongues enough to say the things too
personal to share.

I make it a practice never to lie to telepaths.

I told her I loved him.

But then I told her the little lie.

"But not like that."

~*~

I knew the moment he went to her.

I'd like to say I felt it--that it was something deep inside me breaking, or
healing . . .

The sound of her headboard crashing against the wall we shared wasn't subtle.
Nor were the growls that couldn't have belonged to anyone but him.

I slipped from the room quietly, softly, not wanting to hear the sounds of my
heart breaking in two. On late night television I found a channel showing old
movies. . . and I could almost pretend at four in the morning that my tears were
for Scarlet O'Hara, and not for myself.

I cherished the pain as I clutched it against my chest. It wasn't clean--it was
jagged, the hurt mixed up with sharp razor points of satisfaction that I'd done
the right thing. The noble thing.

I had never empathized more fully with Scott before. He'd given his life for
Jean, I'd given my happiness.

But she was worth it. I watched the sunlight creep across the floor towards me,
and I knew that Jean was worth my pain.

You see, I loved her, too.

Something else that got lost in the translation.

~*~

Jean was happy, so happy that she didn't realize that everyone was starring at
me, watching to see if I'd fall apart in front of their eyes. My love for Logan
was no secret--everyone knew.

Everyone watched, and the watching was worse than the broken heart, because I
had to work twice as hard to hide inside myself. And I hated it.

But Jean smiled at dinner, and the little bits of broken that had been seeping
through were gone--because Logan did what he was so good at, and protected what
was his.

We would have gone on like that--would have gone on forever with Logan keeping
Jean together and me getting over it day by day--because heartbreak is never so
bad that you can't get over it just a little.

I thought I was doing well, and maybe I was. Maybe I was doing too well. Because
Bobby, sweet, caring Bobby who had always loved me just a little--

He did what I had done. He threw aside his own feelings and fought to give the
person he loved what they needed.

He confronted Logan.

For breaking my heart.

~*~

Logan came to me that night, shirtless and disheveled and for a moment I thought
he'd come to me from Jean's bed, but he didn't smell of sex, just of sweat and
frustration.

"Bobby said that you love me."

It was hardly subtle, but with Logan standing not a foot from me, nearly
vibrating from some withheld emotion, it was hard to fault him. He looked like
he was about to fall apart.

A split second to decide--lies or truth. Lies or truth.

Lies.

Truth.

I couldn't tell the difference anymore.

But my time was up. "You've always known that, Logan."

"But you _love_ me," he repeated, taking a step forward, and he looked like he
was ready to jump on me.

"And you love Jean." It seemed important to get that out, to remind him before
he forgot. Remind him if the woman on the other side of the wall, the one who
loved him. The one who was only living again because he was making her feel like
it might be possible.

"I want you, Marie." His voice was low and heated, and I couldn't help the
thrill that went up my spine. God, how I'd wanted to hear those words. I'd
wanted to see him, standing over me, trembling.

But when he took a step closer I shook my head and showed him my bare hands.
"Not safe."

"Damn it, girl." He stared down at me, and despite his protestations of love, he
looked furious. "I'm in your damn head. You got everything else--I'd think you
would have realized that I want you." Another step, and he said the words that I
didn't expect, because I never thought he'd actually say them. "I love you,
Marie. God damn it, I love you."

And for one blissful moment--I was almost ready to forget about anything. Forget
about the woman on the other side of the wall, forget about deadly skin and
confusion and the fact that this man could be my father--my grandfather--hell,
my great-grandfather, for all that I knew.

Then he spoke the words--the only words that could break the spell.

"I pretended she was you, Marie."

~*~

I guess the one thing he never got was that I wouldn't be honored. Wouldn't be
flattered. Wouldn't thank him for the privilege of knowing how he'd degraded
everything that was supposed to be us.

He left the mansion that night, after I turned my back on him and refused to
talk to him.

Jean crept into my room in the early morning, laying on her side and facing my
back. "The walls are thin." It was half admission to eavesdropping--half
apology. I don't know if she was apologizing for the eavesdropping--or for the
many nights of sex I was forced to live through.

"I'm sorry, Jean." My voice was thick with tears--because now I'd given up the
man I loved twice, once for a better cause, and once for nothing but pride.

"Rogue, you loved him." Her voice was shaking, on the edge of tears. "And he
loved you. Why did you give that up for me? Why did you lie?"

It was a question I'd be asked a lot in the next few days, and no one would be
as kind about it as Jean was being. "Because I love you too, Jean. And you've
been here for me--been here more than he ever has."

"I had true love once." I wasn't even sure she was talking to me anymore. "Logan
wasn't true love. He was . . . warm. And strong. And I could pretend for a few
moments that I hadn't left my heart and my ability to love in the grave with
Scott." I heard her shift, and her hand was on my shoulder. "But it was just
pretend, Rogue. It wasn't real. Not like what you have--"

"I don't have anything, Jean." And my voice is firm. "I don't have anything at
all."

Jean gave me a careful hug, and when she crept back to her own room I rolled
over and stared at the ceiling until dawn.

I knew I'd have a lot to face the next day.

~*~

People asked me why I'd played a game with Jean.

I denied it.

People asked me why I'd wanted to prove I was better.

I hadn't.

People asked me what my motivation had been.

I told them that I'd loved Jean.

I did. In the aftermath, a lot of things got hurled at me that I didn't really
deserve. I never did this to prove I was better. To prove I was more loved. I
didn't want Jean's pain--I didn't want her broken heart.

I just wanted her happiness.

Funny how little things like that get lost in the translation.

~*~
FIN
~*~

*hides under desk* Hey, it's been a long time since I done this. I'm rusty! *g*
No rotten veggies, please. :)

-=-
Diebin
diebin@...
"Anakin has never had sex. Immaculate conception is genetic."
-=-

"help is bright green" by Sascha

e-mail: lady_sascha@...

story website: http://www.tentative.net/sascha/wmf/

disclaimer: All characters (sans the Corner people) belong to Marvel
Comics and who-ever-made-the-movie.

thanks: To everyone at the Corner, especially River, Lise, Jono, KG
and Mel. Merci beaucoup, people!

dedicated to: River and Lise.

extra thanks to: Maelstrom, River and Trisha for the spellchecks.

note: Reposting since it's been a year since I posted chapter 9.



"help is bright green"
by sascha

part a

p r o l o g u e

You can try blending in all you like. Won't work much when you're a
nice shade of green. Oh, there's body make-up and stuff like that,
but honestly, who has the patience or the will to apply that every
bleeding day?

Not I, that's for sure.

I look pretty normal otherwise. When you look away from the green
skin, I reckon I look... Well, not exactly handsome, but certainly
passable. Slavic features with a hint of well built Scandinavian.
Polish grandfather, Norwegian grandmother. Mutant myself.

The green skin is pretty much a dead give away, yeah.

Don't have much of a power, really.

I see hidden things.

Yup. Secrets, and safes hidden behind pictures, and secret passages.
Stuff like that.

No, I haven't a clue why that warrants a green skin.

Someone up there is having a mighty big laugh at my expense, I'm sure
of it.

Not that I would've been "normal" even sans green skin, but, you
know, it's so damn obvious. Pretty much the first thing I hear from
people is; "Oh, but you're... green."

Duh.

I never hear people say; "Oh, but you're... gay." Okay, but that's
pretty rare so it doesn't really count. Or; "Oh, but you... write
weird stories for equally  weird people online."

Of course, if I splashed my picture up on the web, I might get that.
Apparently there's a lot more weird people out there than I would've
guessed. Not that that's a bad thing, mind.

Like this girl I met on the subway. She was sitting next to some
kids, reading a print-out of one of my favorite stories, smiling to
herself and completely ignoring those she was with until one of them
whacked her over the head and shouted: "Kitty! For chrisake! Pay
attention!"

She growled distractedly in reply. She seemed completely caught up in
the story. Just my kind of person.

I was about to commit a killing offence, asking a complete stranger
on the subway what she thought of the story, when one of the people
she was with   bumped into me.

*Kind. Steel claws. Feral look. Bare chested male in a cage. Don't
touch me! Don't touch me! Scream. Kiss. He's so cute.*

I winced at the assault of images in my head. Oh yes, this one had
secrets. I suspect I must have moaned as well, because the next thing
I heard was someone yelling: "Rogue! What did you do?"

"Nothing! I just bumped into him, that's all!" She sounded worried.

I opened my eyes and gave her a weak smile, which was, quite frankly
the best I could do at the time. Surprise attacks of secrets,
especially something this powerful, leaves me with a pounding
headache and a deep desire for licorice. Don't ask.

"I'm all right, really," I assured the people who were looking at me
with varying degrees of worry in their faces. "Just bumped into...
something."

"You sure?" The girl with the white bangs and the red scarf asked,
biting her lip.

"Absolutely."

Her face lit up and she looked relieved.

In the mean time, one of the boys had come to a startling
conclusion. "You're a mutant!"

I looked at him. Pretty blue eyes. "Oh, gee, you think?"

"And you're here, in public and...And..." He gestured with his hands,
looking semi-shocked.

Wonderful.

The next sentence will probably run in the lines of "Freaks like you
should be locked up somewhere, away from normal people."

My luck sucks. Actually, I'm starting to think I have none. I leaned
against the wall and waited fatalistically for the "I Hate Muties
speech." There are times like this I truly regret moving to New York.
I'd never would've gotten this speech back in good ol' Norway.

Partly because I lived in Nowheresville, but never mind.

The boy surprised me however. "Man, you've got guts."

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Aren't you afraid?" Yellow raincoat and pink gum.

"Eh..."

"Yeah, after the whole Magneto thing, even I'm kind of worried and
I'm normal good looking," blond boy said.

The one with the blue eyes whacked him amicably over the
head. "Difference of opinion on that topic."

"Eh..." I repeated, getting the feeling of being backed up in to a
corner by eager, inquiring teens.

"Though the Senator Kelly thing probably helped some," the girl who'd
been reading the print-out said. She looked at me with serious brown
eyes. "Don't you think so?"

"Quite frankly, I have no idea... I don't pay much attention to
politics," I admitted and frowned thoughtfully. "Though I suppose I
should, if I'm going to be living here for a while."

All five of them looked disappointed.

Looking around, I noticed that the cart we where in where more or
less empty except me and the teens. I decided to be social. If I just
worked at it, I was sure I could do it. "You're a mutant too?" I
nodded towards the girl with the white bangs.

The odd 'mutant-bonding-us-against-them' phenomenon kicked in, and
she nodded. "We all are, actually."

I must have looked surprised, because they grinned amusedly at me.

"Not all of us have oddly colored skin or strange - yet attractive -
haircolours, you know," the one with the blue eyes pointed out with a
grin.

"No, some have pretty blue eyes," I replied.

He first looked surprised, then turned red. "Eh..."

I snickered. "Hi. I'm Alex. You are?"

"Uh... Bobby." He quickly pushed the blond boy in front of him. "And
this is John."

John grinned at me. "Hey."

"I'm Jubilee," yellow raincoat and pink bubble gum said, popping her
gum a few times. "And this is Rogue..." White bangs. "And Kitty." The
one with the print-out. "Nice t'meet cha."

"Likewise."

"Oh this is our stop!" Kitty got on her feet, almost losing her print-
outs. "Come on, guys. Mr. Summers won't be happy if we're late."

They all pushed their way past me, barely giving me the time to jump
to the side. I wasn't quick enough however, and was hit with a jumble
of secrets.

*Leaned against a tree, panting. Smirk. Red-brown hair. Black
sunglasses.*

*Big happy smile. Don't be late. Dark eyes. I got the card.*

*Not bad, kid, not bad. Ferocious. Up, spin, kick. Can you teach me
that?*

*Laughing. Pool. Where is she? Pretty girl.*

*I definitely shouldn't have seen that. Kisses. Bodies behind the
pavilion.*

Do all of these kids have serious, big secrets?

I winced and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I was going to get all the
bloody store had of licorice. Then I was going to veg on the couch
for at least a day. Maybe two.

* * * *
A week later I opened my front door and ended up face to face with a
white haired black woman. I blinked at her. "Yes?"

She looked down at a piece of paper in her hand, then looked up with
a smile. "Are you Alexander Olson? Freelance graphic designer?"

"...Yeah. Well, it's Olsen, actually." Americans never get that
right. Wonder why? I gave her a curious look. "Why?"

"My name is Ororo Munroe, I'm from the Xavier School for Gifted
Youngsters, and I might have a job for you."

Oh. Oh cool. I opened the door further to let her in. She wanted me
to make a web-page to represent the school. I'll spare you the
further shop talk and just say that I took the job (without doing
flip-flops out of joy. Though, I think I would've if I knew how).

"Do you know when you can begin?" Munroe asked, pen poised on a piece
of paper.

I went through my date-book in my head. Almost finished the Carmelie
deal, wasn't going to work for Blyth, Tims and Gerald until next
week... "I could start right away, if you like."

She smiled. "That would be wonderful."

I followed her out to the school, (recon, she said) and ended up in
the computer room, working with Kitty.

Someone up there is having fun with me life.

I can tell.

c h a p t e r _ o n e

I hate getting involved.

The mere thought makes me break out in cold sweat.

Okay, getting involved romantically speaking, can be fun. But when
the involved thing doesn't have anything to do with romance (at least
not for me), I start squirming.

I have, on occasion, been known to run into my room and lock the door
in order to not get involved.

I'm not kidding.

So you see how this whole working at Xavier's thing was causing me
some conflict.

On one hand, I had the job. Which was nice, I got to play with a web
page and I got paid. Both very neat things which I fully support.

But then, on the other hand, you had the secrets.

Bundles of them.

I swear, there wasn't a person in that place who didn't have a
serious secret or another.

And all of them seemed to be doing their damned best to get me
involved.

(No, I'm not pouting! I never pout!)

First there was Kitty who seemed to be spending more time at the
computer room than I was. She could make herself intangible and walk
through stuff, by the way. Called it 'phasing', I think. Waaaay
freakish to look at.

She didn't really have that many secrets (serious ones or otherwise),
so most of the time we could bump into each other without me getting
the mother of all headaches.

There was one big secret though. She'd seen something she most
emphatically thought she shouldn't have.

Not entirely sure what it was exactly. This power-thingy of mine
works backwards, for one thing. I get the most recent image first.
For another, I get impressions and images and thoughts and it all
gets kind of jumbled together.

I have the distinct impression it had something to do with sex,
though...

Anyway, except for the fact that she occasionally gave me headaches,
she was a big help. She seemed to know everybody, and when I
mentioned to her that I'd like some aerial photos of the school, she
said "No problem!" and went and fetched a redhead and a blond boy
with wings.

I would have liked wings. Why couldn't I have gotten neat white wings
instead of a green skin? Huh?

No fair.

She introduced them as Angelica and Warren.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," they said.

"You're fliers?"

Warren looked at me with a 'duh' expression on his face and ruffled
his feathers. I think he knocked over a speaker.

"Right," I said, blushing and doing my best to ignore it. "So... Take
as many photos as you can, from as many angles as possible, okay? I
need something to choose from."

Angelica nodded. "Will do. Cameras?"

"Right," I said again. God, I'm turning into Giles. ...Wait, that's
not a bad thing. If I turned into Giles, I'd get Ethan. And Ethan is
definitely a good thing... That smirk... Those eyes... That nose...
Oh, right, the kids. Work now, fantasize later. "I have a couple in
my backpack."

Kitty nodded and ducked under the desk to get the cameras. "The
DigiCam as well?"

"No, bad quality --" I changed my mind. "Wait. Yes, bring that one
too."

"Okay!"

She reappeared from under the desk and started handing out the
cameras. I have a lot of cameras. Not professional extra-super-
doesn't-get-any-better-than-this type cameras, mind, just a bunch of
ordinary cameras. I do a lot of small business/school webpages, and
for some reason, they like getting their faces plastered online.
Bringing the cameras myself saves a lot of work.

Believe me, you have not known frustration until you've looked
through 37 different albums and 52 piles of photos in order to find
fifteen photos you can work with.

(I now know far more than I ever wanted to know about the Leeman
Association's employees private lives, by the way.)

Angelica and Warren grabbed a couple of cameras each and walked out
of the window.

I have to admit my jaw dropped at that.

Kitty snickered at me. I made a face at her (Twenty-five, five -
doesn't make much difference when it comes to me) and she giggled and
went back to her hotmail.

Nice kid, really.

Which of course makes it even more difficult for me to stay the hell
uninvolved...

And then there was Logan.

Let me say... Wow. Much, much wow.

Way out of my league, of course, but that has never stopped me from
ogling before, and certainly didn't stop me now. First time I saw him
without a shirt, Kitty had to whack me over the head in order to get
my attention back on the screen.

I have a feeling that girl spends a lot of time laughing at me...

He's walked into the computer room a couple of times, looking for Dr.
Grey (who I still haven't seen. Kitty says she's off lecturing or
something), or Rogue (I still can't believe people are calling her
Rogue. Everytime I say her name I feel like a dork).


One of those times he, naturally, bumped against me.

Shut up. I did not do it on purpose.

I didn't!

Anyway, I was hit with the most unholy mess of secrets I've ever been
hit with. Had a pounding headache for days after wards. And I think I
ate way more licorice than what's healthy.

Only thing I can remember clearly is the impression of... a lion? A
big cat growling? Something like that. Connected to an image of a
tall, feral looking guy with blond hair.

Weird.

Apparently this school does 'weird' very well.

I kept away from Logan after that. I didn't quit ogling, though.

Couldn't get rid of the image of the feral man. Stuck in my head, he
did. Reckon I got a crush on him, too.

Never said I was particulary smart in that area.

Two weeks later I saw feral-blond-guy on the news. Let's just say
that seeing someone you kind of, sort of, in a way, have a crush on
being on the 6 o'clock news, under the heading WANTED! REALLY COLD
BLOODED KILLER! ...Well, it's not really all that much fun.

...Which reminds me, why would Logan have a secret about a cold
blooded killer?

Yes, I definitely kept away from Logan. That generally wasn't that
hard, since he hardly ever was in the computer room and I rarely left
it. Now if I'd been wanting to stay away from Pete Wisdom, then I'd
have to work at it. The kid seemed to spend an awful lot of time in
the computer room considering he had no business being there.

Didn't take me long to figure it out, though. I might be a bit
socially challenged, but I'm not that lost.

His eyes followed Kitty's every movement. Covertly of course.

I pointed it out to Kitty, and she blushed, denied it and called him
a 'bloody wanker'.

No, not interested in the Brit, she is. Not at all.

I managed to suppress my matchmaking urges for an entire month,
because you know, matchmaking qualifies as getting involved and
getting involved is icky.

Oh shut up.

Yes, I did end up getting involved.

And I blame that on pretty much anyone other than me.

* * * *

I stood outside the legendary "Smog", eyeing the door skeptically.
Wisdom was bound to be there. I'd picked up that little bit of info
in the cantina. You'd be amazed to know what you learn from spending
a couple of hours in there, nursing a coke, watching and listening.

The Smog was where you'd find the Brits, the smokers and the punk
wannabes. For some, all three qualified.

There was Pete Wisdom, who seemed to be a sort of unofficial leader
of the bunch, the purple-haired Liz Braddock, punk-girl Ali Blaire,
the grey-skinned Angelo Espinosa, dark-and-broody Evan Starsmore,
dark-shades Remy LeBeau and airhead Lance Shot.

(Sidenote: Lance had the fashion sense from hell. He even made me
wince and I'm the expert of grabbing-what-ever-is-first-in-the-
closet. I've worn some pretty weird combinations... Anyway, Lance =
Hell's fashion sense. Shudder.)

They were usually the kind of people I regarded with amused
fascination from afar.

Now I was actually considering knocking on the door, and walking
inside to give one of them advice on his love-life. Which,
considering my usual people skills, would probably suck majorly. I'm
bloody insane, I am.

I knocked on the door.

Liz Braddock opened it and stared at me. She's the only Japanese-type
person I've met who's able to stare directly into my eyes. "What?"

"Wisdom? Is he here?"

Suspicious look. "What if he is?"

"Could I talk to him?"

"Wait." She closed the door.

I waited. Twiddled my thumps. Counted the tiles in the ceiling. Read
the scribblings on the door. Ran through the lyrics to "The One" by
Voodoobeats in my head. Took a couple of dance steps.

The door opened and Wisdom's surly face looked out. "What you want?"

"Talk to you. About..." I hesitated, then gave a mental shrug. I come
this far, I might as well continue. "About Kitty."

"What about her?"

"Well, I... You want her, right?"

He gave me a look I couldn't interpret. "What's it to you?"

I shrugged. "She's a friend."

"Right." Even I couldn't miss the doubt in his voice.

I glared at him. If I wanted to consider Kitty a friend, who was he
to draw that in doubt? I could call her a friend if I wanted to. So
there. "Yes, a friend. And I want her to be happy."

"Is this your way of telling me to stay the hell away from her?" He
questioned, moving his hand up to take a drag of his smoke.

"What?"

"Don't worry. Won't touch the kid. Happy? Shoo." He closed the door.

What the hell?

I stood there blinking for a while. What the hell was that guy
smoking, anyway?

I pounded on the door until someone tore it up. It was Wisdom. He
stared at me.

"You still here?"

"Yeah. Still haven't done what I came here for."

"Look, I told you --"

"Yes, I know. I'll figure out what the hell you were talking about
later. Now. Go ask her out. See a movie. Have a burger. Do what ever
it is that you do on a date. Preferably today."

He stared at me with a 'you're mental' expression on his face. I get
that a lot. Didn't quite see what I'd said to qualify for it this
time.

"What?"

"You don't want her?"

Light bulb above head time. I snickered. "No. And you can believe me
on that."

"Why?"

"I'm gay."

"No, I meant, why should I-- what?"

I grinned at him.

"You are?"

"Uh-huh."

"So you're not...?"

"Nope. And besides, she's way too young for me anyway."

"I'm twenty."

"Your point?"

"She's sixteen, I..."

I gave him a disbelieving look. Did he want her, or didn't he? Hadn't
it been for the constant gazing at Kitty he did, I'd be willing to
swear he didn't. "Go ask her out," I repeated.

I walked away, figuring I've done enough for this time.

* * * *

A whole week, and no headaches. New record. Woohoo.

I celebrated it with a coke and a pizza slice over at JB's Diner.

The gods were against me, however, and just as I'd finished eating,
dark-shades Remy LeBeau and punk-girl Ali Blaire entered.

I sank down in my chair.

They would touch me. I just knew it. This was way to good to last, so
one or both of them would touch me and we'd have secret heaven. I
grumbled and looked around to see if this place sold licorice.

Surprisingly they both passed me without even noticing me, never mind
touching me.

I brightened a bit, figuring that the gods might, possibly be on my
side for a change.

Then the blond guy from the subway a month ago entered and I tensed
again. I think his name is Sinjin, or something, even though Pretty
Blue Eyes called him John. 'Least I think he did. My memory when it
comes to combining names and faces leaves a lot to be desired.

He walked past me, headed in the same direction as LeBeau and Blaire.
Not touching me. Much rejoicing on my behalf. I was busy promising
the gods pretty much anything I could think of, so when a short, dark-
haired man dropped down into the chair in front of me, I gave a start
of surprise.

"And where were you, babe?"

"Heaven," I replied with a grin. "Izzy, what are you doing here?"

Izzy laughed and wiggled his brows suggestively. "Anyone I know?"

"Is there someone you don't?"

"Point. Now. Tell me. Everything. In detail." Izzy gave me his
best 'I'm utterly cute and innocent and you must succumb to me' look.

I laughed. "There's nothing to tell, you berk."

"Uh-huh." Doubting look thrown my way.

"Honest! I was just thanking the gods for small mercies."

Izzy looked surprised. "No headaches for a week again? Man, this is
getting to be a habit. Can't have that, now can we?"

I grinned. "No, we certainly can't. Now, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm heading home after a party and I saw you sitting here all by
your lonesome, decided to say hi," Izzy grinned at me. "You should've
been there. Rick got really, really drunk and sang."

I snickered. "You get it on tape?"

"Of course I did." He looked affronted that I'd even suggest that he
wouldn't have caught that priceless moment on tape. Granted, the day
Iz goes anywhere without his camera is the day I stop reading
fanfiction, so I suppose it was a stupid question.

"What did he sing? 'You're the one that I want'? 'Truly, Madly,
Deeply'? 'Falling in love again'?"

Izzy snickered. "Yup."

"Which one?"

"All of them, and more," he said with obvious relish. "And I have it
on tape. I have Rick crooning 'I caaaan't help falling in looooove
with choooo' to Stacy and Kallie on tape."

I gaped at him. "You're kidding?"

Izzy stretched and shook his head in blissful happiness. "Oh no. Have
it right here." He patted his backpack. "You wanna see?"

"Don't have to ask me twice!" I jumped up on my feet. I paused and
watched Iz stumble slowly onto his feet. "You realise Rick's going to
have you murdered for this?"

Izzy grinned. "Oh yeah. Is all worth it too. You'll see."

* * * *

There's this place close to my apartment called 'Kay's Corner'. It's
a weird mix of a writer's workshop, netcafe and a private home. I
found it a couple of days after I moved here, and that's where I got
to know Izzy.

First time I walked in there, I found Iz and Rick curled up on the
couch, Izzy's head in Rick's lap. They were mumbling to each other
about Keller and Beecher and all sorts of weird, incomprehensible
things.

I gave them a sort of nod and went looking for a computer. Mine
hadn't arrived yet, you see.

Izzy and Rick gave me a curious look.

"Who are you?" Izzy asked in the kind of frank manner I've now
learned is all Izzy. Never beats around the bush, that one.

"Ian," I said distractedly as I eyed the closest computer eagerly,
wondering who to pester for access codes and such. Then I realised
what I'd said and winced. "I mean Alex. Call me Alex."

Izzy blinked at me and looked thoughtful. "Hey, you... Nah... But
what if you are..."

I gave him a puzzled look. "What?"

"Are you Ian, as in Ian Rose? Does 'Helplessly' mean anything to you?"

Now I blinked at him. "How did you know that?"

Izzy beamed at me. "Ian! C'mere!" He straightened up and spread his
arms wide open.

I regarded him skeptically. "Who are you?"

"Who am... Right." Iz grinned. "I'm Izzy."

Obviously, I was supposed to recognize that. I put my brain in gear.
Izzy... Izzy... Only Izzy I knew was a guy I'd done some betaing for
on a story, but this couldn't possibly be... "Izzy? Epic Izzy?"

Iz grinned brighter and nodded. "Is me!"

I walked over to him and gave him a hug. I'm not really big on
touching people, but this was Izzy! You understand, right? (And no,
no big secrets there)

Rick looked amused at us. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah, from online," Izzy explained and let me go. He sat back down
on the couch, leaned over Rick and grabbed a handful of
popcorn. "Betaed story of mine."

"Cool," Rick nodded. He looked up at me. "I'm Rick. Nice to meet you."

And that's how I came to know Rick and Izzy. It seemed to me like
everytime I was there, they were there. Either snuggled up together
on the couch or seated next to a computer, giving each other evil
glares at irregular intervals.

They're the ones who introduced me to the rest of the regulars at the
cafe, some of them so much regulars, I still doubt they ever sleep.

There was Kay herself, who was treated like a minor deity among the
Cornerians and considered an addiction they didn't want to be
without. You should have been there for her birthday party. The
Corner was filled to the brink with people carrying stories and
storylets for her to read.

Kallie, who stepped in when Kay couldn't be there and I have to this
day never experienced her having a bad thing to say to anyone. She's
something so rare as an actual nice person.

Stace, who never seemed to move from her spot in front of the
computer in the corner and had the tendency to come with the
strangest facts and story ideas.

Ron, who's a fellow Viking. Montgomery, Ellis, Moric, Jana, Lin,
Cassie and so on, and so on.

They've become my family, away from my family.

Some of them are mutants, some are not. Some are gay, some are bi,
some are straight. Some are religious, some aren't. Some are
teenagers, some are pushing sixty.

None of this seem to matter in the Corner.

There's a reason I like this place.

* * * *

I spent the weekend with Izzy, snickering at his tape of Rick making
an idiot of himself, watching old horror movies, throwing popcorn at
Iz when he suggested watching 'Rocky Horror' for the n'th time, and
making love.

I showed up at Xavier's practically beaming.

The first thing that happened was, of course, that dark-shades LeBeau
and blond-guy Sinjin-John-something-like-than made their way out of
the building, both of them bumping into me in the process. See, I
knew this was too good to last.

*Hands sliding over stomach, down. Mouths touching tentatively,
hotly. Want you. I want to look into your eyes. Removing dark shades,
uncertain. You're beautiful. Surprised, grateful. You are. Closer.
Grinding together. Faster. Harder. Love you! No, can't say that.
Never. Don't want to lose you.*

I collapsed on the porch.

Nope. Not embarrassing at all. Really.

Did you know that I turn dark green when I blush?

Well, Chatterbox and Pretty Blue Eyes certainly know that now. As
well as a young blonde girl, a Native American girl, a Native
American boy, a guy with long red hair and a star on his face, a
Latino looking guy... Should I go on? Didn't think so.

They brought me to see Dr. Reyes even though I told them repeatedly
that I was going to be just fine. When you looked away from that
humongous headache of mine, that is.

Dr. Reyes... She might be an excellent doctor, I'm not saying she's
not, but she's scary. She has this way of looking at you... I swear,
you feel like confessing to pretty much every bad thing you've ever
done. She would've made an excellent police detective. One look and
here comes the confession.

Anyway, she asked me if me collapsing was related to me being a
mutant. I said yes. She asked me if it had happened before. I said
yes. She asked if I knew what had caused it. I said yes again. She
wondered if I was on any kind of medication. I said a couple of dozen
paracets would do. She gave me a quizzical look. I told her
paracetamol, pills at that. She said ahhh, gave me a box and pointed
towards the computer room.

I happily escaped.

Kitty gave me a worried look when I entered the computer room. "Are
you all right?"

"Yeah." I smiled to her. "Just a headache."

"You get an awful lot of headaches," she noted.

I tilted my head in agreement.

"Who caused it this time?"

I looked surprised at her. "What?"

"Oh please. What am I? An idiot?" Kitty rolled her eyes. "Well?"

"LeBeau and Sinjin-John-whatever his name is," I said too surprised
to even think about keeping it a secret. Wait a minute... Two of
them. Only one secret... 'Course that could mean only one of them had
a secret, but it did't feel like that, it had been more like...
Like... The same secret? "That can't be it," I said out loud. And
when I think about it, it didn't seem backwards either...

Kitty looked puzzled at me. "What can't be what?"

"Nothing."

"Most people call him John, by the way."

"Blond guy?"

"Mmm."

"Then why Sinjin? I mean, I'm not really seeing the connection
here..."

"It's spelled S-T-period-J-O-H-N," she explained.

I gave her a look.

"I swear."

"If you say so..."

"And I do." She grinned at me and waited until I'd opened my coke
bottle and taken a sip. "So... You got laid, eh?"

I choked. "Whaaa?"

Her eyes glittered. "I can tell. You're giving off 'I got laid'
vibes. Kind of like Mr. Summers do when Dr. Grey's around."

"Kids today," I said when I stopped spluttering. "No shame. No shame
at all."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "You deserve it, jenta."

I stared at her in bemusement. "Jenta?" I repeated. Girl? Why's she
calling me a girl? An in Norwegian to boot.

"Pete."

"Huh?"

"You're trying to tell me you weren't playing matchmaker?"

"No, but what has that got to... Yenta." Of course.

"What I said."

"Yeah, but it's not what I heard."

She looked confused at me.

"Never mind."

"Okay..."

"So how did your date go? I assume there _was_ a date?"

Kitty beamed at me. "Oh yes! Was so cool! A real restaurant! And I
got to beat up people!"

"Riiight."

"Pete said I was tough and he kissed me!" She practically bounced in
her chair.

I had to smile at the look on her face. She was really making it hard
for me to stay uninvolved.

Though... I wasn't sure if I wanted to, anymore.

I felt this weird urge to... To... Try and fix things. Get involved.
That sort of thing.

Stuff that usually makes me queasy.

Bad influence. Yeah, that's it. Being here at Xavier's is bad
influence. Before you knew it, I'd be a bartender somewhere giving
drunk people good advice about their
wives/husbands/bosses/dogs/cars/trucks.

I should have made a run for it. Could have saved myself a lot of
trouble that way.

But, I'm a total idiot, and I stayed.

Chapter 14-A Question of Loyalty


"Wolverine is right, Miss Grey," said Magneto seriously. "Throughout
time mankind has abused and slaughtered those who differ from the
norm. Today people fear mutants like you and me because we have
abilities they do not. And fear rapidly becomes hatred. Why should we
allow ourselves to be persecuted? All we ask is the freedom to live
our lives, but to do that we must combat this hatred or die. The
Holocaust has shown us the truth of that."

He took her hand in his. "Join us. Help us in the coming battle. Give
your future children a world where they will be honored for their
mutant gifts rather than martyred for them."

"I . . . " She slowly withdrew her hand, again ran it over and over
the other as if soothing a hurt. "I can't believe that fighting those
who fear us will make them fear us less. There must be another way
for people to accept us as their equals. Education. Sharing our
talents . . . "

Magneto's smile was twisted and bitter. "I hear Charles talking.
Noble sentiments such as those lead only to the grave. Our grave.
Don't you understand, Miss Grey? We can never be their equals. We are
already superior. And the common run of humanity cannot, will not,
accept their inferiority. No, it's people like you and Charles that
make our survival all the more precarious. We are so few in number we
must unite if we are to live freely. We must join forces, strike the
enemy first, hard and fast—or else spend the rest of our miserable
existence in fear and hiding."

The woman looked at each in turn—Mystique, Toad, Magneto, Wolverine.
Her gaze lingered longest on him, questioning. Logan scowled. She
turned back to Magneto. "I understand your sentiments, but I don't
agree with your solution. Once people are convinced we are no threat—"

Magneto interrupted her with a humorless laugh. "I most certainly
intend to be a threat, Miss Grey! However, since it is clear that our
cause is not yours, shall we return to our original discussion? You
were about to tell me of Charles's plans and of others who know that
I am here."

"I can't tell you that."

"Cannot? Or will not?"

She gazed at her hands, one still stroking the other, gave a slight
shrug.

Magneto spun on his heel to face Wolverine. "You were successful
before, my boy. Persuade her to cooperate."

Logan felt sweat pop out on his forehead. A few minutes ago the
locking device had jerked in his grip—Jean was trying to open the
door! He'd confronted her then, not knowing whether to reveal her to
Magneto or keep silent, but when she said the team had come for him—
Logan turned the wheel, withdrawing the bolts a little more, hiding
that action with his body. He could do it faster than Jean, who was
pinned under Magneto's eye, but he hadn't yet completed the task. He
needed more time.

"She doesn't know anything. Even if I slice an answer out of her
sliver by sliver it'd probably be lies. She's stalling, hoping that
old One Eye will come to her rescue. There are more entrances to the
lab than this one. He'll find a way in eventually. I say we leave her
behind and beat it out of here."

Magneto's frown of consternation slowly became one of
suspicion. "You're suddenly very vocal, my boy. What are you doing
over there by the door?"

"Nothing. Resting—"

"We'll just make certain of that!" Magneto spread his hand, snaring
Logan in an invisible net. Twitching his finger he lifted his prey
and in that way the prisoner, still gripping the wheel, managed a
last pull as he rose.

Logan heard a soft shunk as the bolts returned home. The door was
unlocked. Would Magneto notice? To prevent that he must draw
attention to himself.

"Just leave her and let's go!" Logan said as Magneto reeled him
in. "If the X-Men have found us others can too."

Magneto studied his hovering victim with narrowed eyes. "Possibly,
you are right, but . . . possibly Miss Grey's presence is testing
your loyalty to me, to the Brotherhood."

Logan forced a laugh. "Testing my loyalty? She's a broad and broads
are only good for screwing. I'm plenty loyal to that! Bring her
along, then, if you want, and we'll have some fun. But let's get out
of here now!"

"You will follow my orders without hesitation."

"Yeah, sure."

"Let us see the proof of that." Magneto waved his hand and the power
trapping Logan neatly set him down and winked off. "Miss Grey still
refuses to answer my questions. You, my boy, will make certain that
she does so. If not, you will cut off a finger. From the left hand, I
think. We'll leave the doctor her right hand for the time being."

Logan found himself looming over the woman, claws already flashing
from his fist without his remembering having shot them out.

"Tell him, dammit! Say something!" he snarled.

She looked up at him, eyes huge. Her lips quivered, firmed as she
pressed them together and shook her head.

Mystique grinned, her tongue flicking in and out. Toad smirked,
grabbed the woman's left hand to slap it flat on the table. Now all
looked expectantly at the executioner. He roared, slashed down with
all his strength. And the table split, one half crashing to the
floor, the other half still standing, steadied by her hand and five
fingers.

Logan whirled, claws now jutting from his other fist as well, but
despite his painfully-acquired, enhanced speed he was too slow to
disable Magneto. As he knew he would be. Invisible chains immediately
seized him, hoisted him, wrenched him as though to rip him apart.

"Door . . . " he gasped, motioning with his eyes from it to Jean.
That was all he could get out before the ligaments in his shoulders
snapped, his arms popped free of their sockets, and he gave a harsh
cry as he fell down, down, down into a pit of black fire.

Consciousness was slow in coming, his strength had been sapped by too
much recent healing. Logan realized he was lying on the lab floor,
the tiles cold against his naked back, forgotten and freed of the
binding chains. He attempted to move an arm and at his persistence it
finally twitched. But that minor action ignited a flare of flame in
his shoulder. Sweat born of pain leaked into his eyes, and he
couldn't even lift a hand to mop it off. He blinked it away as best
he could, resigning himself to being a doorstop until he had
recovered sufficiently to be of greater use.

'May you live in interesting times.' Wasn't that supposed to be an
old Chinese curse? From his horizontal position he looked around the
lab and decided things were getting pretty damn interesting. Jean was
all but hidden by Magneto, Mystique and Toad. She was telling them
something. A line of bull, he figured, because she kept one eye on
the door at their backs. And the door itself had taken on a curious
life of its own, pushing into the room ever so slightly and sprouting
a glove on the side. But that the curse was in full fettle, Logan
knew from the rats.

They swarmed, slithered, skittered down the empty elevator shaft
which he could just make out through the entrance to the lab's animal
room. They flooded and flowed over the floor tiles like a tide of
gray mud. They swirled around him—over him until he bared his teeth—
all drawn to Magneto as if they were steel filings and the man was in
truth a magnet.

And there was even more, Logan saw, too dazed by the rats to object
to anything else bizarre. Woods-scented Fawn now entered from the
animal room followed by a couple of young wolves and a big lynx
kitten. Then a whiff of burnt sugar/chili pepper drifted out on her
heels and, sure enough, here came Rogue tagging along behind, busily
stripping off her gloves. Why was he not surprised?

Wincing at the acid-like burning in his shoulders, Logan pushed
himself over to the wall with his bare feet and, wriggling his spine
snake-wise, hitched himself up enough to sit. He settled back to
watch events unfold. He'd done his bit, he was ready to be
entertained.

title: Help is bright green
author: Sascha
part: 2/13
page: http://www.tentative.net/sascha/wmf/index.htm




CHAPTER TWO

I'm a dreamer. I know I am. Never denied it, never going to.

The stories I write are light and fun and superficial of that same
reason. I don't write angst. Well, not unless Rick and Izzy gang up
on me, that is.

(...Spike and Ethan Rayne having sex on top of a lampshade. Shudder.
It's all their fault.)

Angst just isn't my thing.

At all.

Naturally, the first secret I decided to sink my teeth into, was all
about angst. Lots and lots of angst. Teenage angst, at that. Could it
get any worse?

Why, yes. Yes, of course it could! What a silly question!

I volunteered to bring some of the kids from Xavier's on a bonding
trip. Apparently they were a bit short of teachers (and desperate,
I'd think) and Ms. Guthrie didn't know what else to do. That woman's
eyes should be registred as a lethal weapon. I've never seen anyone
make anime eyes that well before.

Anyway, before I knew it I was out of the computer room and
surrounded by twenty or so teenagers.

Now I had two problems. One, I have an authority problem. Or in other
words, I have no authority what so ever. I couldn't get a three year
old to listen on a good day. And two, I didn't know any of them. I
mean, I knew the names of some of them, but I didn't know them. So
what in the world was I going to come up with?

I have a feeling I looked pretty desperate.

Then... Brilliant idea hit me.

Galynne! Oh yes! Galynne! She owed me one (and even if she didn't, I
was at the time desperate enough to ignore that).

"Hey!" Two fingers up to mouth and insistant whistling. "Listen up!
Is there a bus somewhere around here? We're going on a field trip!"

They looked at me.

"Well?"

Warren pointed towards the parking lot. "There are usually a couple
parked over there."

"Where are we going?" A blue devil wanted to know. No, I'm serious.
That's exactly what he looked like.

I grinned. "That'll be a surprise for when we get there."

They muttered to each other at that.

"Somewhere public?" Warren looked at me with a apprehendsive look on
his face.

"Yeah... Why?"

He sighed and started to walk away. "Be back in a bit."

"What? Get back here!" Oh. That sounded almost... authoritive. I'm
getting better at this.

Warren walked back. "What? I just wanted to get my harness."

I blinked at him. "Your... Never mind. This is a come as you are
thing, okay? And we're leaving now. Come on."

I could almost feel them shrug at each other before they followed me.
Well, at least they followed.

****

Charlie, the busdriver, stopped the bus outside Galynne's Paintball
War Arena and looked at me. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No."

"Ah. Well, as long as you're sure..."

I looked back in the bus at the students. I swear some of them were
bouncing. "All right, everyone! How many of you have played this
before?"

Most hands shot into the air.

"Okay. So most of you know what you're getting yourself into... Good.
When we get inside, I want you to wait in the cafe for a bit while
I..." Go convince Galynne that I haven't lost my mind. "...Talk to
the owner."

Nods and shouts of "Got'cha!" and "Get a move on it, already!"

I got a move on it.

Entering Galynne's, I felt like a duck mother with all these kids
milling around me. Iz and Rick were never going to let me forget
this. Hm. Maybe I could bribe Galynne into not telling...?

No, probably not.

I pointed the kids towards the cafe and went to find Galynne.

That wasn't really all that hard. I just followed the sounds of
murder and mayhem. And cursing that would make a sailor blush. Ah.
She was working inside today. I entered the door marked 'A2' and
looked around.

"Hey Gally," I said to the bushy tail waving in front of me. "Have a
minute?"

Galynne crawled out from under the 'mountain' and looked at me, ears
flat against her head. "What?"

"I have a bit of a problem..."

"Yeah?" Suspicious yellow eyes and hand firmly clasped around a
screwdriver.

"Yeah. Um. About twenty-three of them." I swallowed. "You think I
could borrow one of the courts for a while? Like... Two hours?"

Galynne stared at me. "You couldn't make it more of a short notice?"

"Well..." I gave her a pleading look.

"Let me think," she sighed and proceeded to look thoughtful while she
scratched herself behind one ear with the screwdriver. Sometimes I
swear I can hear her purr when she does that. "Yeah. B5 should be
free for an hour and a half. That's the best I can do. And you _owe_
me for this."

I beamed at her. "Of course I do. You're a sweetheart, Gally!"

"Yeah, don't go spreading it, or I'll gut ya. Have a reputation to
think of here," she muttered and crawled back under the mountain.

I came back to the cafe just in time to stop dark-shades LeBeau and
purple-hair Braddock from scamming the poor guy behind the counter
into giving out free cola.

I looked around at the kids and really took notice of who was there
for the first time. Oh greatness. Just about all of the Smog-people.
Wonderful. Heey, wait a minute. Isn't that St. John over there?

Yes, it is.

I, wrongfully of course, suddenly thought things were looking up. I
should have remembered that there's a _reason_ I don't like getting
involved. But nooo...

"Okay, I'm dividing you into four teams - red, blue, green and
yellow. The stuff you'll need is over there -" I pointed. "- go fetch
it when I'm done here, then come back and I'll come with you to B5.
Everybody get that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Get on with it, will you?" grey-skinned Espinosa said
boredly.

"LeBeau, Allerdyce, Smith, you over there and you over there - blue."

"DaCosta," you over there #1 said. "My name is Roberto daCosta."

"All right. LeBeau, Allerdyce, Smith, daCosta and... You are?" I
looked at the girl with the short red hair.

"Rain Sinclair," she said shyly and flushed red.

"And Sinclair," I smiled at her. "Are the blue team. Go find your
gear."

Then I waited while LeBeau and Blaire said goodbye (by smooching the
heck out of each other. Do either of them actually need air to
breathe?), Smith and Lee exchanged insults and Allerdyce and daCosta
told the blue devil that they were going to kick his ass. Having
gotten them out of the way, I divided the rest.

"Lee... What's your name? Wagner. And you? Richter. You? Rasputin.
Braddock and Davidson. You're the red team."

"Espinosa, Blaire, Maximoff. No, Wanda. And what's your name?
Astrovik. And you? Russell. You? Dane. You're the green team. Go find
your gear. The rest of you are the yellow team. Everybody clear on
that? Wonderful. You got your gear? Okay, let's go."

****

Let's see... First, there was an earthquake.

"JULIO!"

Then, there was the bombs.

"TABITHA!"

Then, fireworks in retaliation.

"JUBILEE!"

Then, there were the forrest fires.

"TABITHA!"

"THAT WASN'T ME!"

"JUBILEE!"

"HEY! I DIDN'T DO THAT!"

"DIANNE!"

"NOT ME!"

"JOHN!"

"WHAT?!"

"ALLERDYCE! I'M ON YOUR SIDE, 'MEMBER?"

"LEBEAU! QUIT CHARGING THE PAINT!"

"JE NE FAIS PAS!"

"LIKE HELL YOU'RE NOT!"

Around then I sank down on my ass in the look-out tower, hid my head
in my hands and stopped listening. Apparently it _was_ possible to
find people who played this the same way the Cornerians did.

****

My brilliant plan of putting LeBeau and Allerdyce on the same team
and seeing what happened, quickly turned into watching Galynne go
postal because said two persons just about burned down her forest.

"...Need air..." I gasped out, wincing as her claws scratched my
neck.

"Air?! I'll give you air!" Galynne growled, pushing her face into
mine. "My forest! My beautiful, beautiful forest! I NEED THAT FOREST!"

"...Yes, Gally..."

"I HAVE NO FOREST!" she shrieked. "Do you know why? Because of you!
You and your brats!"

"...Not my brats, exactly..."

"Shut up!"

"...Yes, Gally..."

"Good. I want my forest back. Now." Her whiskers vibrated and her
ears lay flat against her head. "Or else!"

She let me go. I gasped for air and rubbed my throat. I am never
getting involved ever again. Especially not in things involving
mutants that can make fire, but not water. Where's Pretty Blue Eyes
when you need him anyway?

I turned away from Galynne to glare at the teenagers. Weren't
seventeen year olds supposed to behave like adults? ...Actually, they
kind of were, but not the way I was wishing. Most of them gave me
guilty looks in return.

Espinosa held up two flags - a red and a yellow. "Um. We won."

"Good for you."

"We got the blue one," Pietro Maximoff said.

"We're going home," I said. Why couldn't I know someone who could
make plants grow? Like Poison Ivy, or something. Not that B5 had
burned down, exactly, but it was admittedly a bit singed...

They looked disappointed at me.

"What?"

"We have a whole half hour left!" Lee complained.

"And I'm dead broke and in dept because of you. We're definitelly
going back at Xavier's."

Lee turned to glare at Allerdyce and LeBeau. "This is your fault!"

"Hey!" St. John Allerdyce and Remy LeBeau exclaimed in unison then
glared at each other.

"She's right," Smith said and nodded. "Is all your fault."

"Oh like you're all that innocent!" Braddock snorted.

"Shut up! Shut up!" I shouted, surprising them and myself. They
stared at me. "Promise me no arguing and I'll bring you to the
library."

"The library?" Smith, Lee and Espinosa said in unison.

I nodded. Mai Lee was going to kill me. Twice. But it was the only
thing I could think of. "Yeah. The library. It's either that, or back
to the school."

They picked the library.

Damn.

I brightened as a thought hit me. Maybe I could get Xavier's to pay
Galynne? This being a school trip and all... Hey, it was worth a
try.

****

"Career change?"

"No. I'm a push-over and she gave me anime eyes."

Mai Lee leaned against the check out desk and snickered at me. "Why
did you bring them here? Or better yet, how did you get them to come?"

"Galynne threw us out and it was either this or back to the school."

"I see."

We looked at each other.

"Tell me," said Mai Lee. "How much are you willing to bet against
most of your students having split into pairs and being busy making
out between the shelves?"

"Not a thing," I sighed.

I've known Mai Lee forever, or there abouts. I got to know her over
the internet. Apparently straight out awe from my side is a good
thing. Mai Lee draws comic strips, you see. Fun comic strips. And she
writes. I feedbacked her, we got talking, and we became friends.

Very strange to my parents, and lots of fun to me.

When I moved here, Mai Lee showed up on the airport to welcome me,
and she'd even brought her beloved toy dolphin. Is there any wonder I
adore her?

"Um... Mr. Olsen?"

I turned to look at Rain Sinclair. "Yes?"

She gave me a nervous look. "There's... Tabitha and Jubilee are
fighting."

"What?!"

Mai Lee looked worried. "I hope they're not touching the books..."

"Where are they?"

Sinclair pointed. I took off in that direction, swearing rather
colorfully in Norwegian. In a library! How the heck did they manage
to get into a fight at the frigging library? Huh? What was there to
fight about there? A book? Somehow Smith and Lee didn't hit me as
being the type for that.

I rounded 'Science Fiction A-H' and heard shouting which grew
stronger as I closed in on the fight.

"Whohoo! Chick-fight!"

"Very mature of you, Angelo."

"Put a sock in it, St. Croix!"

"Go Tabitha! Go Tab!"

"Go Jubes! Woo! Woo! Woo!"

"Would it help if I pointed out that I wouldn't go out with either of
them?"

"Sincerely doubt it, Ev. You could try of course."

A very loud crash sounded and I started running.

"...I'm thinking I'll stay right here and not say a word," Everett
Thomas told John Allerdyce as I reached 'Art and Culture' and the
fight.

Allerdyce patted him on the back. "Good choice."

"ALL RIGHT!" I made my way through the crowd, somehow managing not to
get overwhelmed by secrets. The close to blinding rage and serious
exasperation thing probably had something to do with it. "WHAT THE
HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Lee did a spin-kick and made Smith fly backwards into the crowd in
front of 'History G-L'. I took a moment to admire her technique (it's
in the blood. Vikings, you know. Can't help it. When I see violence,
my first reaction is either to stop and admire or rush right into
it), then rushed forth to stop Smith from attacking Lee.

I glared at the 'History G-L' crowd. "Can I get a hand here?"

Astrovik and Pietro Maximoff hesitantly came to help me. Once they
had Smith's hands firmly locked behind her back and Richter and
Russell had done the same to Lee, I stared at them. For a long time.
Hoping to induce squirming.

It actually worked.

"All right," I said, somewhat calmer than the first time I said
it. "What the hell were you two doing?"

Both of them started talking at once.

"She --"

"That bitch --"

"Not going out with --"

"I keep telling her, but she won't listen!"

That was about all the words I managed to get from what they were
spitting out. I shook my head and they fell silent. "One at the time.
Lee, you start."

"She like thinks she's going out with Ev but she's definitelly not
doing that because I am and she's like a total bitch who won't even
admit when she's outclassed and--"

I held up a hand. "Yes, quite enough, thank you." I stared
incredulously at them. "You started a fight in Mai Lee's library
because of _him_?" I pointed towards Everett Thomas.

They flushed.

"Okay, I don't care if you've twenty minutes left, we're going back
to the school. And you two -" I looke pointedly at Smith and Lee. "As
well as Allerdyce and LeBeau are coming with me to Ms. Guthrie's
office."

"What did _I_ do?" Allerdyce wanted to know.

"You nearly burned down a forest."

"...Oh."

"Yes. 'Oh'."

*****

I dropped down on a pile of pillows, leaned my head back and stared
at the star covered ceiling. I sighed deeply, then closed my
eyes. "Wake me up sometime next year."

I felt someone ruffling my hair, then Kallie's voice sounded above my
head. "Bad day?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Want to talk about it?"

"And relive it? Not a chance."

She patted my shoulder and I opened my eyes in time to see the smile
on her face. "All right. But if you do want to talk..."

"Yeah." I smiled. "I know."

I closed my eyes again and I must have fallen asleep, because the
next thing I remember is waking up to Jana's scream of horror.

"JASMINE!"

Ah. What a way to wake up. I sat up and looked around. Yup, there
they were. At a standstill by the four leaf clover table, it would
seem. Jana was glaring daggers at Jasmine who was smirking back.
Rick, Kallie, Stace, Moric and Ron were rolling on the floor
laughing.

I poked Ruth's ankle. "What's going on? What did I miss?"

"Jasmine has been telling us embarrassing stories about Jana," she
explained, grinning down at me.

"No! And I missed it? There is no justice in the world," I moaned.

Ruth took advantage of her position (her regular computer was on
floor one and a half. It's a bit hard to explain) and patted me on my
shoulder with her foot. "Dear, dear. I'm sure you could get Jasmine
to repeat them to you."

I looked over at Jana who was giving Jasmine dire threats of no more
smoochies if she ever, ever told any more embarrassing stories. Or
stories at all, for that matter. I looked back up at Ruth. "I doubt
it. Wait. Why did Jana let Jasmine tell the stories in the first
place?"

"She didn't," Ruth grinned. "She had to go to the hairdresser, and
she left Jasmine with us."

"That would explain it."

Ruth nodded and went back to her computer.

I got on my feet and walked over to look in fascination at Jasmine's
attempt to placate Jana. Apparently Jana's girlfriend had gotten over
her initial shyness at the Corner. Which had probably been induced
more by the multiple death threats against her should she ever hurt
Jana than anything else, to be honest.

Nothing personal, you understand. We had to threaten her life.
Principle. Not that it wasn't heartfelt from my side. I like Jana.
She's a cute little thing.

Telling her that to her face is usually a good way to seeing a human
volcano explode. She's in deep denial over her own cuteness. Lucky
for her that we at the Corner have seen it. And are pointing it out
at regular intervals.

She doesn't see it quite that way.

"See," said Jasmine earnestly. "I _had_ to know how to change my nick
and they wouldn't tell me unless I told them stories about you."

"HA!" said Jana.

"*Snicker* *choke* *laughter*" said Rick, Kallie, Stace, Moric and
Ron.

"You're all dead," Jana growled menacingly. "Dead. Dead. Dead."

I knew I could trust this place to get me in a better mood.

****

The next day I promptly forgot all promises to myself about staying
the heck uninvolved as St. John Allerdyce, Remy LeBeau, Tabitha Smith
and Jubilee Lee came to apologize for yesterday.

No, the apology had nothing to do with it, really. It was very
obviously a forced one.

It was when I touched Allerdyce and LeBeau again. Or rather, they
touched me as they walked past me on their way down the hallway.
Something happened that I can't remember happening before. It was
like I was watching it on a 3d video tape or something. Instead of
the usual jumble of images, impressions and thoughts, what I got was
clear as crystal. And it made me change my mind about getting
involved.

*You wan' a relationship o' somethin'? Dat it? [Eyebrow arched in...
challenge?]

[Startled look.] No. No, of course not.

Didn' think so. So stop actin' like a jealous petit ami, d'accord?

What? [Puzzled.]

Boyfriend. You're actin' like a jealous boyfriend.

Am not! [Instant denial.] ...But do you have to kiss her like that?

I think she'd find it a bit odd if I jus' gave her a peck on the
cheek, non? [Hope? Is that hope in his voice?]

You're right, you're right. [Deep sigh.] I'm just being a moron. Been
spending too much time with Bobby lately. C'mere, let me make it up
to you... [Smile.]

[Disappointment quickly pushed away. Answering smile.]

[Initiates the kiss. Searches his mouth possessivly to get rid of
_her_ taste and replace it with his own.]

[Gasping. Feeling. If this is all, it's better than nothing.]*

It's probably needless to mention that I passed out. Woke up again to
a bottle of paracet and Doc Reyes. I have definitelly woken up to
prettier sights. Right then I didn't really care.

I grabbed the bottle and held my hand out for the water Doc Reyes
gave me. I swallowed five paracets - new personal record - and smiled
gratefully at her. "Thanks."

"It's my job," she replied. She took the empty glass (I wasn't going
to let go of the paracets just yet), put it down on a table and
looked searchingly at me. "What is your mutation exactly? I'm only
asking because it could come in useful if you plan on coming here a
lot."

"I'm not," I said, then remembered that I hadn't exactly planned this
visit either. "But I see secrets, if you must know."

She blinked at me. "Secrets?"

"Yup. Hidden stuff, like secret passages, safes, thoughts,
feelings..."

"And the downside?"

I blinked at her. "There's an upside? Never mind. Headaches. Get
headaches. The intensity varies after how serious whoever I touch
consider the secret to be. With things, I usually don't get affected
at all."

"Touch? That's what causes this?" She took half a step back before
she realised what she was doing. "Sorry."

I grinned and shook my head at her. "Don't worry. People do that a
lot when I tell them. I guess it's something of the same with empaths
and telepaths, you know? Only they're more so."

Doc Reyes nodded. "I see. And the skin?"

I shrugged. "The powers that be probably found it horribly amusing."

I had to give her a blow-by-blow account of my medical history before
she let me go. I was there for a while, yeah.

*****

Jana sat crosslegged on the table and stared blankly in to the air. A
small grin was playing on her lips. She looked adorably cute and I
regarded her warily for a bit before I continued over to pillow
heaven.

I sat down beside Rick and nodded towards Jana. "She's plotting,
isn't she?"

"Mmm."

"Should I worry?"

"Probably." Rick grinned.

I nodded and changed the topic. "Where's Izzy, by the way?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"I've just had two days of hell. Trust me, I wouldn't even been able
to remember Moric's birthday, hadn't it been for them there." I
nodded towards the nearest 'MORIC'S BIRTHDAY! THIS SUNDAY! BE THERE!'
poster.

Rick chuckled and patted my back comfortingly. "Izzy went to OzCon."

I closed my eyes. Duh. I opened my eyes again. "Are you writing
anything for Moric?"

"Yup. But it's a secret. You?"

"Faith and Anya."

"What?" He stared at me.

"It's what the man asked for," I shrugged. "And remember who pestered
me for two weeks in order to get Spike and Ethan Rayne..."

Rick grinned brightly at me.

I rolled my eyes and grinned back. You'd never get me to admit this
out loud, but I kind of do like that story. Weirdly twisted as it is.

"Rick...?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you remember being a teenager and hopelessly closeted?"

He gave me a fond look and patiently waited for my brain to kick back
in. It did, about two seconds later, and I banged my head against his
thigh. Rick snickered and patted my back again.

"You're too touchy-feely," I complained. "How the hell am I supposed
to remember that you're mostly on the side of straightness?"

Rick laughed. "Hey, I have no gender prejudices, you know that."

I just grumbled at him.

"What made you ask, by the way?"

I straightened. "Oh that. You know I've been working over at the
Xavier's school lately, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Kind of hard to explain, but um... I picked up some secrets I
probably shouldn't have and now I can't just forget it and..."

Rick blinked. "You're getting involved?"

"No! ...Well. Yes. But I don't really want to. Honest."

"Sure. I believe you."

"It's just... I think they're in love. Well, one of them, anyway."

"You're a romantic sap," Rick said. He raised his voice. "Hey! All!
Alex is a romantic sap!"

"Tell us something we don't know!" Was the reply he got.

I groaned, turned dark green and sank deeper into the pillows. I
distinctly heard at least four diffrent snickers thrown my way. I
stayed that way for a while until something else hit me.

The 3d secret vision-thingy... Why was I getting them all of a
sudden? I couldn't possibly have gone through the last 13 years
without touching two people who shared the same secret, could I? Nah.
Far to implausible.

Testing time, I decided and looked around for someone to pester. "Hey
Montgomery! You doing anything?"

Montgomery looked up from the computer and gave me a suspicious
look. "Writing. Why?"

I was momentary distracted by that. "Is it Ethan Rayne?"

"Yes. And you still owe me Doyle."

I winced guiltily. "I know. But anyway, could you do me a favor?
Could you come over here and touch me?"

This was one of those rare moments where the cafe fell entirely
silent.

Montgomery's eyebrows went up towards his hairline. "I hesitate to
ask, but why?"

"I'm testing out my powers."

"Don't listen to him!" Moric shouted. "He just wants to take
advantage of you! ...And only I get to do that..."

I waited until the laughter died down before I asked again.
Montgomery nodded. "Sure. But I'm not moving, so get your lazy ass
over here."

I got up on my feet (after a lenghty fight with the pillows who
seemed reluctant to let me go) and wandered over to him. He looked
expectant up at me and I placed my hand on his head, feeling oddly
like a Padre of some kind.

Nope. No 3d here.

I removed my hand and frowned.

"Well?"

"No, didn't work," I said distractedly. Hm. Maybe it had to be two
persons... I looked around the Corner for another person I hadn't
become more or less immune to yet. Aha! Daniel and Cassie! I stalked
over to them.

"Can I touch you?"

Daniel and Cassie gave me identical puzzled stares as they looked up
from their respective computers.

"...Sure," Daniel said somewhat doubtingly. Cassie nodded. I beamed
at them and did repeat of my 'Padre' act.

Frell it. That was just confusing. I removed my hands and frowned in
fustration. What was I forgetting? There was something... Ah right!
Two people, same secret!

...Where the hell was I going to find that?

I spun around to eye the still meditating Jana. Hmmmm. There was the
immune factor to take into consideration, but Jana and Jasmine were
bound to have _some_ secrets together, right? Right.

I walked over to her, poked her and asked where Jasmine was.

"Not here," was the reply I got. "And you can forget about getting
more stories out of her."

"I didn't get to hear the first one, actually."

"Good."

"...Tell me?"

"No."

"With sugar on it?"

"Absolutely not."

"I'll write you Harmony fic."

Jana got very talkative all of a sudden. I got the whole tale out of
her. Much fun. Involved public singing. Of Lion King songs.

Which reminds me, I really should write her that Harmony story...

When I stopped laughing, I looked around again and spotted Stace over
in her regular corner. And lo and behold! Who other than Ellis walked
through the door? I pounced immidiately.

"Ellis! Stop right there!"

He froze. "What?"

Stace, who'd jumped out of her chair the second she spotted Ellis,
completely ignored me and threw herself into Ellis' arms. He caught
her automatically.

"Could I touch you? I'm testing my powers."

Ellis blinked, then nodded. "Sure. If you have to."

"Stace?"

"Yeah, yeah. Get on with it, already. Do you know how long it's been
since I last saw him?"

I reached out and touched their arms. Bingo. 3D heaven. I was
prepared this time, however, and stepped back as soon as I'd
confirmed that they gave me 3D visions.

They also gave me blitz-light-spots-vision, dizziness and an ever
worse headache than I already had.

I decided to wander home and lock myself in my bedroom. Oh yes. My
nice, cold, dark bedroom. With blankets. I thanked Stace and Ellis,
got me a coke, swallowed a few paracets in order to keep from
blacking out on the way to my apartment (I always carry a box of
paracets in my pocket. I pretty much have to) and looked pleadingly
at Rick.

"Stop looking at me like that and tell me what you want," he
sighed. "You can be truly exasperating sometimes."

"And I thought I was always terribly charming." I tried to
smile. "Could you follow me home?"

"Yeah, sure."

****

I woke up next day to the sound of the telephone. I squinted in its
direction and picked it up. "Hmm?"

"Alexander Olsen?"

"Is him. I mean, yeah?"

"This is Kitty. You didn't show up at the school today and I got
worried something might have happened..."

"No. Nothing's wrong. I'll be back again tomorrow. Just a really bad
headache," I assured her.

"Oh good. Not that you have a headache, because that's bad, but that
it's not more serious than that."

"Yes, I know," I smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

I hung up and fell asleep again.

Darker Destiny: When All Light Dies
By Nadja Lee                                     14/05/02
English is not my native language. Please forgive me my mistakes.
Disclaimer: “X-men” and all the characters here belong to Marvel, 20 Century Fox
and I intend no infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make
no money of it.
Only the original idea contained within this work is the property of the author.
Please do not copy this story to any website or archive without permission of
the author.
Timeline: Set in the movie universe/an AU. Before the movie
Universe: Set in the movie universe; NOT the book which goes with it.
Romance: None
Summary: A young man thinks and feels……
Archiving: Want, ASK, take,  have.
Feedback: Yes, please. My e-mail address is nadjalee2000@...
Rating: R
Warning: May contain disturbing elements. This is a VERY dark tale! You have
been warned.
Sequel/series: Part of the “Darker Destiny” series.
Thanks to Estelle for the Beta

Have you ever wondered what it is like to feel too much….. care too much?


Why? Why is this happening? Why are they doing this? I wish someone would
explain it to me because I’m lost.
How can they pretend nothing is wrong? How can they just walk by and not care?
How do they do that?
I wish I could do that. I wish I didn’t care. But I do. Every time I turn on the
TV I see death, pain and suffering. Every book I pick up is filled with blood
and agony and every time I walk down the street I feel others despair and
loneliness as strongly as if they had written a sign.
How can they just walk by and not care? How do they do that? My thoughts are in
turmoil and I’m fading fast. I can find no light and no hope. I see no love and
no compassion in people’s eyes.
On the contrary; from an early age I see hate and destruction. Being able to
beat someone up is good, seeing a movie where someone gets killed is great and
reading a book about a mass murderer is cool. Things are turned upside down and
I don’t know what to do or whom to turn to. I feel like I’m about to explode, I
can’t hold it all inside.
I feel like screaming yet I remain silent, I feel like leaving yet I stay. The
pain in my heart grows as the light fades with years. I had hoped that as I grew
older I could find faith or hope but I find none. Everyday there’s a new murder,
a new war and another victim.
I read the papers and the articles about the rising gas prices are splattered
all over the front page while a notice of more than 300 civilians brutally
slathered in Somalia ends up as a footnote somewhere. Who cares 100th of miles
away? Well, I do. I wish I didn’t because this agony inside my soul is tearing
me to pieces.
I swear I hear them; whispering, moaning, calling desperately for help. I hear
them when I’m alone in the darkness and there’s no one else. And I can’t help. I
feel so frustrated and alone. Tears run down my cheeks as I fight to keep that
faint light inside me alive.
I need someone to light my spirits; someone to give me hope. I search but find
none. I can no longer do this. It’s too much; too much. They’re killing it;
they’re killing me.
I stare in fascination at the razor blade in my hand, hypnotized by its
glimmering sharp edge.  I’ve lived long enough to know that things only get
worse; why should I stay to find out how much more hurt they can bring on
themselves…and me? They may not care or see but I feel it all inside; I’m in
agony and they don’t care………no one ever does. I let a soft song play, tears fall
from my eyes, the room is otherwise silent; everyone is asleep……….I’m alone. So
lost and alone.
I bring the sharp edge down against my wrist.

~John

Chapter 15-Dawn

Cyclops made the first move, flinging open the tunnel door. Stubborn
bastard was outside, just like Logan figured. And his fiery beam
would have taken off Magneto's head, too, except the man bent down
just then, frantically beating at the rat galloping up his leg.
Naturally, when the ray of fire splattered on the ceiling the
sprinklers turned on. Logan grimaced and shook the water out of his
eyes.

Right on the heels of Cyclops, rushed Storm, crackling with anger and
little lightning bolts. A small tornado caught up Toad, whirled him
round and round as he ricocheted off the walls. Logan grinned. Wasn't
there some joke about a frog in a blender?

Jean was holding her own with Mystique, rather, holding Mystique
hostage in mid-air. Meanwhile, the wolves and the lynx were having
the time of their lives, cavorting about and chasing the rats, which
were humping over each other to escape and climbing up anything
vertical. Magneto was doing the Irish jig, kicking, prancing,
shouting, waving his arms. The bastard was in damn good shape. Logan
approved.

Fawn was running from wolf to lynx to wolf, trying to get them under
control, but it was a matter of too many cooks in the kitchen—or in
this case, too many rats in the lab—that unraveled the rescue.

Cyclops was zapping little flame darts at the scurrying floor around
his feet and it was pure luck the guy didn't burn off a toe. Two rat
armies chose the same moment to scale both Storm and Jean and the
women shrieked, dropping Toad and Mystique respectively as they
batted off rodents.

Toad was out of it, Logan judged. The little creep was sprawled
nearby looking greener than ever. Logan leaned toward him. "You
alright?"

"Gurk . . . "

Logan hastily jerked away and stared with all his concentration in
the opposite direction in time to see Mystique gather herself off the
floor and head for Jean, tongue flicking and gold eyes flashing. He
was awkwardly clambering to his feet to go to the woman's aid when
Rogue, already at Jean's side, stretched out a fingertip, touched a
clenched blue fist.

"'Scuse me, Ah wouldn't do that if Ah were you."

Mystique started, shuddered, slumped, curled into a pool of bright
blue water.

Logan looked around. Only Magneto was left, but he was crouched in a
corner, quivering, whimpering, held at bay by a plague of rats. Logan
went over to him, gingerly sweeping aside vermin with his bare feet.

The all-powerful Magneto shrunken into a frightened, sniveling
huddle! Logan had expected to gloat, instead he felt a surge of pity.
Before him was a broken, weeping old man. But wait a goddam minute—
This was the bastard who had imprisoned him! Tortured him!
Manipulated him for his own crazy, fanatic reasons! He lifted a hand
to strike—noticed with surprise and pleasure that it did lift,
painlessly, surely—then hesitated, lowered it, gently squeezed the
man's shoulder.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay."

"Get them off! Get them off me! Please!"

"Sure. You just take it easy. I'll get rid of 'em."

Logan spun around, shot out his claws, snarled, stamped, growled. The
tide of rats turned with frantic squeaks. "I'm the biggest damn cat
you'll ever see!" he shouted after the fleeing rats.

The wolves and the lynx had finally understood that they were rat
wranglers and were joyfully herding the rodents out of the lab
followed by a harried Fawn. Storm and Jean were clinging to each
other in a tremulous hug while Cyclops stood around looking shame-
faced. Toad was still being sick by the wall, Mystique was in for a
long night's sleep, and Rogue—

"Hey, y'all, look at me! Elvis lives!"

*******


The Blackbird was packed. Fawn waved them off. She was really sorry
about Dr. Lehnsherr. She only knew he didn't like rats for some
reason, but rats are so smart! Well, anyway she'd come down to the
school later when Scott returned to the base for his motorcycle. She
planned to finish her studies. She was definitely going to be a vet.
Or maybe a zoologist. But first she had to say goodbye to her animal
friends here.

Cyclops consulted copilot Storm and the heavy load lifted with a
wobble. Behind the pilot was a shattered Magneto with Jean kneeling
beside him in the aisle, attempting to soften his childhood memories
of the concentration camp—rats attacking the weak and sick, rats
feeding on the living. On the floor at the back of the cabin was the
lump that was Toad and the curl that was Mystique. And in the last
seat was Logan with a facsimile of himself perched on his lap.

"Now Ah got claws, too," Wolvie Jr. was saying. "Ah'm big. Ah'm bad.
Ah'm mean. Ah'm WolveREEEEEEN!"

"Quiet!" Cyclops snapped.

Logan grinned. "Better not bug the pilot, kid."

"Sure thing, honey." And Marilyn Monroe gave him a hug.

Thank God it wasn't Elvis! he thought. A light struck him in the eyes
and he squinted, looked out the window. The sun was coming up. Logan
suddenly realized that he hadn't seen the sun for more than two
months. He watched the dawn's bright rays chase away the mist, chase
away the dark. Renewed life flooded the earth in a brilliant, golden
wave. Logan took a deep breath. It had been a long night.

Coda

Xavier met the Blackbird, knowing more or less who and what to expect
from Scott's somewhat disjointed radio message. Authorities took away
Toad. Mystique and Magneto were placed on stretchers and attended by
doctors. Scott seemed disgruntled. Jean and Storm appeared tired and
frayed around the edges. A huge, black football player bounded out of
the craft. Xavier started. Someone famous, he knew, but he couldn't
place the name.

"Hiya, Teach!" And Rogue charged for the elevator, eager to show off
her new toy.

Logan emerged last wearing only a pair of jeans. He looked thin,
pale, drawn, his hair frizzy as if it had been subjected to heat. But
Xavier noticed that the wild, hunted tension that habitually shadowed
the man's eyes was missing. Instead . . . Was it peace? And if Logan
felt more at peace with himself, then he was more at peace with the
world.

"It's good to see you, Logan. Welcome home."

"Yeah. Thanks, Chuck. It's good to be . . . home."

"Did you find your past?"

Logan's eyes flicked away, back. "I found my present. And that's
enough." He gave a rueful laugh. "For now."

I just wanted to remind everyone that X-MEN came out
on July 14, 2000- so it's anniversary is coming up.
Down here in Houston a couple of my friends and I like
to get together and celebrate our very own X-MEN day.
We go to thrift stores and try to find clothes like
the ones belonging to the characters and I (I'm always
Rogue- everyone knows not to try and take the title
away) get temporary, one day, wash-out white streaks
(6$ if you buy a bottle of those squirt out,
temporary, wash out hair dyes). I just thought it
would be cool if across the continent (or, even world)
everyone was celebrating too. Also, July 14 is my
birthday and any happy birthday notes would be
appreciated. You're all like one big happy family.
I've yet to write any fanfic but I'm known for posting
challenges and spending 12 hours (not kidding) reading
it each day. Thanks for reading my message and I hope
you all have a happy X-Day.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

what? white stripes just for one day? :-D I wear them constantly :-D see
attached pic ;) well they're red on that cause it didn't work from black to
white immediately but by now they're white *G*

TIna


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

why, forget the attached picture that doesn't seem to work LOL
http://www.catbull.com/adora/darth.jpg

well as for the x-day *G* I wish I had any friend here caring for X-Men enough
to do something like that LOOOOOOOL But I'll think of it myself ;)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

well here's the newest of my canon... It's finished yet, just have to translate
it... It'll probably be hard to understand if you didn't read anything of my
canon so far. You can find it on my homepage, the adress's in my signature. Here
comes first part of episode III.
####################


Series: X-Men: Academy

Title: FIRE & ICE (Episode II)

author: B'Teena DOL/Scare Glow (my boyfriend)

language: English, but that's not my native language

Disclaimer: All X-Men and other Marvel characters in here belong to Marvel, 20
Century Fox and else. Not mine ;). Mine are just Cat/Flash and Avery/The
Liquidator

Universe: Only based on the storyline of the movie 'X-Men' that was released in
the year 2000.

Timeline: Shortly after the movie

Romance: Jean/Logan, Scott/Flash (new character), Iceman/Firestar, Storm/Avery
(new character-> http://www.catbull.com/adora/ave.jpg why just a little pic...
That's how he might look ;) )

Summary: Magneto found a way to mutate all humanity. The X-Men have to try
everything to prevent him from using this weapon...

special guest: Iceman/Firestar/Spiderman

remark: introduces Gambit and Beast to the movieverse

Feedback: I'd very much appreciate it :).

Rating: hm... G so far, I'd say...

remark: On my homepage on http://www.catbull.com/adora/fanfxmen.html you find
all my stories with pics in it. With them they're nicer to read ;). But it's the
same stories :).

##

"No, it won't get any better. I'm sorry, Cat." Sighing Jean seized the big long
scare on Katja's shoulder. "I'm sorry that it looks that bad but you know how it
was. When there's no tissue there's nothing to stitch, either. A permanent
souvenir, I'm afraid. Regards from the big Liquidator."

"Guess I have to accept. After all it's not in my face." Her friend pulled up
the sleeve of her shirt. "Then this thing will always look like that, is that
what you want to tell me?"

"Well, it will get a little more pale, but... As I said it won't look really
good anymore." The doctor put off her gloves that she always wore during
examinations. A little quirk since Scott once had brought a virus from a fight,
being transmitted by skin contact, and both of them had been sick for three
weeks then.

"Could be worse." Flash jumped down from the diagnostic bench. "Rogue, Kitty,
Rose, Jubilee and I go shopping with Firestar. Wanna join? The girls were
anxious to go out with her. A little honor to a hero, you know. I needed two
days but I could convince her."

"Bitches club on tour", Jean commented. "Thanks but unlike you I have to work
from time to time."

"Your fault. You should have become a secretary", Cat grinned. "I'm finished in
the office since two hours."

"Yeah, great job", her friend laughed. "You're out of college for the summer,
you've got time all day. Besides you're two people in the office. When Kitty
will be a trained doctor, I'll be retired."

"Exaggerating again." Flash rolled her eyes. When Jean was on her age trip, it
was better to flee. No rational arguments helped then. She was completely
convinced that with her 28 years she was ready for the graveyard. "See you."

"Greet Firestar", she asked her. "Tell her to be more careful. It was quite a
shock to see her half unconscious in the news yesterday. Her and Iceman, they're
not god and they better don't forget that when they do their missions."

"I'll tell her but I know the answer yet. Something like..."



"Careful, yeah, of course", Angie growled, touching Cat's shoulder. "A hole in
the size of Texas in the shoulder, but I'm supposed to be careful, right? Look,
you think that dress would fit me?"

"Green?" Flash arched her eyebrows. "You're pregnant or something?"

"Funny. From what? From Bobby's pathetic tries to flirt with me?", she murmured.
"Don't I show him clear enough that he interests me? I always thought the only
shy guys you can meet are in movie shows... Girls! Would you finally join us?
Rose is reserving a table in the cafe over there for more than 20 minutes now.
The waitress will think we're nuts if we don't finally get there."

Rogue, Kitty and Jubilee had completely fallen in love with the employee of the
store that the girls were in for more than 2 hours now. They hardly could be
part from him. Finally they could say good-bye, not without his telephone
number.

"That boy's worth a sin", Marie giggled when they left.

"Good thing Remy didn't hear that, he'd blow him up", Cat teased her.

"Oh, come on!", Rogue moaned. "Why does every single male creature arriving at
Xavier's think that I've been waiting just for him? First Bobby, then Pyro, now
Remy... Is there perhaps something like 'Here I am, who wants to die?' tattooed
onto my forehead?"

"You're heartless", Kitty remarked. "They just wanted to..."

A loud scream from the bar they were nearing.

"That's Kathy!", Flash shouted, frightened. "Fast!"



Actually Cat should have known.

Half a year she was with Xavier now, and never there had been any problems
because of being a mutant. Except for the talent evening that Scott and her had
been disqualified from, and even then he had been the reason, not her. In
college most pupils avoided her, but she did have a few friends, nevertheless.
Besides she didn't spend enough time there to really let it hurt her.

Never anybody had really attacked her in any way. She had felt too safe, she
realized that now. It hit her like a truck when she and the other girls entered
the pub and saw that Rose was pestered by several men without anybody helping
her. Even the waitresses just passed by the table.

"Jubilee, Kitty, leave", Flash ordered. "We'll make this alone. Don't risk
anybody knowing that you're a mutant." She didn't take time to see if the
younger ones obeyed. Kathy, though she was with Xavier for years, wasn't an
X-Men. She was his secretary. She was in great danger.

The attacker were definitely drunk, perhaps even on coke. Four man about forty,
with beer guts, oily hair and beards, just jerks, but quite strong ones,
unfortunately. Rose, very pretty with her long red hair, nearly reaching the
floor, and her green skin, had attracted their attention, and it was clear what
they wanted from her.

Cat began to feel sick. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, they were in one
of the better bars in a calm part of the city... And nevertheless four men could
just attack a woman without anyone stopping them. Perhaps Magneto's opinion
about mankind wasn't all that wrong.

No!, she thought angrily, deleted this thought from her mind. Her family would
have helped. Perhaps not her mother, but she would have called the police,
anyway. Her sisters or her brother, or her brother-in-law, they had tried to
protect Rose, no matter if she was a mutant or not. "Leave her alone!" She
pulled back one of the men.

He was so perplex that he stumbled and nearly fell, but that lasted just for a
few seconds. "Stay out of this, kid." He gave her an unfriendly push throwing
her onto the floor.

"You guys certainly have to work on your manners." Firestar threw a fireball on
the troublemakers.

She didn't hit any of them, she hadn't really pointed it at them, either. But
the wall of the bar began to burn, just lightly, but there was a panic
immediately, anyway, the guests left. The enemies shrank back, too.

Rose took the opportunity of them not taking care to flee to her friends. She
trembled on all her body.

Rogue put an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. It's over."

"Get out!", a fat boy, leaving an office, screamed enraged. Apparently the
owner. Interesting, suddenly he had time. "Out! I don't want any mutants in
here! Leave! Now!"

A last left over guest got a extinguisher in the meantime and put out the fire.

"Don't worry we didn't mean to stay any longer." Cat was surprised that her
voice sounded very calm. The Professor's advise never to freak out apparently
had helped more than she had realized. "We just defended ourselves." She pointed
at the responsible ones, who stared at the group angrily but didn't make any
move to attack again. "They started this."

They wouldn't dare trying to hurt one of the girls again, Cat supposed. All of
them looked like they had a file in the police archive already. They surely
couldn't afford another imprisonment.

But she underestimated the guys. When 'her' group - being the oldest one she was
responsible for them - left the bar, one of the men followed them, with a knife
in his hand.

"Firestar! Watch out!" That was Jubilee. Without thinking about it she reached
out her hands and shot her mysterious sparks at the man. It was the first time
at all that she used her powers against anyone. Until now no one - including
herself - had known what these energy flashes would do.

Now it was demonstrated efficiently. The man was electrified strongly. The knife
fell onto the floor, he collapsed.

But his friends left the bar. "John! You bitches! Now we'll finish you!"

"That's enough. Get lost!" Cat looked at the sky, made a flash hit the ground
right next to the enemies. "A warning. If you don't want to get fried, you leave
us alone."

"Lose tongue, hasn't she?" The biggest one had recovered from the shock fast, he
took a knife himself. "Try it, bitch. I'll slice you like a pig. Every dead
mutant is a good mutant."

It was getting out of control. Katja took a short look at her clock. Jean had
received her signal, she should be on her way yet. Most important was to get the
girls to safety.

Angie seemed to think of the same, she built a fire wall between Rose, Kitty and
Jubilee on the one side and the attackers on the other side. "Run! Run fast,
and, above all, run far."

"Dream on." The man called John had recovered. Before Flash, Rogue or Angelica
could stop him he had gotten back his knife, threw it at the younger girls who
tried to escape. It was a complete angry, clumsy throw, shot without taking aim,
but the bastard was lucky. He hit.

Jubilee didn't even scream. She just fell.

But Kitty screamed. "Cat!"

Katja stiffened. Completely shocked she stared at her wards. How could this have
happened? That was impossible! They had just wanted to go shopping!

Probably she'd still have stood there when one of the villains would have
reached her and had cut her throat. Firestar and Rogue were attacked again, and
the third of those freaks neared her... But then the tables were turned.

Something red-blue jumped down from a roof nearby and pushed two of the men
against each other, getting rid of them at the same time with his big swing.



<center><img src="spideygr.jpg"></center>



"That's Spiderman!", a third one shouted. "That guy beat up the best wrestler of
the city! Let's go!" He and his friend vanished.

"That's it. Call the police", an unknown voice mentioned satisfied.

Flash didn't take the time to see who the stranger was. She ran to Jubilee.
"Kitty, call an ambulance", she said sharply, even before she got there.

"No... not an. ambulance", Jubes moaned. "No hospital..."

"Of course, young lady." Cat knelt down next to her. She was awake, she could
talk, so hopefully it wasn't... She felt dizzy, for a moment she was about to
fade, had to sit down. One look at the knife in Jubilee's back told her two
things at once, and just the last one really counted. For once: The weapon had
at least reached the lung if not stung it. And: Jubilee would die if she wasn't
treated within fifteen minutes the latest.

Police sirens neared. Perhaps they were lucky and there was an ambulance with
them, but she couldn't rely on it. Cat took her mobile phone.

Kitty tried to stop her. "She doesn't want it."

"Perhaps you didn't realize, but we have no choice." Katja dialed 911.

"Please..." The hurt girl who was rolled to the side, tensed up, reached out her
hand, put it onto Cat's knee. "I don't want to be registered... They'd find
out..."

"She's right", Kitty remarked. "Enough people saw what happened. Can't Jean...?"

"Jean's no surgeon", Rose contradicted her. "We have to... Oh, thank goodness!"

Jean, Wolverine, Storm and Scott joined them, wearing their uniforms. Apparently
the had come with the Flyer.

Cat was quite relieved that the decision wasn't up to her anymore. A decision
that had to be made up at once.

Jean saw what was up, didn't ask, didn't want to know anything, just repeated
Flash's words from before: "Call an ambulance if you didn't do it yet."

"No..." Now Jubilee could just whisper. She got weak.

Rose gently took her hand. "I'm sorry. Your life's more important."

"Sorry for interfering..."

Again this strange voice. Cat turned around- and gasped.

Everyone was talking about a 80's revival that took place right now, but for
superheroes and -villains the 60's seemed to be the bigger idol at present. In
front of her stood a big, muscular man in a blue-red costume, decorated with a
black spider web painting. All his face - except for two milky white triangular
windows - was covered by a mask of the same color. "I'm Spiderman", he
introduced himself.

"Very creative, we'd never have guessed", Scott commented. "Any proposals?"

"I know a surgeon who always treats me if I'm hurt. He's a person who can be
trusted completely. Your secret would be safe with him. If you want, I'll bring
the girl there. Trenton Street 21, attic room, codeword MJ. Just two minutes
from here if you travel with spider webs."

"One minute if you can fly. I carry her", Firestar offered. "Would be more
gentle."

"Cyclops?" With the arrival of the others Cat had handed over the
responsibility. She wasn't exactly sad because of it. "The guy just saved our
lives. I think, he's okay."

A police car stopped next to the group. Time was short.

"Okay. But hurry up then! Flash, Rogue, do your report and join us then." Scott
and the other X-Men vanished inside the house that they had came from.

Firestar carefully put up Jubilee, took off. "Show me the way, spider." The two
of them were gone within seconds.

"Who's that?" Marie puzzled shook her head. "The troublemakers seemed to know
him."

"If he saves Jubes, I wouldn't mind him being Superman on LSD", Flash commented.



'Codeword?' The voice sounding through the loudspeaker of the last bell next to
an empty sign on the house Trenton Street 21 didn't sound very friendly.

"MJ", Rogue answered, lightly intimidated.

'How many more of you will arrive today? The hell, come in. Attic, three times
long, one time short.' A crack in the connection, the door opened.

Cat and Marie looked at each other, shrugged, climbed the stairs then.

"Charming", Flash murmured.

"If he's just operating it's better if he uses his energy on that, not on his
hospitality", Rogue mentioned. She rang the doorbell, three times long, one time
short, like they had been told.

The stranger in the spider costume let them in. "Good timing. We're just
finished."

"Finished? Already?", Flash asked, surprised.

"'Already'? You needed more than two hours", he explained, leading them into a
big, simple furnished living room, where the other members of the team were
waiting.

Rose was missing, apparently she had already gone home. Jean wasn't there
either, but Bobby was, being Iceman.

"Good to see you." Cat hugged him. "Is the operation done?"

"Since two minutes, yes." The door of another room was opened. Jean and a mutant
who didn't look very trustful at the first sight, came through. "My name's Dr.
Hanry McKoy." He was huge. He looked a bit like the amazing Hulk, but that was
just an illusion.



<center><img src="beast.jpg"></center>



He was two heads bigger than Logan, had a thick blue fur and claws on his hands
and feet. He looked scary. But he wore a long white coat and glasses, and his
smile was likeable, in spite of his neutral, lightly uninterested voice.

"Is she alright?", Scott asked immediately.

"She's fine. You can take her home. Keep her in bed for two weeks, and no
exhausting activities for six weeks. It was nice to meet you all." He wanted to
leave.

"Wait!", Jean asked him. "May we give you something for your aid?"

"Not necessary", he refused without turning around. "I'm financial independent."
He went on, stopped once more. "If you really want to do me a favor, take care
on that guy a bit." He pointed at Spiderman. "He's doing his job for just four
months and he's already one of my most frequent patients. And keep on doing your
job. Makes me sleep better." He retired.

"Four months?", Rogue asked cheekily while Logan went to get Jubilee. "Where did
you hide all the time?"

"I don't like interviews too much." Spidy shrugged. "You find the way outside, I
suppose?" He went to a window, opened it.

"Wait!", Storm shouted. "May we thank you, at least?"

"That's what I just wanted to ask."

They turned around fast when they heard Jubilee's voice. Was that possible?

"I'm fine", she laughed. "Logan just doesn't want to let me walk myself."

"Jubilation Lee, you've been more dead than alive just two hours ago, so stop
complaining", Wolverine growled, without letting her go.

"Just seeing you alright is all the thanks I need, kid", Spiderman mentioned
friendly.



<center><img src="spidy.jpg"></center>



"So, my beauties... Guys... I'm gone." He left through the window.

Quite impressed the woman watched him leave, even Jubilee who nearly contorted
herself to see him better, cause Logan was too far from the glass.

"Quite agile, isn't he?", Rogue mentioned, admiring.

"Where did he get those nets from?", Jean wondered. "That's a complete new
construction. He must be a genius scientist."

"I called a friend who's a wrestling fan. She told me that he was the scene's
big star for weeks", Kitty told them. "I should have gotten an autograph, that
would be worth quite much at present."

"Did you see him crawl up the ceiling? His abilities are very varied", Storm
threw in.

"I know that I heard that voice before", Firestar murmured. "Would be
interesting to know who's hiding behind this mask. How he looks. Handsome body,
anyway..."

"He's very nice", Flash added. "And so modest... After all he took care of those
guys before all alone."

"I summarize, ladies, we've got a new friend", Jubilee giggled. "I hope he'll
come rescue us soon again..."

"Boys..." Speechless Logan looked at Scott and Iceman. "You think the same as I
do?"

"Yep", Cyclops growled. "For once. A remarkable exception. We've got to remember
that day."

"Day? Time? Place? We've already got the corps", Bobby agreed, pointing out of
the window.

"Do I hear some jealousy here?", Jubilee grinned.

"Because of this wet end? Very funny. You go to bed now, young lady." Wolverine
carried her to the door. "If you could leave your newest idol now, gals, I
think, we're no longer supposed to be here."

"What do you mean, idol?", Kitty defended herself when they returned to the
X-Flyer. "Well, okay, he's nice, but who wants a man in tights, anyway?"

"That can be an advantage, too", Jubilee grinned. "Those tights looked quite-
baggy on the front side, didn't they?"

"You're definitely feeling better", Flash commented. "I wouldn't be that
enthusiastic. Probably it's just a newspaper."

"Test it next time you see him, Jubes", Rogue giggled. "Just take a tight grasp.
If he screams, then it's probably real."

The men looked at each other in disbelief. "What does that guy have that we
don't have?", Iceman wanted to know.

"Hm... I could think a few things at once." Angie winked at him.

"Woman!" Scott started the Blackbird. "That's just a nine-day wonder anyway. I
bet no one speaks of him anymore in a few months."



The team's good mood got destroyed at once when they came home and were called
into the Professor's office. His face said everything. "Toad was freed."

Scott saw the gooseflesh on Katja's arms and pulled her close. "I can't believe
it! What's this special high-security prison for if the employees in it are
incompetent?"

"The police men did what they could. They couldn't defeat three mutants at once.
They didn't even realize that someone had entered the jail till it was too late,
because all the alarm equipment vanished."

"Vanished? How?", Jean asked.

"Just gone. All gadgets, all the sensors, the cameras- gone. Mystique,
Sabretooth, Magneto and another unknown man went from the cellar up to the
second floor, to Toad's cell, and deleted all security equipment on their way. 8
guards are missing too. Probably those who watched them work. Our spy in the
jail says, the door of the cell isn't existing anymore."

"Sounds like the acid that we got to know when we found Remy", Cyclops
mentioned. "Probably the stranger was this clown in the comic costume. And I
thought we'd never see him again."

"However, Erik is back. With Toad he's gotten his Man-At-Arms back, that means,
if he solves the problem with his new weapon, he'll be able to increase its
capacity and start a new attack on New York", Xavier finished.

"We can't just keep on sitting around, waiting for him to strike. We need this
weapon", Cyclops mentioned. "I think we all know that searching for Magneto's
hiding place won't get us any far anytime soon."

"We'd have to make him and his people leave their residence", Jean said
thoughtfully. "And then follow them... With the detectors that would be no
problem."

"Actually a good idea, but what should be the bait?", Scott asked, doubtingly.

"I don't think you'll like the answer." She looked at Flash.

"Have you lost your mind?" He nearly choked with the coffee that Marie had made
to calm down everyone. "You can't be serious!"

Cat ignored his reaction. "You're right, Jean. Magneto needs Remy and me to
complete this weapon. It's best if I leave the mansion for a few days with our
Junior, as soon as possible. Of course only if he agrees. Magneto surely will
take the opportunity to capture us."

"Did you all go nuts now? That's much too risky", Scott shouted, excited.

"I also think it's too dangerous, at least at present", Logan surprisingly
agreed. "Marie and I will fly to Mississippi tomorrow, after all. I don't know
how long we'll be gone."

"We can postpone that", Rogue offered.

"That's not a good idea", the Professor contradicted her. "You should take care
of this matter before you fight next time."

"Yes, I know." She lowered her sight. If she'd have to touch Mystique again and
be confronted with memories that she couldn't identify, not to speak of bearing
them, she'd endanger the team, if she suddenly collapsed. "But I don't like the
thought of leaving you alone just when you could get the chance to find
Magneto."

"There are enough people here", Cat threw in. "We can ask Iceman and Firestar to
help us. We can't wait. Time's short. If the Brotherhood really completes this
weapon, I couldn't forgive myself that. After all it's based on my data. I
volunteer for this mission, Professor, anyway."

"Me too." The door got opened and the young LeBeau entered, waving to the team.
"Remy heard what you were talking about."

"'Heard'? Wouldn't 'listened to' be the better word?", Xavier urged him. "Are
you sure? You know that this can be dangerous."

"Completely sure. I'd like to meet the people who killed all my friends." His
sight darkened, anger flashed up in his scary eyes. The young French boy was a
very special albino. He didn't have any health problems, his hair had a normal
brown color. Just his red pupils were conspicuous. If intensive feelings were
shown in them, like now, you thought they'd catch fire.

"This is no revenge mission, Remy", Katja warned him. "It's just for finding
Magneto's hiding place, and nothing more. If that isn't clear, I draw back my
proposal."

"Don't worry." He showed that light ironical grin of his. "I nearly died a few
days ago. I won't risk my seconds life in attacking one of those guys. I just
want to see them. Where do you want to go, by the way? You think of something
special?"

"Good question... Wait a minute. Don't you have the truck license?"

"Oui, ma belle. They paid it for me when I was without a job for the third year.
Not that it would have helped in any way, but I still have that paper. Why?"

Cat smiled widely. "Then we'll travel with another friend. In Trent, about two
hundred miles from here, there's a big riding competition. A perfect excuse for
a short trip."

"Is that plan already made up now?", Scott asked, irritated. "Katja, that's
crazy! Be rational! You can't always rely on Magneto stopping Sabretooth. Now
Toad's back, as well, he's not your best friend, as you might remember.
Voluntarily letting the Brotherhood get you is deadly! If they find the personal
detector..."

"Unlikely", Jean remarked. "The new technique is completely save."

"Scott, please." Flash took his hand. "I don't have a choice. I'll do this with
or without you agreeing. But with your yes it would be easier."

For seconds he remained silent. "I want somebody to go with you", he said then.
"From the air, to be unspotted. Firestar, or Storm."

"Firestar has more practice with flying", Jean mentioned.

"Storm is more inconspicuous", Xavier contradicted her. "We should ask her, too,
if Firestar prefers to stay here on call... Where is Ororo, anyway?"



"I'm glad you have time." Avery waited in his car for Storm, in the parallel
street to Xavier's mansion. "I missed you, I just had to see you today." He
kissed her tenderly.

"We were quite stressed", she sighed. "There was trouble in the city. I don't
have much time, I have to go back to the pupils. They're quite upset." She took
off her headscarf and the sunglasses. This hiding was getting on her nerves. But
it was necessary. Nobody of the team would be happy with her relationship with
Avery. At present it was best that way.

"You want to tell me?" He gently caressed her hand.

"I don't understand this world anymore, Ave. A woman gets attacked by four man,
in the middle of the afternoon, in a full bar, and nobody's even interested.
Another woman, not even 16 years old, gets stabbed by another man from behind,
for this one reason. Because she's different. What's up with this world?", she
shouted, angrily.

"It's always been that way, `Ro. After all these years, all the wars, all that
catastrophes, still nobody has understood. But don't give up hope. In some
European countries, for example, there already are some good draft bills
concerning mutants. Partly the people there are much more tolerant, whatever the
reason might be. But in America lately also much has changed with senator
Grandon. I think that it will be okay eventually."

"These are the good examples. In Chile, not too long ago, two affected woman got
burnt. They were thought to be witches. In Rome there was an attack on a asylum
for mutants. And in New York people throw knifes at teenagers." Storm ran over
her eyes. "Sometimes I'm afraid, Avery. Very afraid."

"At present the voices balance one another, I think", he mentioned thoughtfully.
"But if it gets worse, it will be necessary to handle the problems drastically.
There should be someone who controls everything for some time. Who makes new
rules for mankind and mutants. Someone wise. Someone who brings back the
balance."

"Just someone? Sounds much like a dictation ship." She arched an eyebrow.

He smiled lightly, somehow knowingly... but dropped the subject then. "Will I
see you tomorrow? What about going to the cinema?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to postpone that. Thursday is my most intensive day of
teaching, I can't get away. I'm afraid I'll have to stay at home more than usual
this week, anyway. Wolverine and Marie - Rogue, that is - are gone, which means
that we'll have to strengthen our safety measures", she explained.

"That's the girl with the stripes in her hair, isn't she?" He knew the group
very well by now though Storm and him had just meet three times so far. "I
didn't know she and this hairy guy are a couple..."

"Why do men always think just of things like that?", Storm laughed. "They'll go
visit Marie's parents, that's it. Jean probably wouldn't like it too much if
Logan suddenly would let her down for Marie. Anyway, tomorrow isn't possible.
Friday in the evening I could flee for two or three hours. If you get us tickets
for 'Star Wars', then I'm with you. How does that sound?"

"Like a very good idea." He gave her a long kiss again, realized - not for the
first time - the goose-flesh that she got on her arms when he touched her. "I'll
get you here at six o'clock."

"See you." She masked herself and got out of the car, avoiding his sight. She
knew that she couldn't hide his fear of contact from him. But every time he
mentioned it she trickily changed the subject.

Avery turned down the side window. "`Ro."

"Yes?"

"What do I have to do to stop you from being frightened of me?"

She bowed her head, shrugged her shoulders slowly. "Get invisible."

So gently, so calm her voice sounded, a well trained disciplined self-control,
but he did hear the shadows in it anyway. Now for example he could hear that her
eyes that he couldn't see behind the glasses were full of tears. Again. If he'd
ever find out who hurt Ororo so much, he'd gladly burn a whole into his body and
tear out his heart.



<center><img src="anist.jpg"></center>



"You mean very much to me, `Ro."

"That's just what I feel about you."

At least that sounded completely honest and emotional. Her feelings for him were
definitely real. He'd have to be satisfied with that for now. "See you on
Friday." Sadly he watched her leave till she had turned left. Then he drove back
to the city as fast as he could. Magneto was waiting.



Magneto hadn't supplied the promised helicopter for Avery so far, but the young
man had accepted the alternative, a damn fast motorboat, too. With it he was in
just fifteen minutes on Snake Island. With a remote control in the boat he
opened the artificial entrance of a grotto in the deserted, isolated island that
was completely ignored by the government for some kind of reason. Probably
Magneto was behind this.

Avery docked and went to the little lift that had been installed into the rock.
The Brotherhood sure had the best technique around. The castle that looked
completely dilapidated from outside was equipped in a ridiculous similar way
like the bridge of the Enterprise, but it was the perfect fortress. "Up." His
voice had already been added to the main computer. The elevator moved.

Ave folded his hands behind his back, tried to gain back his calmness. The
meeting with Ororo had completely shattered him. In the beginning he had tried
to fool himself, but by now he knew that she meant more to him that was good for
him. He quickly had to find a solution for this problem.

Above all Magneto wasn't allowed to know how much Avery really felt for the ice
empress. Though he had reacted surprisingly relaxed when he had gotten to know
of the relationship... It wouldn't have been of any use trying to hide it. At
the latest, when Mystique had spied at Ave again someday - which she'd probably
do in spite of his warning - they would have known. The leader of the
Brotherhood hadn't shown big anger about Avery's tactic, anyway. Probably he
thought this connection to the X-Men to be a good source of information. And
that it was, indeed, after all. 'Don't let this go to far. That would just cause
much problems for both of you', had been Erik's only comment.

Well, Avery surely hadn't planned to do it, but... The doors of the lift opened,
he fast tried to get rid of these thoughts. Working for Magneto, as a part of
the Brotherhood, playing his role as the Liquidator, he wasn't allowed to have
any feelings.

"You're late." Toad sat on a window sill, with a laptop on his legs. He typed
with his tongue only.

"Care for your own business, Kermit." Without even looking at him Ave went on to
the office where he thought Magneto to be.

Something sticky was slung around his arm and pulled him back, he nearly fell
onto his butt.

Avery's first reaction was to take this ridiculous tongue and cut it off, but
just in time he remembered that this wouldn't be very conducive for the
relationship between Magneto and him. Todd had just been freed from prison, he
probably had a special close season at present.

"Toad, for you, still, Junior. Erik is very impressed by you, I know, but if you
don't want a broken nose, keep the hierarchy in mind."

Ave showed a devilish grin, took a derisive look at the rubbery green sling
around his right upper arm.



<center><img src="aveto.jpg"></center>



"You want to keep that thing?" He reached out his left hand, placed it on a
banister right next to him. The decorative brass pole liquefied in seconds. "I
can do that with my other arm, too. Wanna see?"

At once Todd let go off him. "Just kidding, Junior." He closed his computer and
jumped down from the sill. "Magneto's waiting for you, anyway. There's much to
talk about."

"That's why I'm here. Oh, and..." Ave took Toad's wrist and realized, satisfied,
that the man startled. Yes, now the hierarchy was definitely cleared again.
"Avery, for you, still." He let him go, not without making a little hole in the
musty leather jacket of his team partner. With fast steps he lead the way,
entered Magneto's office without knocking. He wasn't treated exactly politely
here either, so why keeping manners? "Hi."

"What took you so long? You just wanted to change your clothes, didn't you?"
Magneto seemed to be irritated too.

"The next one! If that's all you wanted to ask me then I can leave again, as
well."

"Don't be silly. Sit down." Erik turned to Toad. "You saw the data of our new
weapon now. What do you think?"

"The principal is good. It will work. But we have to solve the medical problem
before we increase the capacity. If we kill 95 % of mankind - and I wouldn't bet
that more of them would survive - then it's just too risky. Perhaps the
artificial mutation someday is a problem, and then we're alone here."

"Somehow I was afraid you'd say that. Well, then our next step has to be the
research of the DNA that this weapon is based on. Mystique, Toad, bring me Flash
and the new mutant. Alive, just to make things clear."

"What about me?", Sabretooth asked, irritated.

"I need you to get material for the ultimate weapon. Avery, you come with us,
too."

"Ah." The young man leaned back, folded his arms. "That will be fun." He began
to get angry.

"I don't want to risk Flash realizing who you are. I prefer you to watch her as
a normal man."

"That won't be possible, it's college holidays. Besides she's avoiding me as if
I had the pest, anyway. But if you want to strike, do it now. Two members of the
team are gone at present."

"Who?" Now Erik looked up.

"Rogue and Wolverine. Doing some family business, I think, anyway, they're not
here."

"Wait." Mystique raised her hand. "Do you know where they wanted to go?"

"No. Why?" He watched her closely. For the first time since he knew her she
seemed to be excited.

"I have to go." She stood up. "I'm sorry, Erik, but that's too risky. I have to
watch her."

He didn't seem surprised at all. "Okay. Stay in touch with me."

"Did I miss something?", Avery asked, puzzled.

"This, for once, is none of your business", Raven answered unfriendly and left.

"Very well, old plan cancelled. New plan: Avery, you go to the mansion with
Toad, as the Liquidator, and watch it instead of Mystique. I need those mutants
here. That means if it's necessary you use hard means."

"And what exactly does that mean?", Ave asked. "Oh... Wait a minute." The
vibration call of his telephone was activated. That was just the case when Ororo
called him. "Believe me, you want me to take this call. Hi, sugah."

Toad looked at Victor in disbelief. "He isn't serious. He didn't just take out
his mobile phone."

"He did take out his mobile phone", Sabretooth growled. "Shall I finish the
conversation?" He showed his claws.

"Shut up." Magneto concentrated on Avery's short sentences only.



<center><img src="magnha.jpg"></center>



"No... No problem... I'll call you. I'm just... working. Later, `Ro." Satisfied
Avery cancelled the connection. "Told you, you'd want me to take the call. We
don't have to get them at Xavier's. We can take them prisoner on the highway
tomorrow."

"Good to hear something positive for once", Magneto nodded. "If other members of
the team are with them, take them all. We may not risk that they find our
fortress again. I'll be expecting your report."

With that they were released. Avery shortly thought of protesting against
working with Toad - he knew he could deal the two children of Xavier's group
alone - but let it be then. He had joined Magneto's group voluntarily, the
orders came from him. There were worse things than being together in one care
with an oversized frog.

He was more worried about the fact that Ororo had cancelled their date on Friday
because she'd join Flash and Remy tomorrow. That meant he'd have to fight her
for the first time.



Sarah Daniels had an unexpected visitor this day. Her first reaction seeing the
elderly woman in a white coat at her door was to send her away at once. "What
are you doing here?", she asked flatly.

"I have to talk to you about Marie", the nurse that was so familiar to her,
answered calmly. "Do you have some time?"

"Who is it, darling?" Norman, Sarah's husband, showed up behind his wife. His
sight grew dark as well when he saw the visitor. "Please leave, Mrs. Stevenson.
There's nothing to talk about."

"I helped you when you asked me to. Listen to me for a few minutes now, please",
the woman asked him. "It won't take long."

"Alright." Hesitating the couple let her in, they sat down in the big,
comfortable living room of the house. "What is it?"

"I'm back in town just for a few days, and now I heard that Marie's gone. I
wanted to know how that could happen. You know how much I like her. I was just
her nurse, but she always meant very much to me."

"You didn't care for quite a time lately", Norman remarked.

"I was in Europe for years. I wrote a few letters as you might remember. I never
forgot you." The gray haired woman leaned forward. "Please, Mr. Daniels... Mrs.
Daniels- what happened? I'm very worried about Marie."

Sarah shook her head. "You don't have to. She's safe, in a new home."

"So you know where she is!" The woman's eyes narrowed. "Your neighbor said you
never heard anything from her anymore."

"There was no reason to tell it to all the city that our daughter is one of the
most dangerous mutants ever", Norman explained bitterly.

"Marie? A mutant?" Shocked Mrs. Stevenson lowered her sight. "So it happened,
anyway. I'm sorry. We never could know if she'd have any powers someday or not.
Where is she now?"

"With other mutants. I don't know the address anymore. Somewhere in New York.
She's fine. We quit the contact when we knew that", Sarah said hard. "You know
our opinion about mutants. They're dangerous and unpredictable. Marie nearly
killed her own boyfriend last year. That's when we lost our daughter."

"I know how you think about it", the other woman nodded. "That's why I helped
you with Melanie. I'm said to hear that Marie suffered her destiny now as well."
She stood up. "Did you ever tell your daughter the truth about her sister,
actually?"

"Never", Norman answered. "There was no reason to do that. Melanie is dead for
us, as well as Marie. If she'd come back here once more..." He ran through his
hair. "I guess she's actually got a right to know. But I hope that she'll do
what we asked her. Leaving us alone." He stood up too. "We're very thankful for
all that you did, Mrs. Stevenson, but please don't visit us anymore. We want to
forget the past."

"I understand perfectly. I won't come back anymore, I promise", the woman
nodded. "Good-bye. Oh, just stay, I know how to get outside. I'm not here for
the first time, after all." She left the house, carelessly dropping a little
metal gadget at the door. She closed the fence gate behind her and activated a
little sender in her pocket.

The nice rustically house of Norman and Sarah Daniels exploded with a great
blast.

"So far for the mutant's opinion about you, dear sir and madam", the woman
growled. She went to a little back street to change back. If Anna Stevenson, a
woman who had never existed, would be blamed for the murders, then she couldn't
care less. But she shouldn't be seen in her true shape as Mystique in this
Walton's village.

After thinking about it shortly she changed to a young anonymous man in jeans
and t-shirt and got back to her rented car then, left the city fast behind. She
had fulfilled her task.

And the secret still was safe.



TO BE CONTINUED...
#####

Part 2 will be up tomorrow ;) Feeeedback? *blinkssweetlook* ;)


B'Teena DOL
http://www.catbull.com/adora
He-Man/She-Ra & X-Men lair


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

"help is bright green" by Sascha

e - mail: lady_sascha@...

story website: http://www.tentative.net/sascha/wmf/



c h a p t e r _ t h r e e

Something unexpected always happens. It's a rule. Sometimes a good
one, sometimes a bad one. But always true.

As I found out when I opened my door and discovered Remy LeBeau
outside it. I had very much not expected that. In fact, if you told
me to give you a list of people I doubted would ever knock on my
door, Remy LeBeau would have been on it along with James Marsters and
John Cusack.

He looked nervous. "Could I come in?"

I looked blankly at him. The day after I've gotten two serious
headaches, one upon the other, my mind is pretty much on the 'tree
good, fire bad' level. It takes a while before I react to anything.
After what must have been at least a couple of minutes, I realized
who I was looking at and managed to string a sentence together. "What
are you doing here?"

"Inside?" he questioned.

There was another pause as I processed that, then I shrugged and held
the door open. "Sure."

"Merci."

He walked inside and ended up standing in the middle of my living
room, looking at me. I followed him and looked around to see if the
place was a total mess as usual. Yup. Books in piles everywhere.
Videos, magazines, comic books, all spread about. Dirty dishes on the
table along with two used paracet boxes, folinacid and iron pills. I
looked back at him.

"Want to tell me why you're here now?" A thought hit me. "Or how you
knew how to find me?"

"Oh right." He thrust his hands into the pockets of his trench coat
and came up with a CD. "Here. You left it in the computer room."

"You came all the way here to give me a CD?"

He didn't reply.

I shrugged and sighed. "Okay. Just... Put the CD on the desk or
something. I'm going to find me some pineapple soda. Want some?"

He nodded.

I walked into the kitchen to get the soda. I came back with two
glasses, the bottle of pineapple soda and a bowl of licorice. While
I'd been in the kitchen, he'd sat down on the one seat in my couch
that wasn't covered with magazines, and was now looking around the
room. I put one of the glasses in front of him.

"So," I said as I poured soda into the glass. "Why are you here?"

"Merci. I'm not sure," Remy LeBeau said slowly.

"You're not sure," I repeated. "I see."

We sat there sipping in our soda for a bit.

"Pete says you're gay," he said abruptly.

"Mmm." I nodded.

"When did you know? Dat you were gay?"

"I don't know. Thirteen, fourteen, something like that. Why?"

"Jus'... Curious."

"Right."

I like to think that I'm usually more perceptive than this, but give
me a break, all right? It was taking all my concentration just to
catch what he was saying and not zoning out.

"I'm not," he said, fidgeting a little.

I blinked. "No?"

"Non." He shook his head. "J'aime les filles."

Even in this state I had no problems translating that one. So he
likes girls, eh? I blinked some more. "And what would you call St.
John?"

He paled. "Je ne comprend pas toi..."

"Do you know what my mutant power-thingy is?"

"Non..." he said slowly, suddenly suspicious.

"I see secrets. And I've seen yours."

Okay, okay, not the best way ever to reveal mutant powers, and yes, I
see now that it was somewhat melodramatic, but you have to realize
that the foremost thing on my mind right then was calculating how
many pineapple sodas I had left. I have to get them sent to me from
Norway, you see. Specially imported and all.

Remy turned chalk-y and seemed to rediscover his English. "Have
you... Have you told anyone?"

"Of course not."

There was a long pause where I did a mental count of how many
pineapple sodas there were in my cooler and Remy stared at his hands.
Or at least I think he did. It's a bit hard to tell when he's wearing
shades.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?"

I could tell from his tone of voice that he didn't really believe
that.

"Nope. Who would I tell, anyway?"

He shrugged.

"Would it be so bad," I asked. "If anyone found out about you and
John?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Because... Because it would, okay?"

"You might be surprised."

"No." He shook his head a couple of times. "No. I won't be. And
please don't tell anyone."

"All right." I looked over at him. "Just out of curiosity; Have you
and St. John ever really talked about things? You know, like... 'Hey,
John, I think I'm in love with you.' 'Really? Well, Remy, I reckon
I'm in love with you too'?"

His face twisted into a grimace. "I'm not that fond of
being 'umiliated, thank you very much," he said bitterly. It's
strange listening to him sometimes. He seems to drop and adopt
accents at the blink of an eye. It's kind of schitzo, really.

"Humiliated? What do you mean?" I frowned at him.

"Don't you get it?"

"Obviously, no."

"It's not about love and stuff like that. It's about sex. Fucking."
He poked at a pile of Dick Francis books on my table. "He'd just
laugh if I said something like that"

Oh god. Angst.

Teenage angst.

I really wasn't properly prepared to deal with that.

I took a deep breath and did my best. "I don't think you're right
about that."

"Oh yeah?" he snorted. "What do you know, anyway?"

"A whole lot more that you think."

"You've been using your power on us?"

"Well, it's hard to avoid when you keep bumping into me." I leaned
forth. "I still have no idea what you're doing here, but if you want
my advice, you go back to the school, find St. John and tell him that
you're in love with him."

"You're nuts."

"Quite possibly."

He took a sip of his soda. "And what, in your slightly deranged
opinion, is John going to reply to that?"

"I love you?" I suggested.

"Get real."

"Well, okay, maybe not. But something in that area, I'm certain of
that at least."

"What makes you think he won't just laugh?"

"I see secrets, remember?"

He digested that. I went to see if I'd remembered correctly about the
amount of pineapple sodas in my cooler. Pineapple sodas and licorice.
Two of my not-so-secret vices.

I'd just stepped inside the cooler when the phone rang. I grumbled at
what the sound did to my head and wandered back into the living room.
I found Remy hovering over my desk.

"It's the school," he told me.

I quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Caller ID."

Not really what I was asking, but it was perhaps somewhat difficult
for him to know why the school was calling without answering the
phone. I picked up the phone. "Olsen."

"Mr. Olsen, this is Ororo Munroe."

"Yes?"

"I'm calling you because something has..." she paused. "Happened here
at the school."

"Oh?"

"Yes. And I was wondering... Is Remy LeBeau with you?"

"Yes, he is. Why? What's happened?"

She gave a sigh of relief. "Oh good. Kitty said she thought Remy was
going to visit you, but I wasn't sure. It's so good to hear he's all
right. He is all right, isn't he?"

"Yes, of course he is. Miss Munroe, what's happened at the school?"

She hesitated. "I'm afraid the school has been under attack."

"What?! Who would... Is Kitty all right?"

"Yes."

I didn't believe her. "Are you sure about that?"

"No. No, I'm afraid not. Kitty is certainly well considering the
circumstances, but she's not all right. Not at all."

"Oh my god." All sorts of horrible possibilities flew through my
head. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Actually, yes. Would you mind looking after some of the kids for
about a day or so?"

"Of course! ...How many kids?"

Remy poked me before Miss Munroe had the chance to reply. "What's
happened? Is John okay? The Smog?"

"No more than eight, counting Remy," Ororo Munroe said.

"All right then. Oh and... Is St. John Allerdyce okay? And the Smog
people?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"John's all right," I told Remy. "Could Allerdyce be one of the kids
you send to me?" I asked Miss Munroe.

"Certainly."

"Is there anything at all I can do for Kitty?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I'll let her know you asked for her."

"Okay. Good bye."

"Bye."

* * * *

Remy LeBeau, St. John Allerdyce, Jubilee Lee, Bobby Drake, Ali
Blaire, Japheth something-or-another, Rain Sinclair and Warren
Worthington III.

In my apartment.

Not a chance.

The second they arrived, I grabbed them and dragged them with me to
Kay's Corner. I had a feeling I needed the backup with these eight.

Everybody looked up from whatever they were doing as we entered.

Kallie blinked and stopped typing. "You know, I didn't mind Jana, or
Roland, or Mai Lee, but don't you think eight at once is a bit much?"

I quickly filled her (and the others in the close proximity of
Kallie) in on what was going on while the teens wandered about.
Hopefully without causing any mayhem.

"You are going to protect them?" Ron looked like he didn't know
whether he was going to laugh or cry.

"More like look after..."

"Tell me they're not going to set the Corner on fire," Kallie said
pleadingly.

I didn't say anything.

"Alex!"

"Well, at least three of them can set stuff on fire... But Pretty
Blue Eyes can make ice," I said hopefully.

"And the others?"

"Haven't a clue."

"Wonderful."

"Sorry."

Moric eyed me. "Didn't you bring someone to Galynne's too? And then
they set her forest on fire?"

"Um..." I smiled.

"Alex!" Kallie and Moric exclaimed while Ron shook his head.

"I'm going to get my katanas," Ron said. "I have a weird feeling I'm
going to need them."

I looked after him as he walked out of the Corner, muttering to
himself, then spun around as I heard Jana's voice.

"HEY! KEEP YOUR WHATEVER THEY ARES AWAY FROM ME!" Jana was shouting
at Japheth, who was leaning over her shoulder and leering.
The 'whatever they are's were crawling on the floor behind him.

"Eany and Meany," Japheth said. "Their names are Eany and Meany."

"I don't really care what they're called," Jana grumbled. "I just
want them away from me. Far, far away."

I figured Jana could take care of herself and looked around for the
other kids. Rain stood beside me, looking worried. Ali, Remy and
Warren sat on the counter, looking bored. Bobby and John had found
themselves a computer and seemed to be having a lot of fun.
Jubilee... I looked around again and finally spotted her over by the
pillows. Ah. Jubilee was chatting with Rick.

...Arguing with Rick.

Maybe I should call the school and see if I could send the teens back
home? Before I was killed by both the kids and the Cornerians, I mean.

I went to rescue Rick. Or Jubilee, depending on whose temper went off
first.

* * * *

"Is there a reason you're eyeing the guy with the shades?" Rick
crawled across the pillows over to me. "Besides a sudden urge to
cradlesnatch?" I rolled my eyes at him and he snickered. "Well?"

"You remember me telling you about this secret I'd gotten and--"

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "Romantic sap and all that."

"That's right."

"So?"

"I was talking about him and the blond guy. Next to Pretty Blue Eyes
over there."

"Pretty Blue Eyes?"  Rick laughed.

I turned dark green. "Well, it's true!"

Rick eyed me.

"No! God, he's what? Sixteen? Get serious, Rick!"

"Angel is 240," Rick said. "Granted, that's television..."

"Yes, exactly."

"But back to Shades and Blondie. What's their problem?"

"In short? They're seventeen."

"Ahhh," Rick nodded. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah." I looked at him and grinned. "I'm thinking Remy might fix
things between them."

"Why am I thinking you've got a finger in on that?"

I grinned brighter. If I was right, I should definitely get an A in
meddling in other peoples affairs.

* * * *

^ Niek ran a finger down Loke's ...^ I stopped typing and frowned.
This wasn't working. Help. I needed help. And inspiration. I glanced
over at Remy to see if he was doing anything particularly mooky.
Nope. Still sitting on the counter, talking with Ali Blaire. Damn. I
looked over the computer to see if John was doing anything besides
kidding around with Bobby. Nix to that too.

I sighed and tried again. ^ Niek grinned devlishly, his hands roaming
all over Loke's body. Teasing.^ Hmm. Progress. I frowned. "Hey, guys?"

A collective reply going in the lines of "Hmm? Yeah? What?"

"Could you give me another word for cock?"

"Penis," Moric said. "Why?"

I looked at the story. "No, doesn't work. I'm writing on the
SciMonster again. Niek and Loke and them there."

"Oh okay."

"What do you need it for?" Stace asked. She was snuggled up against
Ellis on the couch. I wondered if they'd moved at all since last
night.

"A sex scene. And it's not working."

There was a strangled sound from the computer across from me.

"Too easy even for me," said Stace and grinned.

"Does everything I say sound vaguely obscene?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Rick agreed and leaned over my shoulder to read
what I had written. "Erection?"

"Maybe..."

More strangled sounds.

"Didn't you say you were going to write two more chapters before they
had sex?"

"Evil fictives," I said shortly. I swear I heard Niek and Loke
snickering in the back of my head. Evil, I tell you. Evil. Grumble.
Mutter. Rassumfrassum.

"Ahhh," Rick nodded. "Hard on?"

"Nope."

Rick shrugged. "Then I out of ideas."

"I want Iz. Iz would know." I sighed. "When is he coming back?"

"He'll be back the day after tomorrow." Rick patted me over the head.

"Good."

I gave up on Niek and Loke and logged out. Was probably about time I
made another round around the Corner and checked on the Xavier teens
anyway. I walked around the table to make sure St. John and Bobby was
still sitting there. They were. And they blushed furiously when they
noticed me looking at them. Why? Who knows.

I nodded at them and wandered over to the counter where Warren sat
cross-legged, reading through a leaflet. I jumped up on the
counter. "Hi. What'cha doin'?"

"Reading." He held up the leaflet so that I could read the
title. 'Slash and Oz by Risa Kahn'. One of Izzy's then. Possibly
Rick's.

"Fun?"

Warren shrugged. "Readable."

Hm. Possible convert. I should tell Rick. I nodded at him, jumped
down from the counter and wandered off to find Rain. Whose name was,
according to St. John, actually Rahne. Just go with it.

She was doing homework.

No, seriously. She was. She'd found herself a free table and was now
sitting there surrounded by books. Doing... I looked. Math. Ick. Now
there's a subject I dropped as soon as I could.

"Having fun?"

She looked up and smiled. "I'm doing homework."

"I can see that. Very... studious of you. If that's a word."

She smiled again and blushed faintly. "Thank you."

I grinned at her and continued on my 'check what the teens are up to'
trip.

Japheth was arguing with Jana over something while Jasmine (who was
busy playing Tekken) gave them indulging glances from time to time. I
stood and looked at them for a while.

"...Electra? Seriously, Japheth, what are you on?"

"What do you have against Carmen? Huh?"

"Gee, where do I start..."

"You have no taste."

"Au contraire, unlike you I actually have taste!"

"Prove it."

"No problem. Three words; Catherine Zeta Jones."

"...Who?"

Jana gave a disgusted sigh and poked Japheth in the chest, and I
wandered off to find Remy and Ali. I already knew where Jubilee was.
As loud as she was, she was pretty hard to miss. She had found a TV
and Ricki Lake and was busy commenting on everybody's fashion sense
(bad, worse and ohmygod).

Talk shows... I am never, ever going to understand los americanos
fascination with the thing. It's, well, embarrassing, quite frankly.
Oh well, some things are not meant to be understood by me, I suppose.

I finally found Ali and Remy in the supply closet, shouting rather
loudly at each other.

"--Someone else?!"

"Ali, it doesn't matter!"

"Like hell it doesn't!"

Ah. Remy had finally broken up with Ali. About time in my opinion.
Maybe he could go fix things with John later. When Ali was done
shouting. ...Which could take a while...

I decided to just leave them and go pester Montgomery or something.

Hi, folks... Here it is, the part with most Remy stuff and Storm in her white
suit from the cartoon for the first time ;) Next part translated now... As I
said, this story is probably hard to understand if you didn't read anything of
my canon so far. You can find it on my homepage, the adress's in my signature.
Here comes the second part of episode III. Reviews would be very appreciated...
I'm somehow to wonder if anyone's reading my stuff at all ;).


---------------------------------------------
Series: X-Men: Academy

Title: FIRE & ICE (Episode II)

Part sent to this list: 2

author: B'Teena DOL/Scare Glow (my boyfriend)

language: English, but that's not my native language, so please forgive me my
mistakes ;)

Disclaimer: All X-Men and other Marvel characters in here belong to Marvel, 20
Century Fox and else. Not mine ;). Mine are just Cat/Flash and Avery/The
Liquidator

Universe: Only based on the storyline of the movie 'X-Men' that was released in
the year 2000.

Timeline: Shortly after the movie

Romance: Jean/Logan, Scott/Flash (new character), Iceman/Firestar, Storm/Avery
(new character --> http://www.catbull.com/adora/ave.jpg why just a little pic...
That's how he might look ;) )

Summary: Magneto found a way to mutate all humanity. The X-Men have to try
everything to prevent him from using this weapon...

special guest: Iceman/Firestar/Spiderman

remark: introduces Gambit and Beast to the movieverse

Rating: G

remark: On my homepage on http://www.catbull.com/adora/fanfxmen.html you find
all my stories with pics in it. With them they're nicer to read ;). But it's the
same stories :).


#########################
"I still think this is no good idea, Storm", Firestar mentioned worried. "I
suppose I can't change your opinion, can I?"
"I can use the training", the young woman explained. "I prefer you staying here.
You and Iceman, you have to take our place here."
They sat at the breakfast table, all the team. Logan and Marie would leave in
about an hour, Cat and Remy were as good as gone as well.
"Ey, look at this!" Suddenly Kitty entered, with the morning news. "Guess who's
today's star!"
"Now I'm impressed." Scott took the newspaper, arched his eyebrows, surprised.
"Our friendly, spinning, masked friend in the red suit is back. Apparently he
changed his opinions about media."
"Again he prevented a catastrophe all by himself. The man's unbelievable", Kitty
mentioned dreamily.
"Yeah, unbelievable ridiculous. The costume's a crime", Wolverine dampened her
enthusiasm.
"Ph!" She grimaced, fast took the newspaper back. "Gotta show Jubes. See you!"
She ran off.
"Swallow it down, Scott, whatever you want to say", Flash grinned. "Jean's half
an hour's gone. Let's go to the lab."
The doctor already waited for them. "Ready. Any volunteers?"
"I'll lead the way." Remy laid down on a diagnostic bench. "You sure this will
work, cherie?"
"For once I have a name. And I tested the gadget uncounted times. Believe me, it
will work. She gave him a little injection in the area of his left collarbone to
stun the tissue. "Do you still feel anything?"
"Just the usual warmth in my heart when I look at you, che... mon amour." He
placed his hand on his chest adoringly, rolled his eyes till he looked like a
bad extra in a Shakespeare-peace.
"One more like this and I'LL operate you", Logan growled. "With a body
integrated scalpel, to be exact."
Jean ignored them both. Using a big probe she implanted  - perhaps a little more
brutal than necessary - one of the new personal detectors under the skin at the
armpit of the young French boy. "Take a walk in the garden. We'll try to find
you then. Next one."
"Aye, Sir." He turned his arm, staring at the skin as if searching for a scar
from the little operation. Nothing visible. "Cool thing." He left the room, with
a big distance between Logan and him.
"He's impossible!", Wolverine hissed.
"He's just kidding", Jean laughed. "That's the French mentality. Always
searching for a flirt."
Logan bared his teeth. "French or not, if he wants a flirt he gotta pick someone
else. He won't have fun with MY girlfriend."
"He surely won't try any of the girls again. Since Jubilee once sent a firework
to get rid of him, he's more careful in the school. Done, Flash. Hide somewhere
in the house."
"Feels strange." Cat also turned her arm first. "Are you sure that they won't be
able to find these things?"
"Not if Magneto's abilities don't include detecting metal", Jean explained.
"Storm, your turn."
"Why me?" Ororo with her lightly childish fear of needles wasn't too excited
with it. "I don't plan to let Magneto's people get me. I'll just follow them if
they really should take Flash and Remy prisoner."
"Safe is safe", Jean mentioned. When the last detector was placed and Storm was
gone, she went to the computer that was supposed to follow the little gadgets.
All of the signals were found at once. "Great! Let's search for them."
It took just minutes till the three of them had been found.
"Seems to work." Scott didn't really sound enthusiastic. He still had big doubts
in the mission, and he didn't even try to hide them.
"We've got to go." Wolverine and Rogue said good-bye. Remy and Flash would bring
them to the airport before they'd start their own trip.
By then the Professor had joined them. "Call when you get there", he asked
Marie. "Don't worry too much. Perhaps your parents are more happy than you
think."
"Yeah, and perhaps we'll meet some flying pig on our way, too", she murmured
quietly.
"You definitely spend too much time with me", Logan mentioned, arching his
eyebrows. "Get inside."
"See you." Marie shortly waved and sat down on the backseat of Cat's car then.
She was very pale, had been very quiet all the morning. Just the Professor knew
what this journey to her past really was about. How important this meeting with
her parents could be.
Jean and Logan shortly kissed. "Take good care of her", the doctor asked him.
"I'll do my best." He gently put back a strand of her long red hair. "Don't look
at me like that. We'll be back soon."
"That's not it." She lowered her voice, blushing lightly. "Probably I just don't
like the idea of you and Marie being alone for days. Everytime you do you're in
big trouble."
"But this time the Brotherhood isn't hunting us. And Marie has forgotten her
little crush on my by now- I hope. So don't worry. I'll call you." He opened the
driver's door of the Corolla. "Remy, this is my seat."
"I thought, I'll drive", the young man complained, but sat down next to Rogue
then. Logan's threat still impressed him.
"As soon as we're sitting in our plane, you have the car all for yourself. But
until then I prefer to be responsible for my life myself."
"Understood, mon ami", the French boy said, insulted. "You all are
underestimating my skills."
"You'll have enough chances to show them in the next days." Scott leaned down to
him. "Remy..."
"What? You also wanna tell me to stay away from your girl?" That sounded nothing
but resigned.
Logan had to laugh.
Scott's face didn't move in any way. "If I had to do that then she wouldn't be
my girl. I just wanted to remind you on your mission. You can't fool me. You use
Cat as a bait. The Brotherhood is much stronger than you. Remember that when
you're about to attack one of them. Or we'll have one crazy European less here."
The young man just rolled his eyes and wanted to turn up the window.
Cyclops signed him to stop. "Oh, and Remy- stay away from my girl."
Now Wolverine couldn't put himself together anymore, laughed loudly. "I could
swear I've heard that before." He looked at Jean, grinning.
Scott ignored him completely. "Good journey."
"Talking about her, where is your sweetheart?" Remy took a short look on his
clock. "We'll be too late if we don't start off."
"Don't panic. I'm here." Katja joined them, with her mare Adora. Of course she
didn't lead her but sat on her bare back, holding the rope in one hand.
"I should have known", Jean grinned. "But now- get down and enter the trailer.
Your beloved baby doesn't like cars, that won't be easy now. If she sees you,
she'll hopefully go inside easier."
In fact it took about fifteen minutes till they finally could leave. It was as
if someone - or something - wanted to stop them, Katja thought, long enough
till... till something irrevocable had happened. Shaking her head she said
good-bye to Scott and entered her car. Her extreme paranoia surprised even
herself from time to time. It was unlikely that Magneto would get to know at all
that Remy and her were travelling alone. Anyway, he definitely couldn't know now
yet.
Cyclops for a moment looked like he'd protest against the plan again, but then
he stepped back.
Logan started the car. The engine broke down. "God damn! Cat, when will you
finally get an american car?"
"Standard H", Scott grinned at Wolverine. "Clutch", he added, pointing at the
floor of the Japanese limousine.
"Nail that'll close your coffin", his old rival hissed, raising one hand, the
knuckles directed on Cyclops. Then he started the car again, left the mansion in
a definitely too high speed.
Storm, who had been to her room shortly, left the house.
Jean gasped for air. "`Ro! Talk about changes!"
Ororo had murmured something like 'changing clothes', but the others hadn't had
a clue. Instead of her simple black uniform she wore a snow white suit now. The
only color were the silver 'X' on her belt and her collar. "A white spot on the
sky attracts less attention", she mentioned, embarrassed.
"You look stunning", Scott remarked.
"Thanks." She produced a strong wind and took off. "I'll keep you informed.
Bye."
It will work." The Professor tried to cheer Scott and Jean up, who looked quite
worried. "The pupils wait."
Firestar had agreed to do a little speech. She knew the problems you had being a
mutant and would talk about it how she managed them. Charles hoped that this
wouldn't just distract the children, but Jean and Cyclops too. At present they
couldn't do anything but wait and hope, anyway.



"There they are. Ey, Junior!" Toad gave Avery a hard push into the side.

"Hm?" His partner startled. Again he had fallen asleep. He had been awake half
of the night because of worrying about today, and now he was completely
exhausted. "What is it?"

"That." Toad pointed out of the window. A car with an horse transporter left
Xavier's mansion. He started their own car that was preventively equipped with
dark windows. "We came just in time. A few minutes longer in the traffic jam and
we'd have missed them. Well, at least you can't lose that trailer. Hell, look at
that stroke! 'Pride of X'! This Wayne Manor copy of a mansion is bad enough, but
you could suppose that a peacemaker like Xavier at least would have been smart
enough to leave out breeding horses, next to all the other shit, he produces..."

"I don't know what you mean." Yawning Avery ran over his eyes behind the mask,
cursed as the black make-up smudged.

"Being a nature mutant you understand the language of Earth. The arrogance of
mankind, that's existing in its current evolution state just a split part of the
years that other species have lived on this planet, will come to an end soon.
Not that I'd like those cowards like the one in the transporter over there too
much - horses are fleeing animals, you know - but I'm looking forward to the day
when the homo sapiens won't enslave the nature any longer but the other way
round."

Avery couldn't think of an appropriate answer, so he remained silent. He did
know Toad for only three days now, and he already knew why he was working for
Erik. Mystique was right, everyone in the Brotherhood had different plans. Did
Magneto know what kind of empire he wanted to build up? Ave doubted it. Magneto
had called Xavier blind, but he himself should take a little ride on the reality
rollercoaster as well.

"That's the wrong street", Toad remarked. "Didn't you say they were going to
Trent? That's the highway to New York."

"Just follow them for now. We'll see soon enough what they're up to. With he
horse with them they won't just drive to the city and back for fun." The
Liquidator leaned back and closed his eyes. "Wake me if something happens."

"You make it quite easy for you", Toad growled.

"Ey, you wanted to drive! When it comes to the fight, I'll do all the work
again, anyway, so let me sleep, alright?" Avery yawned demonstratively. "After
all somebody has to stop Flash from frying you again."

Toad's grasp around the wheel tightened, he growled loudly but put himself
together. Avery's powers were superior to his own, he knew that. If it was for
that he was a little more patient than Victor who'd tried to teach the boy next
to him a good lesson for such a remark. The day would come when Avery would
betray the Brotherhood, that was for sure. And then he should better watch his
back, cause then at least three mutants would try to take revenge for his
arrogance.



"I should have known... Once in my life I fly and of course just this machine
nearly crashes." Quite pale Rogue took her huge bag from the conveyor belt.

"Woman! Always pushing things up... These were just normal turbolences." Logan
put on his back bag that wasn't half as big. "Did you try to call your parents
once more?"

"The connection is engaged all the time, but I talked to a neighbour a few days
ago. She told me that they're in town. So we surely didn't come here for
nothing. You've got enough things with you?", she asked, surprise.

"I'm a man, you know", he teased her. "Wanna drive?" After a long search they
had found their rented car between all the others.

"I better do the driving license before. I don't want any trouble with the
police. Besides I have to read the map or we won't find this village." She threw
her bag onto the back seat and got inside the car. "How nice! A Renault! I've
always wanted to sit in a French car! Beautiful country..."

"What's up with you, kid? Sarcasm always was my specialty, wasn't it? Left or
right?"

"Always heading north." She placed her legs onto the side dashboard - something
that the Professor would have killed her for if she would have done it in the
Rover - and put off her pullover. If she was with Logan, she dared to wear less
things than usual. He was one of the four persons who once had felt her powers
and for it he was careful enough. She felt safe with him. "I still can't believe
that Xavier made me do this. I'm about to turn back."

"Forget it, the flight was expensive", he grinned, reached the speed limit as if
to underline this statement. "You're worrying too much. You told me your parents
just didn't visit you so far because they're afraid to fly. So..."

"I lied."

Silence. Not a sound but the quiet drone of the engine was. A very quiet car.
Not good for the communication. Suddenly it was much too quiet.

"Why?", he finally asked.

"Because everyone in the mansion looks at me as if I'd suffer from a deadly
disease, anyway. I hate this current sights of sympathy. I learned to live with
my mutation, why can't the others do that? If I would have told them that my
parents told me to get lost when they got to know what's up with me, then it
would gotten even worse. Just the Professor knows."

"Of course he does. Old Chuck is psychic, after all." Logan shortly rolled his
eyes. "Somehow I knew that this would be a
'Put-your-head-into-the-sling-and-find-out-what's-to-come-next'-mission. Jean
wasn't that entirely wrong, everytime the two of us travel together, something
unexpected happens."

"I'm sorry." She lowered her head. "It's okay if you don't want to come with me
anymore."

"As I said, I didn't do this trip just for one ride around the airport." He
carelessly put one hand on the lower part of the wheel, with the other one he
took one of his cigars. "Besides I don't mind leaving the mansion for a few
hours."

Marie frowned, puzzled. "Why? Trouble with Scott again?"

"No." He sounded very brusque and realized it himself. He hadn't wanted that.
Actually he could talk to Marie. He didn't know why but if there was someone he
could tell much without feeling questioned, then it was her. "No, that's not it.
It's... all the situation. All we do at present is waiting for Magneto's next
attack. Xavier's plan to keep the peace between mutants and mankind seems to
become unimportant more and more. Jean can't remember when she talked to a
congress last time. I think by now even the Professor realized that the number
of people accepting mutants is very tiny. And that won't change that fast. For
that there's too much hate."

Rogue thought of the attack on Rose and nodded. "It's very bad at present. You
think there will be war?"

He startled, she saw, surprised, that his hand began to tremble. "War... That's
a big word. No, I don't think it will come to that. Not anytime soon. Mankind's
just too afraid of us to risk that."

Again this feeling of knowing him exactly, all his life, all his soul, though
they knew each other much too less for that, actually. "You hate them, don't
you?"

"I never had good experiences with normal people." He pulled harder than
necessary on his cigar. "I don't share Magneto's opinion that they should all be
killed, but I'm not with Xavier cause I'm so worried about them. Mankind always
survived somehow, in spite of all the crisis of history."

"So why else are you with us?", she asked. "Because of Jean?"

He smiled shortly. "Of course. I couldn't leave her again. The time without her,
when I travelled to Canada, it was bad. But another important reason is
Sabretooth."

Marie felt every single hair on her arm rise. Now, finally, he said it, after
all these months. He hadn't told anyone, not even the Professor, what had
happened on the trip that he had made shortly after the big fight in the Statue
of Liberty. Jean probably knew, but she was the only one. That Sabretooth was
involved left Rogue trembling. She was damn afraid of this man. His sights, when
Magneto had had her captured... His brutality... He was everything that Logan
constantly suppressed inside himself. Had she really thought this to be chance?
"Do you know him from the past?"

"That's just it!" He beat hard with his fist on the dashboard. "I can't
remember, as less as anything else! But in Canada I meet a man who referred me
to Victor Creed. That was all I found there. An advise that I can't take because
Sabretooth would never tell me what he knows about me."

"Who was this man? This sounds quite dubious", she mentioned.

"He wanted to stay anonymous. He just said he's working for someone called
Shingen. And he said..." Logan stopped.

"What?"

"Nothing. So what are you going to do now? Knocking on your people's door anyway
and see what's next?" He surprisingly changed the subject.

"If it's necessary, yes. But first I want to see a good friend in a village
nearby. He knows my parents for more than thirty years. If someone knows
something about me that I can't remember, then it's him." She bit on her lower
lip, carefully put a hand onto his arm, paying attention on not to come too
close to the edge of his shirt. "Do you trust me?"

He laughed quietly. "Since you're one of the very few people on this planet who
could kill me without much effort, this is a very strange question."

She pressed her lips together, pulled back her hand, staring out of the front
window.

"I'm sorry, you wanted an honest answer, alright?" He sighed. It was easier to
fight two professional wrestlers in a cage than discussing feelings with Marie.
In some way this was like a Russian roulette. Every remark could be the wrong
one. He wasn't sure - though he had told Jean so - if Rogue really wasn't
attached to him in a way anymore that wasn't good for any of them. He would
never be able to love her the way she wanted it, and not just because Jean meant
everything to him. "You saved my life twice. Of course I trust you. I just wish
I'd know you better. It's a pity that we have so less time for longer
conversations. Sometimes you hunt me in my dreams, by the way, but that's
because of our touch after the first fight with the Brotherhood."

"Are these nightmares?", she asked, unsure.

"Sometimes", he nodded. "The strange thing is just- I always seem to be you in
these dreams."

"Very strange." She got a bubble gum from her jeans pocket, chewed it
thoughtfully. "And I thought I was the only one with such dreams. But that's not
what I wanted to ask." She turned her head that was still leaned to the
restraint - she was tired since getting out of the plane - and looked at him
from the side for some time. "If you trust me, why can't you tell me what
happened to you on your journey to Alkali Lake? I know that it's something bad,
I can see it in your eyes. Something worse than a past with Sabretooth in it."

"Sometimes you scare me, Marie. I thought, Jean is the telepathic one?" He tried
to smile. It didn't work. "Someday I'll tell you, I promise. But not now. I'm
afraid we just missed an exit. Take a look on your map."



Remy and Flash a few states away had a similar serious discussion. The first
half hour she hadn't dared to disturb him, because he seemed to be quite
nervous. After all he hadn't driven such a car for four years. But when they
passed Rimes again and finally were on their way to Trent, he relaxed.

Starting with a casual chat about the weather Remy tried - in spite of all
warnings - to flirt a bit, but Cat let him down without mercy. "You wouldn't be
the first man who's nearly fried because of upsetting me", she finally warned
him when he still didn't give up.

"What, cherie, did you ever chase Scott away with some flash?", he grinned. "I
wouldn't wanna have a marital row with you..."

She tried to just ignore his favourite pet name. "For once it was no marital
row. And it was my ex-boyfriend."

Her voice suddenly sounded so dark that he looked at her surprised. He realized
that the time of teasing was gone. He had touched a sensitive subject. "Was it
in Germany? What city do you come from, by the way?"

"No city, a village with 300 inhabitants. Near to Munich, if you know that.
There it happened, yes." She ran through her long black hair, absent-minded.

"Ah, Munich... Of course, I've even been there once", he announced, proudly. "I
did live in Europe till I was 10 years old, after all. I often was in Germany.
So what was that with your ex?"

"You're indiscreet", she complained.

"That's Remy LeBau's nature", he answered promptly. "So?"

She shrugged, took a look over her shoulder. Through the little window in the
transporter she could see her mare. Though Adora had been so afraid to enter the
trailer, she now stood inside very calmly, satisfied nibbling on her hay. Had it
really been a good idea to take her with her? Hopefully nothing would happen to
her. "There's nothing to say."

"Quid pro quo, mon amie. Remy told you about his girl too."

"Yeah, that was when you still thought you could lay me tonight", she answered
dryly.

"Never leave out a chance." The young French boy just couldn't be put off. "You
made me curious. Now, tell me. How was he?"

"Fabi... Fabi was a dream", Katja began, hesitating. How long she hadn't thought
of him... He once had written an E-Mail, shortly after she had arrived at
Xavier's, but she hadn't read it. "An illusion. That he wanted me just blew my
socks off then. Hell! That man and the little inconspicuous Katja! I digged
every word he said. There wasn't anything better than being in some bar with him
and having everyone stare at us. Above all because I knew that many of my
friends were jealous."

"That's a bad trip, not love", Remy commented. "What happened?"

Cat closed her eyes for a moment. A pain, thought to be forgotten, returned.
"After two months I realized that I was just used as a stopgap for his former
girlfriend. One week later he quit by internet. Apparently he crawled in the
dirt long enough for his girlfriend to make her take him back."

"Idiot... Was that when you got your powers?" Remy took a short look in the
outside mirror. "This guy behind us makes me nervous. He could have passed us
long ago. He's been looking at our boot since we left Rimes for the second
time."

"On this winding street I wouldn't risk that, either", Cat threw in. "We should
have a break soon, anyway, then he's rid of us. As for your question... No, that
wasn't the trigger. Some time later we had a bad fight. I got angry... My god,
thinking about it today I realize how bare it was. It makes me sick. It was just
luck that I didn't kill him."

"As I said, I wouldn't want any trouble with you", Remy giggled. "Don't worry,
I'm sure the little shock was good for him. He'll think about it twice before
hurting someone's feelings next time. When was the next time you lost control
over your powers?"

"What makes you think that happened?" Her eyes narrowed. Had he listened to
conversations again that weren't meant for his ears?

"I'm not deaf, and I have no problem with English, though some people seem to
think so because I sometimes talk French. Why else would you train emotion
control with Jean three times a week if not to prevent yourself from causing a
thunderstorm accidentally? Of course it seems reasonable then to assume that
this already happened." He shook back his bangs in a for him very characteristic
gesture.

"Better concentrate on seeing the street through that curtain in front of your
eyes." Ouch, that rebuke hurt, and actually Remy didn't deserve it. But some
subjects just were taboo for Cat. "Take the next exit. You shouldn't exhaust
yourself with driving. Besides I want to see where Ororo is."

"Aye, Mylady." If he was insulted, he sulked like a child.

Cat had to put herself together not to laugh. Remy was just sweet. She never
could have had any romantic feelings for him - for that she was about to put him
across her knees just too often - but she would have liked to have him as her
little brother anytime.

She completely forgot of the car behind them that really passed by the exit that
they took.



"What the hell are we waiting for?", Avery asked when they reached a parking
space some miles away from the highway stop where they had lost their targets
for now.

"That's the last stop for more than fifty miles. There's kind of a dune ahead of
us. It's easier to get them there." Toad turned down the window and reached out
his tongue, got himself a dove that had dared to sit down next to their car.

"Delicious", Ave murmured. "Did you ever..." He stopped. "What's that?" He
pointed at the sky.

"Ey, great, a paraglider! I'm impressed", Toad mumbled sarcastically, still
chewing.

"Yeah, of course, on that height, right above a highway. Surely. Probably the
FBI's newest weapon." Ave got out of the car and watched the phenomenon with
field classes. His dark foreboding got confirmed. On the phone Ororo had told
him that she'd go with Flash to her riding competition, but she hadn't mentioned
that she'd be on her way as an X-Man to protect the girl.

For a moment he thought about not telling Toad but that was not a good idea. He
was working for the Brotherhood right now, he better not forgot that. If he
could stop Ororo now, he prevented that she'd be in even greater danger later in
the fight. "Back to Wilson Stop! We've got a spy!"



"Where the hell is she?" Cat restlessly looked at her clock. "She should have
arrived by now."

"Your impatience is unique." Remy got a few playing cards out of his pocket. "Do
you want to see a trick?"

"No. I want to know where Storm is. We're waiting for her for more than an hour
now." Flash finished her coke and paid, ignoring her company's protest. "This is
a company outing and paid by the Professor. Come on. Perhaps we see her
somewhere outside." They left the restaurant.

"I'm bored", Remy complained. "I thought we'd have some action, at least."

"Be glad that we didn't meet any of Magneto's people so far", Cat replied.
"Those aren't the most friendly people on Earth, you know."

"I thought this is the X-Men's task, to defeat those bastards? Isn't that what
this all is about?"

"Oh, you think you're an X-Man yet? Interesting", Cat laughed.

"Of course! This is my first official mission today, even the Professor said
that." He proudly lifted his chin. "Hm, and Remy doesn't even have a nickname so
far..."

"Hell, I'd love to have some of your problems instead of mine. Finally stop
talking about yourself in the third person, that's annoying!" Restlessly Katja
took a look around. She couldn't spot `Ro anywhere in the air, though her friend
had received her signal before. That was a very bad sign. She wasn't anywhere on
the parking space, either.

"What do you think, how should I be called? Explosion? Xero-Man? But actually I
always digged Nightwing", he kept on thinking loudly.

"Yeah, very imaginative. Well then, have fun learning how to fly", Flash
commented.

"You know what they say about living in glass and the stones? What was that
about producing wind?" Again he shook back his bangs, carefully peeked through
them at her to see if she was seriously angry about this remark. Preventively he
went on distance.

"Don't worry, I gave up trying to teach you manners." She rolled her eyes.
"Besides you're stronger than I am."

"Very wise, cherie", he mentioned patronizingly. "Ey, what's up?" He nearly
crashed with her when she suddenly stopped right in front of the transporter of
her car, stiffened.

"Get inside. Start the car." Again Cat looked around. But this time she didn't
search for Storm.

"What...?" He stopped. Some bright green liquid stuck to the tailgate of the
trailer. Something black was caught in it like a fly in a spider's web,
demonstratively placed there. Looking twice he realized that it was a wrist
clock. The digital indication blinked yellow - Cat's personal color - signing
that the owner of the clock had received her signal. It was Storm's personal
detector. Without any more questions he went to the car.

Too late Flash realized the danger, and the only comfort was that it probably
was her last mistake for today. Before she could call him back, she heard his
quiet scream, then a muffled bang.

When she ran there she realized the strong hail in the usual circle around her,
the domain of her mutation. She hadn't wanted to tell Scott, but apparently her
fear of Toad's revenge was bigger than she had wanted to admit to herself.

There was no time left to think about what Jean had told her about emotional
control. The frog got in her way before she could reach Remy who laid on the
floor, blacked out. She shrank back. With a short look aside she spotted Storm,
unconscious too, on the back seat of her car.

She had just split seconds to decide. Fight or give up? Their plan didn't work
out. Ororo had been meant to be the watcher, not the victim. If the new personal
detectors failed now, then they'd all be Magneto's prisoners. Even if he planned
to send them back home after doing his research, like he had wanted to do that
with Flash before- the idea of their plan had not been to voluntarily give him
the data that could mean the end of they world as they knew it. "What? What do
you want, frogface?" She focussed her omnipresent anger on the Brotherhood on
the clouds above her. The hail got weaker, was replaced by quiet thunder. Toad
probably wasn't here alone, she knew that, but he was the easiest man to defeat,
so he was a good start.

"Not this time, darling." Todd opened his mouth, but not to reach out his
tongue.

Too late, much too late Flash thought of the one of his abilities that he barely
used in the fight.

Usually you just saw Toad jumping around or strangle people with his tongue. You
completely underestimated that he could use the secretion that he had left so
decoratively on the transporter before, as a sign of his triumph, use as a
weapon, too. This liquid was dangerous, that Cat knew from the reports of the
X-Men's few fights against the Brotherhood that had taken place before she
herself had arrived at Xavier's.

There was no time to avoid the attack. Instinctively she closed her eyes- the
substance burned like fire and could seriously damage the eyes, that she also
remembered from the mission protocols. Thick slime was sprayed out of a venom
gland on Toad's throat and covered all her face.

Flash stumbled back. She felt like throwing up, but she didn't get air anymore.
Though she knew that Magneto needed her, she got panic. What if Toad ignored
Erik's orders just like Sabretooth? What if he'd just enjoy to watch her die now
and then would leave with the other prisoners?

She didn't have to think about it anymore. A punch hit her with a big impact on
her cheek bone. She hit her head on the side of the transporter. In addition to
the angry pain in her malar bone a flash rose behind her forehead... And then
the world around her faded.

"Stop that nonsense." Avery knelt down next to Katja, destroyed the slime on her
face with one short touch. "Magneto said something about alive, you remember?"

"Any more critique? Don't be a bad loser, kid. Just because I didn't need any of
your great abilities... Help me. And don't forget to destroy the clocks, they
all contain detectors." They brought their victims to the backseat of their own
car, also Storm, who had been just a distraction.

None of the people on the parking space tried to stop them. Most of them fled,
but a few ones took out their mobile phones.

"Not good. Let's go before the police arrives."

They just left the other car with the transporter behind.

"You remember what I told you about names like 'Kid' or 'Junior'?", Avery asked,
entering.

"Is that a threat?" Toad pretended to be completely unimpressed.

"If I threaten you..." Ave showed his prettiest evil grin. "...then you'll
realize. But as for your skills today..." He looked at the prisoners, tried to
hide his bad conscience. Toad hadn't been exactly gentle with Ororo blowing her
out of the sky. "...they mean precisely dick. Next time you want to knock
someone out, leave it to me, alright? It was not necessary to hurt them."

"A second Magneto, that's what I needed." His partner rolled his eyes. "You need
just an X-Men female to get paired with, alright. But leave me out of it, at
least. If you fight, you can't have any feelings. If you don't understand this,
piss off the team."

Unfortunately he was right. Avery put himself together, tried to concentrate on
the mission. He got his mobile phone and called Magneto.



"Thanks for coming." The Professor shook Firestar's hand. "The pupils were very
happy."

"My pleasure", she smiled. "But we have to leave now."

Iceman nodded. "Nothing happened so far. Probably we overrated Magneto's spying
and all the trouble was for nothing. But if something happens, we still have the
communicators. Just call us."

"I'm afraid you're wrong." Jean joined them. "They have been captured.
Apparently all of them."

"Storm too?", Bobby asked, worried.

"It looks so. Her signal was parted from the others before, but now they're all
together on the same place. They're heading for the beach. Scott's already
starting the flyer."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Should we take Kitty with us?", Firestar asked
the Professor. "Talking to her it seemed to me she's very anxious to finally do
her first mission."

He nodded. "Good idea. I'll tell her. Storm being out of it weakens the team. I
wish I'd have accepted Marie's proposal to stay."

Jean shortly put a hand onto his shoulder when she felt him blaming himself.
"Nobody could know it would get that bad. We'll do our best, Professor, I
promise. We'll bring them back."

"Help would be great, anyway", Firestar remarked on their way to the changing
room. "Isn't there anyone in this house who's trained well enough?"

"No." Jean shook her head. "Actually it's still too early for Kitty, too. But we
have no choice. You know, so far we were six people in the team, even eight with
Kitty and Jubilee, who are about to join. But Magneto hit us on our weakest
point. He split the group. I'm not surprised at all that his people could
capture Flash and Storm. Probably they got them separately. Alone our people
just aren't strong enough. That's what I realize for the first time today." She
got her fighting suit.

"Did you call me?" Out of breath Kitty entered.

Without a word Jean gave her a uniform. "Come on."

She was speechless for a moment, something that happened seldom enough. "Me?"

"Any other X-Men-to-be in this room?" In spite of the serious situation the
doctor had to laugh. "Fast! We'll dress in the flyer."

As soon as the four of them had entered, Scott started off, in a speed that
showed his impatience. "What took you so long?"

"We just found out that we're too less people." Firestar sat down on one of the
seats. She sure wasn't used to someone flying her anymore instead of flying
herself, but it was quite comfortable for once.

"Oh, really?", Scott hissed, directing these words on Jean, who just closed the
paravant in the back of the flyer that had been installed just for such cases,
if time was very short. "You have an idea? This was your plan, wasn't it?"

"You're unfair", Firestar remarked. "I myself tried to stop Flash and Storm from
doing this. Not even god himself could have prevented them."

"Thanks, but I can defend myself alone", Jean mentioned flatly when she
returned. She sat down next to Cyclops and searched for the detector signals on
the main computer. "They're still far away from the beach, we've got some time
left. We have to stay on distance, they may not see us too early." She lowered
her voice. "Scott, I'm sorry. But I still think that the idea was right. This
weapon is the key to mankind's doom. We just have to find it before Magneto can
perfect it. We still can make it."

"No, we can't", he contradicted her angrily. "You saw his last fortress! We just
could leave it unharmed because he wanted us to! He just needs to lift a finger
and close all the doors, then we're trapped. Magneto knows how to get
Adamantium, I'd be surprised if there was any wall inside his castle that's not
made up of it. With Logan and Rogue I would have done it, perhaps only with
Storm, too. But not that way. We'll attack Magneto's people at the beach and
free our people. That's the plan. Everything else is too risky, especially for
people, who're with us for the first time. Remy, for example, or Kitty."

"Scott, I know, you're worried about Flash, but...", she began.

"Oh no, don't you DARE trying that!" Now he didn't talk to her anymore, he
barked at her.

Firestar and Iceman bent down very low. Kitty, who finally had finished putting
on her uniform, practically crept to her seat.

"First you come up with a plan that earns the grade 'hallmark Logan-proved', a
plan like: Hit-your-head-against-the-wall-to-see-what's-behind... And then you
blame me for worrying about my girlfriend who happens to be the middle of
Magneto's attention right now. WHO'S unfair here?"

"Scott, you can't protect Flash 24 hours a day. She has chosen this life
herself, and you knew before that it wouldn't be easy if becomes an X-Man. You
knew because you fought by my side for three years. Did you forget everything
that the Professor taught us? Cat's a fighter, just like me. She had a great
education, she can defend herself, and she's become an inalienable member of the
team. If we fight, then you have to forget about your feelings for her!", Jean
warned him.

"If Magneto would have gotten her alone, she'd probably be in even greater
danger. That way we're prepared, at least. If we leave out this opportunity to
find the weapon now, it may not come again", Bobby remarked.

Cyclops turned around to the others. "Are you ready to attack the Brotherhood's
fortress? I don't want to hear any hero talk now but an honest answer. If just
one of you feels unsure, I won't risk it." He looked especially at Kitty.

Her voice faded because of his strict sight. "Well..." She cleared her throat.
"If this building's really made of Adamantium, then it's better, if I'm with
you. After all I'm the only one, who can go through it. I'll do it."

Firestar wanted to say something as courageous as this, but then she thought of
the fight just a few days ago, when she had been injured because of being
careless. The media still wrote hurting comments about her duty. Jean's warning
entered her mind. "Being alone - or with Iceman only - I wouldn't attack. I
THINK, we could make it together, but... Well, that's the honest answer, you
wanted to have."

"If we'd have just one more experienced fighter with us", Bobby sighed. "That
would help."

"I'd know somebody", Kitty mentioned. "He... No, we wouldn't even know where to
find him."

"Him? You mean Spidy?" Scott laughed shortly. "I guess he would be a great
addition, but to speak with you - we don't even have his telephone number."

"We don't." Bobby had an idea. "McCoy! He should know! Firestar, how long does
it take you to get there and come back?"

"You won't even realize that I was gone", she grinned. "Would you open the roof
for a second, Cyclops? You don't have to stop, I'll just jump out."

Jean saw that he was still hesitating and used something that she hadn't done
since they had quit their relationship. The link. A very special mental
connection that had once been built up because of their feelings for each other.
'I'll take care of her, Scott', she whispered by telepathy. 'I'll protect her
like Storm protected you and me to keep our minds free for the fight. Please,
trust me again.'

The Blackbird's roof gate opened. Firestar left the flyer. "I'll be back soon."

Scott slowed the machine down for they were nearing the beach. 'I never stopped
trusting you, Jean.'






TO BE CONTINUED...
##########################

Part 3 will be up tomorrow ;) Feeeedback? ;)


B'Teena DOL
http://www.catbull.com/adora
He-Man/She-Ra & X-Men lair



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

"help is bright green" by Sascha

e-mail: lady_sascha@...

story website: http://www.tentative.net/sascha/wmf/



c h a p t e r _ f o u r

I adore books. Have since I was a little kid and my mother read to
me. I've never understood people who think books are boring. It's
just a concept I really can't wrap my mind around. Books? Not fun?
Huh?

I have a feeling I tend to give people who says things like that a
rather pitying look. Not unlike the one I gave Ali when she stomped
over to counter, I believe. That was one unhappy girl. Well, if she'd
been thrilled about it, I would have been a bit surprised. From what
I'd observed, she seemed genuinly fond of Remy.

Oh well, she never really stood a chance anyway. Right? Right.

Sometimes not caring very much for people I don't really know, can
come in handy. Certainly lessens the guilt factor. A lot. Not that I
had too much of it to begin with...

C'est la vie, you know? What is, is and all that.

"John."

St. John gave a surprised blink at the sound of his name. Though part
of the surprise probably came from discovering who'd said it.
Apparently, from what I've seen, the Smog-people didn't mingle with
the other students. Major attitude problems might explain
that. "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for bit?"

Now Pretty Blue Eyes looked up as well. "What do you want, LeBeau?"

"Didn' I jus' say dat?"

See? Schitzo. Even when I switch to Norwegian, I don't drop my accent
that fast. Makes for a rather peculiar accent, by the way. Guaranteed
to get my siblings to break down in laughter every time I open my
mouth.

John gave Remy a long look, then he nodded slightly and got up from
his chair. To the amazement of Pretty Blue Eyes who stared at
him. "You're actually... Okay. It's your life. Your lungs too, if
you're going with chimney junior here. Wait. You haven't been messing
with Ali, have you? 'Cause, I have to say, I thought you had better
taste than that."

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," John sighed.

Bobby shook his head. "I'll be here if you need... back up. Or
something."

Judging from the tilt of Remy's head, he was currently rolling his
eyes beneath his ever present dark shades. He probably didn't think
John was the one who needed protection. Which could mean that... I
grinned and made a mental note to nyah-nyah to Rick afterwards.

I followed Remy and John with my eyes until they disappeared out of
sight and in to the kitchen. I looked over at Montgomery again. "Can
I see what you've written now? Pretty please?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm still writing."

"But..."

"No."

I sighed dejectedly. "You don't love me anymore."

"Yup, that's it exactly."

I sighed again and stared at the back of his head for a while. Nice
hair. Got a bit boring after a while though, so I got up from my
chair, stretched and went to see what Rick was up to.

He was sleeping.

How rude.

How dare he sleep when I am bored and want to be entertained?

I glared at him for a bit. I suppose I could just let him sleep and
go pester someone else... He did look all cute and peaceful there he
lay sprawled on top of a bunch of pillows, drooling slightly.

Naaah.

I sat down on the pillows and poked his nose. "Hey. Rick. Wake up."
Not a reaction. I tried again. "Riiiichard... Riiichard Oliiiver..."

His hand shot up to grab me by the wrist and his eyes opened to
direct a 'you are in great danger of being horribly dismembered soon'
glare. Rick doesn't like his last name very much. Child hood traumas
involving being forced to play a poor, starving, street kid, I think.

I gave him a bright grin. "Hey there."

"I was sleeping," Rick said. "Is there any particular reason you woke
me, or did it just seem like a good idea at the time?"

"I'm bored," I complained.

"Oh buh-huh," said Rick. Did I ever call him touchy-feely? What was I
thinking? "Why don't you go buy a pizza or something? Isn't that what
you usually do when you're bored?"

I brightened at the thought, then reality set in. "Can't. I have to
watch them." I made a vague handgesture meant to include all of the
Xavier kids.

"Then call the frelling school and see when you can get rid of them,"
Rick said sleepily and closed his eyes. "And let me sleep. I was
up 'til 10 am. I need sleep."

"Wimp," I said and got on to my feet again. "And remind me that I
have to nyah-nyah at you when you're awake again."

"Yeah, yeah. Go away."

I went away to find my mobile and call Ororo Munroe. I looked through
my call list, found Miss Munroe's phone number and hit dial. I
listened to this nice beeep beeep for a bit, then her voice came on
the phone.

"Yes? This is Ororo Munroe, to whom am I speaking?"

"Hey. Alex Olsen here."

"Oh hello, Alex."

"I was just wondering... How much longer are the kids staying here?"

There was a pause and I could hear the faint sounds of a
conversation, then she was back. "If you could look after them for a
couple of hours more, that would be wonderful. We haven't finished
the sweep yet, you see."

"Just a couple of hours?"

"Yes."

I thought. I looked at Rahne who was still doing homework (she must
have done homework for the entire week, judging from the amount of
time she'd spent on them), and over at Pretty Blue Eyes who was
eyeing the kitchen door with a frown on his face. "Okay. I guess I
can look after them for that long. Oh and Miss Munroe..."

"Yes?"

"How is Kitty?"

"No change, I'm afraid. You can see her Monday, if you like? I'm sure
she'd like that."

"Yeah, that'd be great. Tell her I said hello."

"I will. Goodbye."

"Bye."

* * * *

After fifteen minutes of staring blankly at a screen, reading the
same line over and over again, I gave up. I went to find the Xavier
kids and drag them with me to the pizza place. Brilliant idea, yeah?

Riiight.

Warren and Rahne were easy to find and collect. Warren was still
reading leaflets (he'd finished the Oz one, and had moved on
to 'Slashing the Angel by Catherine Wandan') and Rahne was studying
history. Weird kid. Probably got great grades though. Unlike someone
I know (read: me) who didn't start studying until he was promised a
trip to Los Angeles if all grades were Bs and As. You'd be amazed
what that did for my motivation.

Lovely year, that was, by the way. Los Angeles, Finland, Sweden and
Toronto. God, even thinking about it makes me grin like a mad man.
The year after I covered London, Dublin and Paris, and the year after
that I decided to leave the icky school stuff for a while and just
travel.

There's got to be a gypsy somewhere in my ancestry. Or maybe it's the
viking blood. Sail the great seas, murder, rape and pillage. You know.

The gypsy theory sounds nicer somehow.

Anyway, I had to drag Jubilee away from the telly, Bobby away from
the computer, Ali away from the booze (note to self: Buy more
Guinness), Japheth away from Jana (they were still arguing, and they
appeared to be enjoying it immensly) and get John and Remy out of the
kitchen, then we were ready to go.

I was definitelly going to see if I could get Xavier's to pay my
bills.

We ran into Ron (who'd found his katanas) on the way and I bribed him
into coming along. I was babysitting eight mutant teenagers, a guy
who could weild katanas like nobodys business could probably come in
handy.

* * * *

"One large number 5 with two cokes," the woman in front of us said to
the girl behind the counter (Jennifer, 23, blonde, goes to acting
class).

"I hate pineapple," Jubilee informed me. She frowned at the
menu. "And I want meatballs."

"Pepperoni!" from Bobby.

"Anchovies!" from Japheth.

"Ewwww," from me, Jubilee, John and Bobby. I've never been fond of
fish. I know I come from a fish-country and all, but I've never liked
fish. Ick, I say. Ick, ick, ick.

"Mushrooms. I definitelly want mushrooms," Remy said.

Ali's eyes narrowed. "Onions. Lots of onions."

"Are you ready to order?" Jennifer (girl behind the counter) smiled
at us.

I shook my head. "Doesn't look like it."

"I am," Warren said calmly and whipped out what looked suspiciously
like a platinum card. He gave Jennifer a charming grin. "One half
vegetarian special, one half ground beef. One medium ice tea,
surprise me, and a large milk."

Jennifer smiled brightly at him and punched his order into the
register.

I stared at him. Either he was seriously schitzo, or he was buying
for two. With these people you just never knew for certain. "Who are
you paying for?"

"In the end, probably everybody," Warren said wryly. "But this was
for me and Rahne."

"Oh." Was I the only one who found that a teenzy bit strange? I
looked at the others. That would be a yes. "Excuse me for asking,
but..."

Warren rolled his eyes. "I'm her big brother, okay?"

"Say huh?"

"School. She's new, I show her around and stuff."

"Ahhh." It was all so much clearer now.

"Alex?" Jennifer said. "Are you going to order anytime soon? There's
a line forming..."

"Oh right." I look at the rest. "Have you decided?"

"Meatballs!" Jubilee.

"Mushrooms!" Remy.

"Pepperoni!" Bobby.

"Onions!" Ali.

"Anchovies!" Japheth.

"Ham!" St. John.

"Mexican special, extra large!" from a widely grinning Ron. I
should've just kidnapped him instead of bribed him.

I sighed, turned to Jennifer and took a deep breath. "Okay, pay close
attention now... We'll be having one half meatballs, one half
mushrooms, one half pepperoni, one half onions, one half anchovies,
one half ham, one half pineapple and a Mexican special, extra large.
And keep the anchovies and the onions away from the other stuff."

Jennifer punched it all in, then gave me a bright grin. She'll be an
excellent actress one day. Six hours of punching in orders and she's
still capable of giving bright grins. "Will you be having anything to
drink?"

"Um." I looked at the kids and Ron. They quickly rattled off their
drink preferences. "Four cokes, a beer, Remy, Japheth, you can forget
about it, you're getting cokes, a sprite and two fantas."

Warren held out his platinum card with a wry look. "You'll be needing
this."

I'm starting to like that kid.

I, well, Warren, really, paid Jennifer and went to find a table that
could seat all ten of us. It turned out that we had to push two
tables together to make room for everyone. Ali sat down as far away
from Remy as she could get and proceeded to tear every napkin she
could get her hands on into neat strips while she sulked. Remy and
John managed to get a seat next to each other without making it too
obvious (but I swear they were holding hands). Jubilee and Bobby sat
across from them. Warren and Rahne sat next to Remy and John, and
Japheth sat next to Ali. Ron and I took an end each.

"So," I said, taking a stab at the conversation-thing. "Nice weather
we're having."

"Alex," Ron said patiently. "It's raining cats and dogs."

Japheth leered at Ali. Ali ignored him and grabbed his napkin.

"Right." Pause. "But I've seen worse."

"Of course you have. You're from Norway."

Warren absently tossed a package of salt from one hand to the other.
Rahne read the back of a ketchup bottle.

"Like the Swedish weather is all that much better!"

"I've been in Norway, Alex. Compared to your weather, ours is
practically sunny."

Remy very pointedly did not look at John. John very pointedly did not
look at Remy.

"...Good point that."

"Yeah, I thought so. You have a nice coast though," Ron added
generously.

Jubilee inspected her nails and hummed something that sounded
like 'I'll be thinking about you'. Bobby eyed John with a puzzled
look on his face.

"Oh thanks. You know, I come from a small place by the coast."

"Really? Must get windy..."

Ron and I continued to discuss the weather until the waiter (Raymond,
26, part-time student) brought us our pizzas. That took about fifteen
minutes. If there's one thing Norwegians can, it's dry talk about the
weather for all eternity. Swedes, or at least Ron, are apparently
just as good at it. We once spent two hours comparing the weather in
New York and the weather in Scandinavia. Yes, we were at that time
bored silly.

"Okay, get this away from me!" Jubilee pushed the pizza away from her
person with a look of disgust on her face.

I leaned across the table. "Gimme my pineapple!"

"Gee, Ali, we seem to be sharing a pizza, wanna fuck?" Japheth
leered. That guy hits on anything in a skirt...

Ali gave him a Look. "Drop dead, maggot-breath."

"That one's mine." Remy reached for his mushrooms.

John tilted his head and frowned. "I think Jubilee's got mine... Hey,
Jubes! Gimme my ham!"

"Could you bring me a plate, please?" Warren enquired Raymond with a
polite nod.

"Certainly."

Bobby sighed. "Look, I have a brilliant idea... Why don't you and
Remy switch places?"

Jubilee patted him on the back. "Good idea!"

"Why don't you move?"

"'Cause it was my suggestion, swamp-rat," Bobby replied.

John elbowed Remy discreetly. Remy sighed long-sufferingly and got up
to switch places with him. That earned him a bright grin from the
other three.

Ron looked up at Raymond (who'd returned with both a plate and a
pizza) with stars in his eyes. He sighed happily as the pizza was
placed in front of him. "My piiiiizzaaa..."

I rolled my eyes. Ron's a chef, and it's impossible to bring him to
dinner at any place which isn't something akin to a take-out place.
He just ends up either critizising the food or being green with envy
over what the local chef could do with mushroom sauce. At take-out
joints, however, he's pathetically pleased with the food no matter
how bad it is. Not that the food at O'Malley's is bad, but... Ron's
weird.

He fits in really well with the rest over at the Corner.

Rahne eyed the ketchup bottle, then leaned over to whisper something
to Warren, who nodded. She turned the bottle upside down over her
pizza. Warren looked at the ketchup being poured down on the pizza
for a moment, shuddered and returned his attention to his own pizza.

* * * *

"Touch my ass one more time, and I'll make you see the light. As in
the Light," Ali growled at Japheth, who backed up slightly.

We were on our way back to the Corner after a relatively uneventful
time at the pizza place. Uneventful meaning that no one got seriously
hurt and O'Malley's insurance company wouldn't be breathing down our
necks.

Of course, Bobby and Jubilee did play that prank involving heaps of
ketchup, and it had taken the combined strenght of me, Ron and Rahne
to keep Warren from launching at Remy when Remy provoked him, and Ali
had blinded Japheth by creating a bright light in front of his eyes...

I decided to call it a success anyway.

* * * *

Note to self: Don't ever go to the bathroom while teenage-sitting
ever again. You'll come back to utter chaos and it'll take you days
to figure out everything that happened.

When I'd gone to the bathroom, everything in the Corner had been as
normal. Stace and Ellis had pushed one of the big, comfy chairs over
to one of the computers and Stace now sat in Ellis' lap, typing
happily away on some story or another. Galynne, Japheth and Jana
amused each other by coming up with gore-ish ways to kill someone.
There were people on the computers, in front of the tv and on top of
the counter. All normal.

When I came back from the bathroom, Ron came flying through the
window and landed on his ass in front of me. I stared at him in
puzzlement. Ron made a sort of rolling thing with his body and was
back up on his feet in no time. Two seconds later, he charged through
the window, one hand grabbing a katana, without a single look at me.

I blinked after him, and turned to ask someone what was going on, and
discovered that I was the only one in the Corner.

Oookay.

Not normal.

This was probably a bad thing.

I heard the distinct sound of Galynne's lioness-growl, joined by a
growl I didn't recognize.

Okay. So it was definitelly a bad thing.

Fuck. Faen. Frell and flonq.

What do I do now?

I came to the conclusion that I was not hero type material, and while
I had no qualms jumping into an ordinary bar-fight, I had no
intentions of going up against someone who could make Ron fly through
the air, and headed for the kitchen.

I opened the kitchen door and ended up face to blade with a really
big, mean looking knife. "Eeep!"

The knife was removed. "Oh hey, Alex. Was wondering were you were."

"If you ever do that again, I will hurt you severely!" I glared at
Rick and made my way into the kitchen. "You scared years off of my
life. I'll be dead when I'm fifty because of you."

"Pfft," said Rick.

"Alex! There you are!" Jana elbowed her way over to me. "We've
trouble."

"No kidding?"

"Galynne smelled someone that made her hair stand on an end, and
Montgomery said that they were after the kids..." I decided that this
was not the time to point out that Jana was probably younger than all
of the Xavier kids. "...And Gally and Ron went out to keep them
distracted while we got the kids out of the way, but we can't find
Jubilee and Montgomery and Ellis are sitting on Bobby and Remy to
keep them from rushing out to join Ron and Gally and..."

"Slow down, all right!" I held my hands up in surrender. "I only
caught about half of what you were saying. Someone's after the kids?"

"Yes." Jana nodded.

"And Jubilee's gone?"

"Yes!"

"Is anyone phoneing the school?"

"Yes, Warren, but he's not getting a reply."

"So we're in deep shit?"

"Yup," Rick nodded, eyeing the door watchfully.

"Pretty much," Jana nodded as well.

"Where's Montgomery?"

"In the cooler."

I blinked at her. "In the... Never mind."

I left Jana and Rick to guard the door, or whatever it was they were
doing, and headed for the cooler, noticing on the way that the
kitchen was kind of crowded. I elbowed my way forth. I reached the
cooler and opened the door to a stream of French and English curses.

"Wow," I said and blinked. "I don't know what half of that means.
Probably nothing nice. Anyway, hey, Montgomery. What's up?"

Montgomery whacked Remy over the head and turned his head towards
me. "A whole lot, it would seem like. Any idea what we're supposed to
do?"

I wondered briefly when I had turned into Captain Picard. "Um...
Eh... How many people's after the kids? Can you tell?"

Montgomery frowned and stared blankly into the air for a bit. "Two. A
male and a female. Might be mutants. Their thoughts are all weird."

"Can you tell me anything else?"

"They're close. And I think the male is older than the female.
Actually, I'm pretty sure about that. They know how to fight -"

"Yeah, I saw that," I muttered, thinking about Ron's trip through the
window.

"-And they know exactly what the kids look like."

"That's why you think they're after them?"

"Yeah. Well, that, and I have a very strong impression that they're
here to pick them up. And Galynne didn't like the smell of them. She
started hissing."

"Can you find Jubilee?"

Montgomery shook his head. "Nope. I tried looking. She's out of my
range, I think."

Bobby stopped struggeling with Ellis. "Jubilee's gone?"

"So they say."

"That's not good."

I, Montgomery, Remy and Ellis stared at him.

"Um," Ellis said. "Duh?"

"Let me up," Bobby said. "I've got to find her before she does
something insanely stupid. I really, really don't want a repeat of
what happened the last time the Jubester made a run for it."

Remy looked thoughtful. "Was that the time with the blond and the
bike and the judge and the fish?"

"No, that was the time before that. I mean the time with the redhead,
the skates, the phonebox and the Fed."

"Right," Remy nodded. "Yeah. A repeat of that would be bad. Kind of
fun, but, bad."

"Okay, would you two stop freaking me out? Thank you." I thought.
Evil people after the kids. Jubilee gone. How to fix?

I had no idea.

I looked over at Warren, who was looking increasingly impatient as he
dialed the number to the school again.

No help in that.

I looked around the room for inspiration.

I poked Ellis with my foot. "Where's Stace?"

Ellis looked up, frowning. "She's not here?"

"Nope."

"HEY! ALEX! THEY'RE GOOD GUYS! THE SCHOOL SENT THEM!"

Spreaking about the devil...

"THEY SAY YOU KNOW THEM? LOGAN AND ROGUE?"

Logan and Rogue?

Oh.

Ooops.

I looked at Montgomery and Ellis. "You can let them up now. The good
guys are here to fetch them."

* * * *

"But he doesn't smell right," Galynne insisted for the n'th time and
regarded Logan suspiciously. Galynne and Ron looked like they've been
through a meatgrinder. Logan and Rogue didn't look as though they'd
been touched at all. Huh. Could have sworn Gally and Ron were good
enough fighters to at least get a few punches in...

"I know you keep saying that," I said patiently. "But, honestly, he's
on the side of the angels - or a reasonable faximile of such."

"Where's Jubilee?" Rogue asked, having looked around and not spotted
her in the crowd on the street outside the Corner.

I winced. "Uh..."

"She made a run for it," Bobby said darkly.

Rogue blinked. "What?"

"Oh right. You're new. You haven't heard..." St. John grinned. He
slung his arm around her shoulder. "Rogue, m'dear, come with me and I
shall tell you allll about the time with the blond and the judge, and
the redhead and the Fed, and, my personal favorite, the brunette and
the nun..."

They started walking towards the school bus, Bobby, Remy and Japheth
trailing behind them.

I looked at Logan.

He looked back.

"Maybe you should go back to the school...?"

He sighed. "I need a vacation."

"This happens a lot?"

"Unfortunately, yeah."

Galynne looked intrigued. "Which part? The fighting or the
disappearing students?"

"Both."

"Cool," Galynne nodded, impressed. She seemed to have put the fact
that Logan just didn't smell right behind her. For now.

"Ow," said Ron. He was studying his hand intently. "You know, I think
it's broken." He shook it slightly and winced. "Um. Yup. Definitely
broken. Could someone drive me to the nearest doctor?"

"I'd do it, but I don't have a lisence," I said. "Maybe Logan could
stop by the doc on the way to the school?"

Ron turned to Logan and looked questioningly at him.

Logan nodded. "Yeah, sure. No problem." He raised his voice. "HEY!
ALL XAVIER KIDS! GET INTO THE BUS! NOW!"

Rahne started walking towards the bus, then stopped and looked
uncertainly at Warren. He was busy talking with Rick about something.
He laughed at something Rick said, and I suddenly noted that the kid
was actually good looking. When he didn't look all 'high and mighty'
or 'dreadfully bored', he was down right handsome. I shook my head in
amazement.

He finally noticed Rahne, said good bye to Rick and followed Rahne
into the bus.

Ali had already entered the bus and now sat staring out of the
window. She didn't look much happier now than she had at the Pizza
place.

The bus drove off five minutes later and life returned to what went
for normal at the Corner.

I, for my part, went home.

why it's finished :) Reviews would still be appreciated ;)

----------------------------------------------------------------


Series: X-Men: Academy

Title: MY FRIEND, MY ENEMY (Episode III)

part sent to this list: 3

author: B'Teena DOL

language: English, but that's not my native language, so please forgive me my
mistakes.

Disclaimer: All X-Men and other Marvel characters in here belong to Marvel, 20
Century Fox and else. Not mine ;). Just Avery, Flash and Rose belong to me.

Universe: Only based on the storyline of the movie 'X-Men' that was released in
the year 2000.

Timeline: Shortly after the movie

Romance: Jean/Logan, Scott/New character, Iceman/Firestar, Storm/new character

Summary: Magneto found a way to mutate all mankind. The X-Men have to try
everything to stop him from using this weapon...

special guest: Firestar/Angelica Jones, Gambit/Remy LeBau, Beast/Hanry McKoy,
Peter Parker/Spiderman

Feedback: Yeeeeeah :-D

Rating: PG-13

remark: On my homepage on http://www.catbull.com/adora/fanfxmen.html you find
all my stories with pics in it. With them they're nicer to read ;). But it's the
same stories :).

####################
"Marie! What a wonderful surprise!"

Rogue and Wolverine finally had reached their destination, a village called
Rein. After a few minutes of searching they had found the man who was supposed
to answer the girl's questions. "May we come in?", she asked.

"Who's 'we'?" He looked aside and spotted Logan. "OH... of course." The scary
appearance of the other man frightened him visibly, but his joy to see Rogue was
bigger. He wanted to hug her but she shrank back.

"I'm sorry, I...", she began.

"Oh, that." He nodded. "It's okay. But may I shake your hand, at least?" He
pointed at her gloves.

"Of course. I'm glad to see you", she said honestly.

"I'm glad too. Sit down. May I offer you something?"

"Just information, Larry." Marie took a deep breath. "I'm here because of my
parents."

"Yes, I thought so." His sight got sad. "I'm so very sorry, Marie. I know how
much you loved them. This terrible accident... The police still doesn't know how
it happened. I would have called you, but I didn't know, where..."

"Wait!" She got pale. "What are you talking about? Which accident?"

"Oh my god." The old man began to tremble. "Didn't they call you? Your
relatives... Didn't someone...?"

"I don't think that anyone knows where I am. Larry, what happened?" She got
scared more and more.

"I hate to tell you, being a stranger, but... Your parents are dead, Marie.
Their house exploded yesterday for an unknown reason."

Logan placed an arm around Rogue, held her tight gently, when she started to
cry. "I'm sorry, kid", he said, full of consternation.

"So I am, though they don't deserve it", Larry nodded. "Heaven forgive me to say
that. You know that I liked them both very much, Marie, but for me there's
nothing worse than disowning a child. I never had an easy life with my own six
boys, but never I would have turned from any of them. When Sarah and Norman told
me a few months ago that they cancelled the contact with you, then I knew that I
didn't want to have anything to do with them anymore. I just couldn't understand
that again..." He stopped.

"What?", Logan asked. On the way Marie had told him of her vision that she had
had in Xavier's office. Now it was getting interesting, that was, why they were
here.

"Nothing." Larry stood up, went to the window. "Something that I haven't thought
of for a long time. Something that's passed too long to talk about it."

Marie gently freed herself from Wolverine's hug. "I'm okay." She tried to calm
down. She was sad that her parents had died such an early and terrible death,
but the part of her that had died with this one horrible letter, could never
heal again. She was sorry for them but she wouldn't let it destroy her. Just
like her old friend, who had always been like a grandfather to her, had said:
The people who had died in this house - not those that she remembered from the
past - didn't deserve any tears. "Larry, I came here because I think that my
parents hid something very important about my life from me. If you know
something about it, please tell me."

He nodded slowly. "Very well. Perhaps it's time that this lie comes to an end."
He took a deep breath. "Do you remember the day when Melanie died?"

"Very well. It was very bad when she had that accident. I loved her very much",
Marie answered.

"Melanie didn't die. She became a mutant when she got 13. That was when your
parents disowned her." He ran over his eyes. "I know because my wife - may god
bless her - was in hospital these day too. I wish I wouldn't know. You think you
knew who your parents were, Marie? That's not true. These people... You never
knew your mother, and you never knew father. These people died when Melanie got
her mutation. They were replaced by cold, heartless munsters. Your twin sister
is alive."



"It just doesn't make any sense." During all the ride back Marie had remained
silent. Logan was relieved when she finally spoke again. "It might be that she
mutated earlier than me, that she had the same powers that I have now. I wasn't
there when she had that so-called accident. My parents told me that she died.
But truly Melanie killed a pupil of her class. That's what is said here, at
least." Marie again read the file that Larry had kept with a few hand written
notes, chronological listed facts, in case the Daniels would ever want to
remember. Well, that was useless now. For them. "My parents never wanted to see
her again. A nurse - there's no name - let her disappear, took care of her.
Somehow she deleted all the data, so it looked as if Melanie really had died."
Rogue closed the folder. "I don't understand, that doesn't fit my vision. If
Melanie really came back that day, when I got my mutation... If she killed me...
And that's what it looked like in the vision... Why do I have all the memory of
the last years with my parents then and not hers?"

"What exactly did you hear when you touched Mystique last time? What did she
say?", Logan asked thoughtfully.

Marie got a goose-flesh at once. "She didn't say it just then. It was one of her
memories. It was... 'You're no longer part of the system. You're above the
system. We're above it. I show you the way to live a happy life.' Oh my god.
Marie slowly took her hand in front of her face. "If Raven knew of Melanie
then... She was this nurse! She took my sister in!"

"If she transferred all her hate on humanity on the child it wouldn't be
surprising if Melanie had wanted to take revenge on your parents- or on you",
Wolverine concluded.

"Nevertheless, it doesn't match what I experienced when the Professor activated
my memories. I know that this wasn't just a hallucination", the young woman
insisted. "There must be an explanation."

Logan again took one of his obligatory cigars. His unsteady hand showed that the
story had upset him, too. He knew best how it was not to know your identity.
"What do you remember about this day with your boyfriend, if you leave the
vision out?"

Marie frowned. "I came home from school..."

"Were your parents there?", he interrupted her.

"No. My mother came home later, but that was when David already was in my room.
I only saw them on this afternoon when... when this thing with him happened. I
had a bad shock that day, I can't recall much. I just know that I slept long
this afternoon, till David knocked at my door."

"So between you coming home and your boyfriend arriving something that was
deleted from your memory could have happened", he mentioned.

"Yes... Yes, I think so. What a harebrained shit is this?" With an unexpected
aggression Marie kicked against the front window of the car, it nearly broke.
"It looks as if we'd share something now, Logan. We both can't find our past
because just our arch enemies know about it."



When Avery and Toad wanted to bring their prisoners to the Brotherhood's motor
boat, Magneto called them.

'Don't come any closer to Snake Island.'

"What? Why? What happened?", the Liquidator asked, puzzled.

'They know. They're following you. They must have found a way to find you.
Didn't you think of the detectors?'

"Of course we did", Ave shouted, angrily. "Right now they're on the parking
space of Wilson Stop. Ideas?"

,Come to the old fortress. Mystique will get you with the helicopter. Sabretooth
and I will wait for you there. Begin the research in the meantime. I need this
data at all costs!' The connection was cancelled.

"Research? Is that supposed to be funny?" Stunned Avery looked at the phone.
"How should we do any kind of research here?"

"Plan B." Toad opened the car's glove compartment. "Medical basic equipment.
Magneto always has another plan in store. Can you do infusions?"

"What?"

Impatiently his partner got an empty syringe. "Taking blood! You never worked in
a hospital? What do you do for your living?"

"Storekeeping", Ave answered dryly. "You seem to know more about this than I do,
you do it."

"Good idea. Drive to that car park over there. We've got ten minutes left. And
try to drive calmly."

"How very funny the Brotherhood is today... But if you're searching them anyway,
look out for a second detector. One of them has to have one." Time was short.
Again Avery looked at Ororo. 'Was it you, my angel?', he thought bitterly. 'Were
you the trap that's been set for us?' It was time to quit this relationship
before he couldn't make the difference between himself and the Liquidator
anymore. Before he'd possibly make a mistake that would destroy both their
lives.



"Trouble, Mystique?"

They were on their way to the humps where Magneto's old hiding place was.

Raven silently cursed in the back of the helicopter. "I can't find any vein on
the weather witch's body. Just like last time! No chance! And we have no time,
none at all!"

"How glad I am that I'm not the only complete idiot that hasn't made it", Toad
commented sarcastically.

"Let me try. Which of the weather witches do you mean?" Avery went back.

"Not your big love, anyway", she hissed. "Spare me your comments, we're in a
hurry!"

"Don't panic. Be ready with the syringe." Avery put off his right glove. With
the tip of a finger he made a tiny hole into the left one. "That should limit
the mess."

For the first time Mystique realized that he was left-handed. Fighting he had
used both arms, but apparently he preferred the left one, anyway.

Stoic calmly Avery put his hand around Flash's elbow. Through the free spot in
his glove he produced with a tight pressure a tiny hole that reached the vein.
"Enough?"

"Perfect." She filled the last free units with Cat's blood. "Finally! I hope
that's enough. Erik's a brilliant scientist, but without resources he can't
work."

"Why are we flying into this desert, anyway?", Avery asked. "You've got what you
wanted, don't you? Let's drop the prisoners and fly home, then we're rid of them
for today."

"Magneto doesn't want to risk the X-Men finding Snake Mountain. We have to keep
them busy in the old ruin until we're out of reach for them. They're too-
attached to us lately." Mystique sat down next to Toad and took over the wheel.
The helicopter was her shrine.

"Talking about being attached, how could Magneto know that Xavier's group's
following us?" Ave still didn't understand that.

Raven grinned widely. "Not only the X-Men have detectors."



"I'm afraid, we've been discovered, folks."

"What do you mean?" Jean leaned over the sensors. "Where are they heading for?"

"To the same place we've already been to. The mountain castle. I guess we won't
see Magneto's new fortress today. They somehow spotted us", Cyclops mentioned,
frustrated.

"With that distance between them and us?", Iceman asked, doubtingly. "Unlikely.
Do you hear that knocking on the ceiling too? Open the gate, perhaps Firestar's
back already."

"Why, I sure hope she'd be smart enough show up in front of the window if she
was." Scott opened the gate of the Blackbird, everyone looked up. "Nothing.
Didn't I tell you?" He turned his head again- and did an unplanned banking turn.
"God damn!"

Spidy laid all across the flyer's windshield, waved to the X-Men merrily and
crawled back then. "Bad nerves, big boss?", he asked, laughing, entering the
machine. "I didn't know I look so scary."

Firestar followed him, sat down on a seat, exhausted. "Hell, I'm finished. That
guy is faster with his webs then I'm with following wind..."

"What's that?", Kitty asked curiously, pointing at the little peace of metal in
Spiderman's hand.

"Oh, your friendly salutation nearly made me forget." The man behind the red
mask threw the gadget to Scott. "That stuck to the bottom of your ship. I could
be mistaken but to me that looks like a detector."

"I guess now it's clear why the Brotherhood knew that we were coming." Cyclops
destroyed the thing with a weak laser ray. "Thanks, buddy."

"At your service." He shortly bowed. "So, where's the problem? And there has to
be hell of a problem, otherwise the mighty X-Men wouldn't have called for little
Spiderman, would you?"

"A second Logan, just what we needed", Scott murmured very quietly.

Jean ignored the remark. "Have you ever fought the Brotherhood?"

"Nope, not that I'd know of. Are these those freaks with the signs: 'Send the
mutants to moon forever'?" He hung on the ceiling with one of his webs, upside
down.

"Ouch", Iceman commented. "You don't know much about mutants, do you?"

"No", he admitted. "I did neither crawl out of an eye nor did I have a very bad
experience when I was a teenager. I got my powers through the bite of a genetic
manipulated spider, a few months ago. So, tell me."

"I'm afraid we'll have to do that later. We're there." Scott searched for a
landing place. "Before we go home we have to search the flyer. Magneto will
probably try the same trick again. Get outside." He turned to Spiderman again.
"You're supposed to save the virgin, defeat the villains and safe the world. Is
that enough for now?"

"I don't buy the virgin, but I'm with you." Spiderman seized Kitty when they
left the Blackbird. "Did you put on the wrong uniform?"

"There's non of my size so far", she mentioned, embarrassed. "I look terrible,
don't I?"

"No, just a little bit too young to fight super villains yet. Why the mask?"

Kitty was the only member of the team wearing one. "I guess for the same reason
that you're having yours for", she answered. "I'm an anonymous mutant, unlike
Storm, Jean and Cyclops. I want to keep that."

"So what's your mutation?"

The first locked door. Scott laid his hand onto his VISOR- but Kitty was faster.
She took a deep breath and ran through the metal, opened the door from inside
then. "Any more questions?"

"Wow", Spidy mentioned, impressed. "What do you need me for, actually?"

Jean and Scott looked at each other, relieved. If it would keep on working that
well, then they're chances weren't all that bad.



"Now we'll see how much you learnt in your training, Avery. You've got to give
me as much time as possible. Keep them busy." Magneto equipped Toad and
Sabretooth with reproductions of the weapon that he had already used to fight
the X-Men once. "For Firestar, Iceman and Jean Grey. Avoid shooting at Cyclops
as long as we don't know the effect. I suppose the Liquidator doesn't need a
firearm, does he?"

"Not really. What will you do in the meanwhile?", Avery asked.

"Doing more research on our mutant friends, and teaching some ethnology. I won't
give up the newbie yet. Attack!" Erik entered the cell that the prisoners had
been brought into.

His group split up to attack the intruders from different sides.



"Good to see you again, Flash." Magneto heartily smiled at the young mutant who
always reminded him on his home with her European accent. She was the first of
his prisoners to wake up. The fire, the temperament in her eyes amused him.
Those young people had no idea what actually they were fighting for, but they
did it with all their strength. "I apologize for the trouble, but after all we
couldn't finish our research last time." He started up his laptop and inserted
the first data that Mystique had come up with in a few minutes. "Interesting.
Apparently you really were the basis for copying artificial mutations. Thanks.
Some last tests..." Magneto went to Remy with an empty syringe, ignoring Cat's
hateful sight. "Don't waste your time", he mentioned condescending, when he saw
her trying to break her chains. "How's the young man next to you called, by the
way?" He reached out his hand to place the injection.

"The name's Gambit, you asshole." Remy opened his eyes, pulled his right hand
out of the handcuffs that he somehow had managed to open while the others had
talked. He hit the other man with all his strength.

The complete unexpected hard punch didn't exactly knock Magneto out, but for
seconds he was eliminated, anyway.

Remy took the chance to throw his cuffs out of the window, so the enemy couldn't
just use his powers to chain him again. "Come on, old man! Now try fighting me!"

"Remy, take care!", Cat shouted, frightened. "Get out of here!"

"Good idea, but too late." In a speed not to understand Erik got the bars from
the windows and buckled them, using them as clamps, binding Remy's hands behind
his back. "Courageous, my young friend. But my patience isn't endless, so don't
try that again." He ran over his hurting chin. "How actually did Charles manage
it in just a few days to make you fight the Brotherhood that much?"

Cat looked at Remy warningly. Don't discuss with him, that meant.

He didn't pay attention. "I don't need anyone to build up an opinion for me.
Your people killed my best friends. So don't you try to convince me that you had
such a bad childhood, cause I fucking don't care."

Magneto laughed shortly, bitterly. "You've been one of them yourself. You
couldn't be that blind not to see what the people think about us. If you're not
sure, ask Flash. She can tell you what it's like to get threatened with knifes
in public from other people." He turned to Cat. "Are you still sure that you're
on the right side, after all you've seen? How much blind can anyone get with
Charles' mind control?"

"You're such a bastard", Katja said, stunned. "That Professor would never do
that, and you know! Whom do you think you're fooling with this tactic? We'll
never work for you!"

"Never is an awful long time, kid." He neared Remy again. "I'm looking forward
to the day when you'll change your mind."

Finally Storm woke up too. Flash saw her sight at the door, saw her eyes get
wide and looked into the same direction. Her lips showed a weak grin. "That will
be the day when hell will freeze over, Magneto, and not an hour sooner."

Erik turned around fast when he heard the energy discharge of his own weapon,
but it was too late. Shadowcat, who had crept in appropriately quiet to her
name, shot him. The reversal affect of the canon that Jean and Scott had
reproduced in many sleepless nights of work, captured the leader of the
Brotherhood in one of his own magnetic fields, threw him onto the floor. "You!"
Every kindness left his voice.

It was the first time that Cat saw him that angry. She realized that this man
was more dangerous than they all thought. He was a ticking time bomb.

"Why you?", Erik asked Kitty, fighting his own powers without any success. "Why
do you protect people who nearly killed your best friend?" This time he didn't
try to manipulate anyone. He really couldn't believe it.

The girl lowered her weapon. "Very simple", she said quietly. "The men who
attacked us were dangerous, but they were exceptions. Like them your people
tried more than once to destroy members of our team. But the difference is that
mankind will change someday." During that little speech she had went over to
Remy who gave her a long metal stick that he had used to open his handcuffs. She
needed a bit longer, but she made it to free Storm and Flash. "How did you do
that? Let's go!"

"I'm a magician, remember?", he grinned. "Cat, come on!"

"Wait. Storm, help me with this." Katja leaned over Magneto's laptop. A security
disc was in it, as she had expected it. Fast she saved the data on it that had
been the reason for her risking so much today. "Thank you as well", she shouted
at Erik, imitating his scornful tone from before, taking the disc. She just
threw the laptop out of the window, that wasn't barred anymore now. She didn't
fool herself in hoping that Magneto hadn't all the data in his main computer in
his fortress, but like Remy had said- never leave out a chance. "Where are the
others, Kitty?", she asked when the four of them left the cell.

"Not far from here. We have to hurry. Sabretooth and Toad have one like this
too." The girl pointed at her weapon. "Bobby was hit from what I saw before I
could flee."

"Someone else just got hit", Remy mentioned, leaning his head aside lightly.
"Someone's screaming."

"That's Sabretooth", Flash realized. "Sounds like more a scream of pain than of
victory, but they need us, anyway. Fast! By the way, did I get this right?
Gambit? What happened to Nightwing?"

"A spontaneous idea", Remy grinned. "Fits me better, doesn't it? Could someone
finally free me from this clamps now?"



They were too late.

Sabretooth had - again - caught one of Scott's laser rays trying to knock out
the delicate Jean in squeezing her, taking her breath away.

Mystique had been trapped in one of Firestar's fire rings and hadn't been able
to just free herself. So finally Cyclops had gotten the long-awaited opportunity
to shot her with the stun beam that he had promised her for so long. Actually he
preferred to train with moving targets, but he couldn't claim that it hadn't
been fun to pay her back for all the lost close combat fights.

The fight toad versus spider had ended 1:0 for Spiderman. Toad wasn't the most
beautiful wall decoration ever, completely trapped in the artificial spider
webs, but he couldn't move anymore, that counted.

"I didn't know these things are that strong", Kitty mentioned, admiring, looking
at these very special chains.

"They gotta carry my full weight through the city, they better be", Spidy
grinned. "What about our biggest headaches today?" He looked at Storm, Flash and
Remy behind Shadowcat. "You okay?"

"Leaving out the fact that I can't move my hands, yes", Remy complained.
"Scott..." He turned around. "Could you be of some help, please?"

Cyclops laughed quietly, for a moment he considered leaving the young French boy
to stew, which perhaps would have been good for his politeness, but then he
destroyed the chains around his wrists.

"Thanks." Relieved Gambit stretched his arms. "Can we go?"

Storm wanted to answer, stopped. "You smell that?"

Now Jean realized too. "Smoke!" She looked up to the ceiling. "The whole room's
filled with smoke! Get out! Bobby, can you walk?"

"I'm fine. I just can't become Iceman." The young man who had stayed in the
background during the fight, rejoined the group. The reversal weapon had changed
him back to his true identity in changing his natural coldness to heat. He was a
bit weak because of the uncomfortable high temperature, but his life wasn't in
danger. He didn't mind that the Brotherhood knew his secret now. He had never
cared as much about it as Firestar.

They wanted to leave the former lab- but there was no switch on the door to open
it anymore. The metal was just gone. The fog thickened, settled on the
respiratory tracks. They sight got worse in the room that was extremely bad
lightened, anyway.

"Cyclops, fast!" Jean began to cough. "Shot the damn thing or we'll die in here.
Where's this smoke coming from? Do you see any flames?"

"There are none, I've already searched for it", Firestar answered, coughing.
"Besides I wouldn't be affected if this was a fire."

Scott raised his hand to his VISOR, but right then the familiar green ray of a
reverse gun was shot from the darkest corner, catching him.

"Shadowcat, run!" In the short weak light Flash had seen who the last attacker
today was. She knew that there was no time to lose. She gave Kitty the stolen
disc. "Run to the Flyer and send this data to Xavier! Now!"

"But you...", the girl began.

"Leave! None of us can do that!", Storm shouted, too.

The newest member of the team vanished through a wall. "I'll be back", she
promised before leaving.

"Scott, what's up? Are you hurt?" Flash knelt down next to her boyfriend who sat
on the floor, coughing hard, his hands pressed onto his VISOR.

"No... I..." He tried to breathe as shallow as possible. "I can't get us out of
here." He took off the visual gadget, turned his head to the door and opened his
eyes. What he had already felt turned out to be true: The rays of his mutation
were gone. "I..." He blacked out.

He wasn't the only one. Jean, Bobby, Flash and Firestar were knocked out by the
lack of air as well.

Remy dragged himself to the door arduously. "Let me try, mes amis." He took some
playing cards out of his pocket. "Gambit has no idea if this will work, so say a
little prayer." He reached back widely and threw the thin plastic against the
door. The cards became tiny throw missiles, each with the power of destruction
of a mini bomb. The door got a few wholes but they were too tiny. "I'm sorry..."
Remy collapsed.

Storm and Spiderman who were the last ones awake, panting stumbled to the corner
that the reversal ray had come from. Ororo stayed behind their new friend
because she knew that this weapon could knock out her easily as well, while it
wouldn't affect Spidy's artificial mutation.

But the Liquidator already was gone, as silently as he had appeared.

The last fighters had to give up. Seconds later all the X-Men were defeated.



Later they couldn't tell how long they had been unconscious. When they woke up,
the smoke was gone. Except for a dry pain in the throat everyone was okay. The
enemies were gone- and the door could be opened again.

"He just wanted to stop us long enough till the Brotherhood was gone", Jean
remarked.

A cold shiver was sent down Flash's back. "Shadowcat!" She ran to the flyer,
Storm and Remy followed her.

"Scott? Are you okay?" Jean went to the leader of the team who leaned to a wall,
completely absent-minded, his eyes closed. "What happened?"

"The weapon..." He leaned back his head, opened his eyes just a little bit. A
huge hole was burned into the ceiling. "It's over." He put on his VISOR. "The
weapon eliminated my laser rays. Just for a short while, but they were gone."

She placed a hand onto his arm, knowing how serious this discovery was. "What do
you say, shouldn't we talk about it at home?"

The Liquidator hadn't hurt Kitty, either. He had defeated and chained her, but
she was unharmed. And the data had been sent to Xavier, as she reported
immediately when she had been freed.

"Well done." Flash hugged her shortly. "And this was only your first mission.
Magneto and his people better take care in the future. We wouldn't have made it
without you."

Kitty blushed behind her mask, embarrassed sat down on her seat. "Where are
Iceman, Spiderman and Firestar?"

"Over there." Jean pointed out of the window shield. "They said they have
something to talk about."

Firestar and Iceman left the scene elegant as usual, her flying, him gliding on
an ice path. Spiderman stuck to Bobby with a little web.

Relieved that nothing had happened but kinda depressed, anyway, the team left
the place of their defeat.



"Cat, you come with me to the woods?" Rogue found Flash in front of Jean's lab
on the next day, restlessly walking from one side of the room to the other.

"I prefer to wait for results from in there." Katja pointed at the closed door
with her head.

"You don't do anything else since six hours, my dear. You come with me or I'll
tell Logan to make you do it", Marie threatened her. "I already saddled Adora.
It will be good for her if you take care of her a bit after the shock yesterday.
She was alone on a strange highway parking space for hours, after all."

"Always touch the most sensitive point, do you?", Cat complained. "Okay. But
just an hour."

"Where's Scott?", Marie asked when they left the mansion.

"Teaching some extra driving lessons. Remy wants to do the motorcycle license",
her friend explained. "Did you hear what he did yesterday?"

"I read the report. He surely has a few cool tricks", Rogue nodded. "If he
continues like that he'll be our leader one day."

"I guess some people wouldn't agree to that", Katja grinned. "Marie, how was
your trip yesterday? Did you find what you were searching for?"

"Partly", her friend answered truly. "I already told the others, please don't
ask me. Logan and I will have to settle a few things soon. Until then I don't
want to say anything that I don't know for sure."

"Understood and accepted. What about a little race?", Cat asked, smiling. "Adora
and Twister, the old fight. Perhaps you make it just for once to beat us." She
started off.

"Ey, that's unfair!", Rogue laughed. "You're cheating!" She let her stallion run
as well.

For a few minutes the girls could forget everything that made the life in the
mansion so difficult at present.

Cat kept her lead, even increased it. Adora had become very fast, compared to
when she had gotten the mare. When she finally stopped to wait for Marie she saw
something very shocking on the path nearby: Two young people whom she knew very
well, hugging each other tightly. "Good Jesus..." She was so surprised that she
didn't even realize that she had spoken it loudly. Twister neared. She put
herself together, turned Adora around, trotted to Marie to keep her from seeing
what she had seen.

"You okay?", her friend asked. "You looked like you just saw a ghost."

"I'm fine." Katja took a short looked over her shoulder. The couple on the path
had went on, she couldn't see them anymore. But she remembered the picture too
well that had made her realize that there was even more trouble.

Nobody was to know. Cause if Scott would get to know that Avery and Ororo were
in love, he'd run amok.



"What's bothering you, Ave?" Storm felt that something was wrong with the young
man.

"I. I don't know." He sighed. He had to tell her. Everything else was unfair.
Thinking of how bare it had been yesterday... He could have killed her when he
had turned the walls of the laboratory to a gaseous shape. If he had waited too
long before cleaning the air... He had to forget about his feelings for her,
delete them, act is if they had never existed. Or else he'd never be able to do
his job in the Brotherhood well enough. "I thought of us." He took her shoulders
and turned her to face him gently. "Ororo, I..." He stopped. If she would just
stop looking at him like that... The fear in her eyes broke his heart. He had
promised her never to hurt her. And now?

"What is it, Avery? You... you look as if you wanted to quit." She took a step
back. "Did I do something wrong?"

He couldn't do it. It was impossible. Seeing her like that was worse than the
anger about his own stupidity. "No." He pulled her close, held her tight,
caressing her back. "I'm afraid to lose you, `Ro."

"Not if it's for me", she answered steadily.

She sounded honest and she was honest- but nevertheless her fragile body
trembled under his hand. It shook her. "`Ro, what... Why do you tremble that
much? My god, please, tell me!", he shouted in despair. "I can't take this
anymore. What are you afraid of?"

"I can't", she whispered, hesitatingly leaning her head onto his shoulder. For
the first time she herself made a gesture to be near to him. "Please, understand
me. Someday, perhaps, I'll be able to tell you... But I don't make it right now.
Give me time."

"As much as you need." He kissed her forehead gently. "I hope that the day will
come when you won't be afraid of me anymore." Phrases, well trained words. She
was his enemy when they wore their uniforms. It was unlikely that this day would
ever come. But Avery didn't make it to send her away, nevertheless. If there was
any reason to stay with Magneto, then it was that the leader could against all
odds be right. Perhaps one day the X-Men would join him. Perhaps, behind all the
hopelessness, all the despair, there was a light at the end of the tunnel for
him and Ororo after all.



  MORE EPISODES COMING UP SOON...

#################################

hm... reviews? ;)


B'Teena DOL
http://www.catbull.com/adora
He-Man/She-Ra & X-Men lair


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Title:  The Language of Goodbye
Author: Victoria P. [victoria_p@...]
Summary: This is how it happens. You meet a girl in a
bar, and your entire life is turned upside down.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All X-Men characters belong to Marvel and
Fox; this piece of fan-written fiction intends no
infringement on any copyrights.
Archive: Lists, Muse's Fool.
Feedback: Feed the monkey!
Notes: Thanks to Jen, Pete/Melissa, Dot, and Meg. Also,
thanks to everyone who made suggestions on the draft in
my diary.

That sound you hear is me eating crow, because I loathe
2nd person POV, and yet, here I am writing it. The story
demanded it, and who am I to argue?

~*~

The Language of Goodbye

This is how it happens.

You meet a girl in a bar.

No.

You *see* a girl in a bar. You don't meet her until
afterward, unless her saving your life can be counted as
an introduction. Well, she didn't really save your life,
but she didn't know that at the time. You figure you can
be generous, even if it's only in your own head.

Anyhow, you're not Emily Post, but you think that might
count as an introduction, but maybe not.

You see her and you know she's looking at you, and
that's no surprise. Women have been looking at you for
as long as you can remember, and generally, they only
want one thing.

And you're only too happy to give it to them in a blur
of hair and scent and slick, wet heat, bruising hands
and raking nails. It's the closest thing to heaven you
can bring yourself to believe in, and it's over before
you can savor it.

But this one is too young. Young and scared and fragile.
You shake yourself mentally, because you can't look at
her that way, and you can't be who you are with her
watching.

So when the asshole steps to you, you don't gut him,
because somehow, what she thinks about you matters. The
fact that she tried to help you, when no one tries to
help you -- when you don't even need the help -- means
you have to live up to her expectations.

And she may be a young and dirty runaway, but she has,
in those few seconds, shown you more humanity than
you've experienced at the hands of others in a long
time.

So you walk out and resolve to remember her big, liquid
eyes, full of concern for you, some random mutant she's
never met. You resolve to be a better man. For the time
it takes to walk to the trailer, anyway.

Then you remember, as if you could ever forget, what
those fucking doctors did to you, and the thought of
being a good man crumbles in the face of what you know
you are.

But she won't leave you alone. You repay her by saving
her -- once, twice, three times in the end, though the
last two are simply you fixing up your own mistakes.
It's not like you've come to care.

No, because caring means being hurt, and you don't get
hurt, you put the hurt on others. That's who -- what --
you are, and every time you try to forget *that*, life
kicks you in the balls with a reminder.

You leave her -- the first goodbye.

She doesn't want you to go -- she even says as much. You
can kid yourself that you don't care, you can flirt with
the redhead, but you know that this girl is more than a
random fuck in a backwoods bar, so you make a silent
promise to come back. You give her the only thing that
matters; you give her your past as she gives you your
future.

But you haven't figured it out. Not at this point. All
that comes later.

You wonder for the next six months how this slip of a
girl wrangled two promises out of you in as many days,
when you hadn't made one in almost fifteen years.

You find yourself heading back to her, unconsciously
drawn east by some invisible star only you can see.

So it goes for the first few years. You've got all the
time in the world. You're not growing old, and she's
becoming a woman, a beautiful, caring woman who will
always remain for you, at some deep level, the girl who
cared enough about a stranger to save his life.

Because now you can look back on it and see so clearly
how she is there at every crossroads, every turning
point in your life. Each decision you made after she
sneaked into your trailer (and into your heart, though
you wouldn't put it quite that way, even if it does
sound like the country songs you spend so much time
listening to) has been affected by her presence and each
decision from now on will be affected by her absence.

You come and go, each time leaving a bit more of
yourself in her small, gloved hands, bits and pieces
that make you who you are. At first, just the dog tag,
the symbol of your stolen past. But then it's a bit of
advice about not telegraphing her punches. Next, a
shared joke, a love of beer bad movies, Hank Williams,
and the smell of the grass after the rain. And finally,
your heart.

Though you can't quite bring yourself to believe it, let
alone say it.

A time comes when you can't imagine who you'd be without
her -- the man in the bar, lost and lonely, full of hurt
and willing to share only that with other people.

You've got all the time in the world, and you forget
that she doesn't, that she'll grow old and die before
you turn around twice, it seems, except that, in the
business you're in, growing old is seldom in the game
plan.

You watch over her, heal her when she needs it.

One day you even manage to work up enough of that famed
courage to tell her out loud, in words, how you feel.

She smiles and the world stops for a moment; your heart
beats in time with the soft whisper of her breath as she
says, "Yes." And "I love you."

You touch her gently and you learn all the lessons of
her body; she teaches you about yours. You never knew it
was possible to feel both joy and dread, and each day is
a mixture of both because each day you live with the
fear that she will somehow realize that you are that man
in that bar, lost and lonely and full of hurt. Unworthy
of her love.

But she doesn't. She still sees something more, and you
love her for that in addition to everything else. You
love her so much you feel like there's no room for
anyone or anything else, and yet there always is.

Once she opens the door, you suddenly find yourself up
to your neck in people to care about, and you find they
have a way of sneaking in, much as she did, and caring
back.

And amidst all that caring, you forget the most
important thing, the one lesson life has taught you
again and again.

You are nothing, and no one -- nameless and rootless and
not worthy of all the good things she's given you, so of
course, they must be taken away.

Home and freedom, safety and peace are the first to go.
You knew better than to trust those government fuckers,
but she bought into the dream, and you wanted to believe
in something, so you believed in her. You still do, even
as you watched the flames engulf the place you'd been
thinking of as home for the past few years.

You'd forgotten that you have no home, but they reminded
you by taking away even the illusion that you'd built.

A life on the run is nothing new for you, but you wanted
better for her. She seems happy just to be with you, but
you can see the lines of care etching themselves into
her skin, even as you touch her at night, while she's
sleeping, trying to heal the woes that go beyond the
merely physical.

But the physical is your realm, your comfort zone, and
you know it better than most. You keep her with you for
a long time, longer than even you expected, when you
come right down to it. X-Men aren't known for dying of
old age, and you have the silent hope that this time
you'll buck the odds. But you never say it. You try not
to even think it, to bring her to Fate's attention.
Because Fate is a bitch with an axe to grind, and while
you're used to her taking it out on you, you don't want
Marie to bear that burden in addition to everything
else.

You know she's not the type to run from a little trouble
(or a lot of trouble, if you're honest about it, and a
liar is the one thing you've never been), but part of
you is always waiting for that other shoe to drop, for
her to realize that there must be something, some*one*
better for her out there.

But she doesn't leave you.

No. Not yet.

Friends fall, some in battle, some from illness, and
still she stays.

Until now.

You let your guard down, started to believe you'd get
away with it, until you heard the screams.

It's all a haze of red, one memory you don't want, yet
can't seem to shake. Blood and fire and the odd color of
the night sky reflecting the flames. Her dark hair is
fanned out on the snow blanketing the ground, the way it
covers your pillow at night.

You can smell them on the air, the ones who have done
this to her, but healing her is more important. You slip
and slide in snow and blood, enraged almost beyond
sorrow.

She's too weak even to take your hand as you clutch her
to you, and you finally hear the other shoe drop.

It is her turn to leave, and your turn to say, "I don't
want you to go."

But you know it makes no difference, because you can't
save her, can't force her to stay.

She smiles, and it's never lost its affect on you. The
world still stops, and your heart still beats in time
with her ragged breathing.

"I love you," she says, and you kiss her, trying to
force the healing into her, but she's so weak, has lost
so much blood, that all she gets is your fear and
desperation. Her tears fall like rain, even as she
smiles and you strip off her gloves and kiss her hands
tenderly, safely.

Even in this bleakest of moments, you feel a thrill of
joy at touching her, finally, without pain.

"I love you," you say, "don't leave me."

She strokes your face with a bare hand, and you can tell
from her heavy-lidded gaze and the rasp of her breath
that she'll be gone in a moment.

You pour into her every bit of love you can summon,
every thought of how she's made you the man you are
today. She gasps, and even in death she's the most
beautiful thing you've ever seen. The snow clings to her
lashes and melts on her lips as you kiss her for the
last time.

This is the last goodbye.

Her time has run out, and you've got nothing but time.
You get the irony, but don't find it funny.

You've spent the past ten years learning the language of
love.

But in these final, fleeting moments, you speak the
language of goodbye.

You speak of her to strangers in bars, on cold, lonely
nights spent hunched over a bottle of scotch.

This is how it happens, you say. You meet a girl in a
bar, and your entire life is turned upside down.

In the telling, you can almost feel her touch. You
remember all she taught you, all you've learned, and you
wouldn't change a moment, but for the end, the one thing
you wish you'd left unlearned.

You can never forget the language of goodbye.

end

~*~

victoria

--

The Muse's Fool:
http://www.unfitforsociety.net/musesfool
read my diary: http://musesfool.diaryland.com

title: Help is bright green
author: Sascha
email: lady_sascha@...
page: http://www.tentative.net/sascha/wmf/



CHAPTER FIVE


What day was it again?

I thought hard. What was on telly today? ...Spin City rerun. Okay.
That meant Saturday.

My eyes widened. Oh bloody, frigging hell! Saturday! And Moric's
birthday was tomorrow! And I had barely started the story. Damn,
damn, damn.

Time to do some bleeding on paper and clubbing of inspiration.

I had to come up with some decent (or at least something resembling
decent) Anya and Faith before tomorrow. I'd promised. I'd obviously
been temporarily insane at the time, but still. I had promised.

I crawled out of bed, trotted yawningly into the livingroom, pushed
the on button on my computer and continued into the kitchen to make
myself some instant cocoa. Remember me telling you about my licorice
and pineapple soda vice? Well, instant cocoa is another for the list.
I'm not entirely sure why I'm so fond of heated water with a
chocolate after taste, but I am.

One of my theories to that, is that I just got used to it after
waiting one time too many for my father to finish working so he could
drive me home. Where he worked there was this 'Clix' machine, you
see, with free drinks. You push a button, and voilà, you get a hot
beverage of your choice. Since I couldn't stand blueberry or heated
orange juice, I used to pick hot chocolate. After a while, I even
started liking it.

Another theory is that I'm just to damn lazy to actually bother to
make real cocoa.

I glanced over at the watch while the water boiled. 11:18. Heh.
Early. I'm usually not up until 1 on weekends. Unless of course I'm
doing an all-nighter in which case I sometimes go to bed at 1...

I opened the cabinet and took down the instant cocoa, shook it and
listened to the charming sound of the package inside being shoved
from side. I ripped open the last package in the box, grabbed one of
my many cups (I collect. I have around thirty) and poured the powder
into the cup.

The water heated pinged a moment later. I poured water over the cocoa
powder, grabbed a near by biscuit package, stuck a biscuit in my
mouth, grabbed both the cup and the biscuits and made my way back
into the livingroom.

As always when I was awake enough to notice, I was amazed by the
amount of books, magazines and comics that had managed to accumulate
during my seven month stay here in New York. Not that it was anything
new, since I never could resist buying reading material no matter
where I was. But I hadn't stayed at the same place for this long
since before I started my gypsey life (so to speak), and I hadn't
realised how much stuff I could collect.

Used book shops usually got my buyings when I moved on, or if I
really wanted to keep something, I mailed it to my parents in Norway.
They stored it in the attic for me. I didn't take much with me when I
travelled. There are, after all, limits to how much you can stuff
into a suitcase and a backpack before the seams rip. And I had to
prioritize things like clothes. And my cups. Oh and yeah, my laptop.

Forgetting the laptop would be a pretty bad career choice for a
graphic designer who works more in Paint Shop Pro than on paper. Not
to mention that I'd probably go nuts if I had to go for long without
scribbling on some story or another.

Speaking of stories...

I dropped down on the chair in front of my desk, carefully placeing
the cocoa within my range, but away from the laptop. I took a sip of
the cocoa, placed it back down, then clicked open a WordPad.

^ Anya embraced human holidays. They were often ridiculous, true, but
there was something oddly safe about them. Like Christmas. ^

I munched at a biscuit and regarded the paragraph. A Christmas story?
I gave a mental shrug. Well, why not? I finished the biscuit, took
another sip of cocoa and continued typing.

When I'd come to paragraph twenty-three and Faith was threatening
some demon to make him give Anya her powers back, I stretched and put
the computer on wait modus. Enough with the clubbing of inspiration
for now. I needed a break.

I picked up the now empty biscuit packet and the cup and wandered
into the kitchen. What to do? Hmm. I pondered that as I washed the
cup and threw the biscuit packet in the trash. My eyes fell on a
Marvels comic book and I grinned. Comicbook buying. Oh yes. Always
good for wasting a few hours.

Now I remembered that the last time I'd talked to Penn, she'd said
something about a Felidae comicbook...

I pulled on my grey trenchcoat and black boots, wandered outside,
locked the door and was on my way to Jamie's Comicbook Paradise.

One of the things I really like about living here is that there are
entire shops dedicated to just selling comicbooks. Believe me, we
have nothing like that in Norway. Well, there's Avalon, but that's
only three shops in two big citys. And where I lived the book shops
weren't much to write about either, so whenever I'm in a big bookshop
or comicbook shop now, it's like letting a kid go crazy in a candy
store. Complete with wide eyes and a never ending grin.

I walked inside Jamie's. Ahh... The sight of new comicbooks... I
never tire of it.

I made a bee-line for the Dark Horse section to see if Felidae had
been published. I couldn't remember what date Penn had said, so for
all I knew it wasn't due for launch until February. Still. I had to
check.

Heh. I grinned as I spotted the comic. As known from the books, the
card game and the numberous collectors cards. Penn sure knows how to
keep herself busy. I picked the comic up (nice picture of Chasa on
the front) and flipped through it. The tale of the Sanctuary's
origins, part one of three. Nice art. Not much surprise in that.

I curled the comic up to keep it with me while I went hunting for
other comics. Or sci-fi books. I'm not discriminating.

Another glace at the DH section told me that I could move on to
without missing anything. That didn't stop me from flipping through a
few more comics though. Just for fun.

Moving on.

Did I have the newest 'L'Amitié?'

Nope.

It got curled up along with Felidae.

I was eyeing a Vertigo TPB, wondering if I could afford it, when
someone nudged me. I turned and grinned. "Cassie! Lin! What are you
doing here?"

Cassie held up a couple of comics and smiled. "Shopping day."

Lin nodded. "Yup, me too. Ran into Cassie here over at the Blonds Are
Us section."

"Why am I not surprised?" I sniggered. Cassie's fondness for blonds
was legendary. Had she been at the Corner yesterday, John and Warren
would probably been attacked imidiately. She makes no excuse for it
either. Shameless, she is.

Cassie aka Cassiopeia-with-the-impossible-last-name grinned brightly
at me and bounced. "Many, many blonds!" She waved her comics. "Oh and
have you seen the newest Valhall?"

"Valhall...No, I don't... Hey, wasn't Declan going to have a series
of covers for that one?"

"Yup!" Lin nodded, then looked at her watch. "Oh, I've got to go!
Nice to see you, bye!" She rushed off.

I looked after her. "Is she always in a hurry?"

"Yes, I think so. Anyway, look!" Cassie held up a copy of
Valhall. "Ennit gorgeous?"

I oohed at the painted cover. "It is indeed. Where can I get one?"

Cassie pointed.

I wandered over.

I walked out of the shop with five comics. And a semi-decent Sci-fi
book. I'd turned a used-comicbook case more or less upside down and
managed to find an old copy of a Louise Glochester comic as well as
an old Rose Inc. I liked Rose Inc. Marty and Kal have chemistry. A
screwed up, based on hate sort of chemisty, but still. And Glochester
art is always a good thing. Even if the Emperors of Dawn wasn't
precisely my favorite comic book.

One day I'd probably write slash about Marty and Kal. Provided I
could find something they had in common besides being really
compeditative and having the same profession. I know people who can
slash just about anyone and do it decently, but I just can't do that.
I have to base it on _something_.

Well. Except that Ethan Rayne/Spike thing which I based pretty much
only on the fact that they're both bad guys... But that one wasn't my
fault. That was all Rick's fault. Honest.

See if you can have him nagging at you for two weeks straight without
succumbing...

****

Two paragraphs away from finishing Moric's birthday present, and the
phone rang. I paused my typing and leaned over to check the caller
ID. It was Mai Lee. I grinned and grabbed the phone. "Hey, Mai Lee!"

"Could you not do that? It freaks me out every time."

I chuckled. "Why do you think I do it?"

"Humph."

"Why are you calling?" I grinned.

"Oh that. Um. Are you doing anything today?"

"Have two paragraphs left on a story, but after that, I'm free. Why?"

"Oh, just this party I have to go to, and roomie has to study and I
don't want to go alone, so I was wondering..."

"...What kind of party?" Yes, this was Mai Lee so the party was
probably not that outre but one could never be too sure... I let Izzy
talk me into going to a party once. I'm still not sure whether or not
he knew that chains and leather was mandatory. And then there was
that other time with the Hawaii theme, but, really, that one was...
Um. Nothing compared to the chains and leather party. And while I'm
on the topic, some people should really face up to their limitations
and realise that black leather catsuits just isn't for everyone.

Iz hadn't looked that bad though. Despite being short, kind of stocky
and cursed with eternal cuteness (old ladies pinches his cheek). I
would've liked to see Rick in something like that. Him being tall,
kind of skinny, and having a blue stripe in his hair. He claims it's
a part of his mutation. Everyone else says he dyes it in. Goes well
with his eyes at any rate.

Note to self; Mention this to Izzy when he comes back tomorrow. See
how long it'll take him to convince Rick to wear leather.

"It's a school paper thing. At seven tonight. So. Can you?" Mai Lee
sounded hopeful.

There goes my anti-social day... "Yeah, sure. You going to pick me up
or?"

"No, I can do that. Six-thirty all right?"

"Yup. See you then!"

"Yes. And thanks!"

She hung up.

The phone rang again.

I looked surprised at it. Geez. Amazing how popular I had suddenly
become. I picked up to phone. "Yeah?"

"Mr. Olsen?"

"Yeah?"

"This is Liz Braddock. I'm calling from the Xavier school?"

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I know who you are. Why're you calling?"

"Have you seen Jubilee? Today, I mean."

I blinked. "She's not appeared yet?"

"No. I take it you haven't seen her?"

"No, I haven't. If I do see her, I'll be sure to call the school,
though."

"Okay, thanks." She hung up.

I eyed the phone.

It didn't ring.

****

"I forgot to ask. There's not going to be any overly mutant-fobic
people at this party, is there? Because I really prefer being
prepared if that's the case."

Mai Lee frowned thoughtfully then shook her head. "No. 'Least I don't
think so."

"Great. Let's get inside and kick some social butt," I suggested.

Mai Lee giggled, grabbed my arm and wandered inside the building. I
looked around, spotted the buffet table and saw a brunette I thought
I recognized. I stared at her for a bit hoping to jog my memory.

Mai Lee elbowed me. "You're staring."

"I know. I'm trying to remember where I know her from."

Mai Lee glanced in the brunette's direction. "The tv probably. That's
Trish Tilby."

I snapped my fingers. "Oh right! Izzy likes to spend time following
her around with his camera!"

"Isn't that his job?"

"Well. Yeah."

There were no overly mutant-fobic people at the party.

I mean, I did get stared at. Hey, I'm green. I've gotten used to it.
But no one started talking about 'registrating mutants' and 'camps'.
Yes, I've actually heard people talking about mutant camps. In the
States that is. If it was mentioned in Europe, it would lead to a
long discussion on Hitler and the Nazis two seconds later. It might
have been over fifty years since the war ended, but believe me, it's
not even close to forgotten. Just look at the schools in Norway; The
kids get force-feed information about the war from day one. When I
finished the Norwegian equiqualent of High School, I was so sick of
the whole war I was tempted to start one of my own just to give the
school's history books something else to go on and on about.

Anyway, nice party. Entertaining Mai Lee. I didn't regret giving up
my anti-social day all that much. Besides I could always have it
later.

It wasn't more than ten when we left the party and Mai Lee drove me
home (pausing for a moment at SilverShoe so I could rent a few
movies. They know me by name there. I hardly ever need to show my
card). I stepped out of the car and bent back in. "Want to come up?"

"No, I can't. I still have a paper to write," Mai Lee smiled.

I shrugged. "Okay."

"And I think you rented Dead Man on Campus. Again."

"I like that film!"

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know."

I grinned at her and waved goodbye before I went upstairs. Maybe I
had gone on and on about Dead Man quite a few times... I grinned
wider. This would be the what? Fiftieth time I saw it?

I like this movie. Can you tell?

I climbed the stairs up to my apartment, whistling merrily on 'the
Bridge over Kwai' (which isn't the official title, I don't think, but
I don't know any other name for it). I fished the key out of my
pocket, put the key in the lock and discovered a yellow raincoat
balled up in the corner. I blinked at it.

There was something familiar about that raincoat...

I left the key in the lock and went to poke the raincoat cautiously
with my foot.

It moved. And yelped. "Hey! Where do you get off--"

"Jubilee?" I broke in, incredulous. "What are you doing here?"

The raincoat was twisted around, and now I could see her face. Since
I find it vaguely disturbing to be talking to an inanimated object, I
welcomed the change.

"I wasn't sure where else to go."

"Eh, excuse me, but does 'Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters' ring
any bells what so ever?"

She gave me a Look. "I can't go there."

"Why not? No, wait, don't answer that. Let's get into the apartment
so I can lock the doors and not invite to being robbed blind."

Jubilee seemed to agree to that plan. She got on her feet and
followed me into the apartment, eyeing the bag with the film in
curiously.

I locked the door behind me and turned to look at Jubilee. I wondered
which hair-colour he'd had this time and whether or not the CIA
wanted her for questioning. Well, the school probably knew how to
deal with this. Provided I could get her to the school, that was. She
didn't seem all too eager to return.

"Want to sit down?"

She nodded and dropped down on the floor.

"I do have chairs..."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"O-kay then..."

I left her sitting on the floor, looking curiously around, and walked
into the kitchen to put a frozen pizza in the stove. I came into the
livingroom again carrying two pineapple sodas. I handed one over to
Jubilee and sat down across from her on the floor. "So. What are you
doing here?"

"I need a place to crash." She gave me puppy-dog eyes. "I'll be out
of your hair tomorrow, honest."

"And back at the school?"

She hesitated a bit, then gave me a bright grin. "Sure!"

"Why am I not believeing you?"

"You listen to rumours too much?"

"Nah, don't think that's it." I looked at her. "Why won't you go back
to the school?"

Jubilee looked down at her soda. "Got something I have to do first."

Okay, that lifted something off of my shoulders. I would've hated to
call the school and tell them that, yes, I did in fact see Jubilee
today, only she didn't want to go to the school and made a run for it
before I could do anything. Where she's now? ...Well...

See, that wouldn't have worked at all.

"But you're going back to the school eventually?" I asked for
confirmation.

She looked surprised. "Of course. Where else would I go?"

I didn't reply to that. I didn't want to be giving her ideas.

We sat in silence, sipping in our sodas until the buzzer I'd set for
the pizza went off. I got on my feet. "Want some pizza?"

"Sure." She got on her feet as well. "This mean I can stay?"

"Yeah, I suppose. You can crash on the couch. I'm going to call the
school and tell them about it though."

"You have to?"

"Yeah. Otherwise I'd blow my cover as a responsible adult."

For some reason, that just made her laugh.

*****

"My parents are dead, you know," she said.

I looked away from the screen and Josh and Cooper's photography
snapping. "They are?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too. Some bastards ran them off the road."

"Ouch."

"It'll be five years since they were killed next April."

I waited.

"I know who did it."

I arched my eyebrows at her.

She didn't notice. She stared intently at the glass in her hand. "I'm
going to make them pay."

"And by pay, you mean..."

"Just dying is too good for them."

"I see."

I made a mental note to have a little chat with Ororo Munroe about a
certain homocidal student of hers.

We finished watching the movie and went to bed.



note: absolute finished, published on the site, etc, version of this
chapter was unavailable due father's rearranging of the computer
files. Some people should not be allowed near a computer. Sigh. It's
one o'clock at night, and I haven't the want to read through this to
check it, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it's the correct
version. Sigh. again.

Through The Ages We Remember
By Nadja Lee 03/03/02

English is not my native language. Please forgive me my mistakes.

Disclaimer: “X-men” and all the characters here belong to Marvel, 20 Century Fox
and I intend no infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make
no money of it.

Disclaimer: “Highlander” and all the characters here belong to Davis/Panzer and
I intend no infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make no
money of it.

Only the original idea contained within this work is the property of the author.
Please do not copy this story to any website or archive without permission of
the author.

Timeline: Set after the X-men movie and after the Highlander episode
Methuselah’s Gift.

Universe: Set in the X-men movie universe and Highlander series universe.

Pairing: Logan/Rogue, Methos/Alexa, Methos/Cassandra, light Scott/Ororo,

Summary: Methos mourns Alexa when after many years he loses her. He meets Logan
again and Logan asks him to keep his promise but is Logan asking for something
Methos won't give?

Archiving: Want, ASK, take, have.

Feedback: Yes, please. My e-mail address is nadjalee2000@...

Rating: PG-13

Series/sequel: This story is a sequel to “Through The Ages We Love”. Part 5 in
“Through The Ages….” series.

Dedicated to: Sorcieré with love.

Thanks to Estelle for the Beta.

Warning: Character death.

Note: This is a crossover between X-men movie universe and the Highlander series
universe…Like you hadn’t figured that out already *LOL*. You don’t need to know
anything at all about Highlander to follow this story.

Note: If anyone finds any faults in my Latin and Spanish please contact me with
the correct spelling. I did my best but those languages aren't my strongest
suit.

  Things in //mmmmmmm// mean flashback.



Part 1:

A cold wind blew over the land and Methos shivered, hiding his hands deeper
inside his coat pockets. His steps were slow but sure as he walked over the
graveyard, not noticing any other grave than the one he was heading towards;
hers. Their time together had been so short, nothing but a drop in the ocean of
forever yet in those wonderful 85 years he had been with her she had made him
forget how cold and lonely the world really was. She had filled his days with
laughter, joy and sunshine. Now, he felt like the sun had died with her; never
had he felt so cold and so alone.

He had always known this day would come yet it didn’t make it any easier. That
he had gotten 85 years with her instead of the one he had first thought only
strengthened the feeling of loss. He remembered what his Immortal friend Duncan
MacLeod had said; no matter if she lives to be a hundred you’ll always have the
pain of losing her. And it was true; all too true.

He had done all he could to make those years count; he had travelled the world
with her, given her all she wished for, he had been there for her and loved her
with all his being. He had immortalized her as best and as much as any mortal
could be; paintings, photographs, videotapes and the new holo images of her
filled his home. While her long hair was still brown she had cut a lock of it
off and given it to him; saying that that way some part of her would always stay
with him.

He had reached her grave and kneeled down beside it, fighting back tears. Gently
with a lover’s touch he dusted some fallen leaves off her headstone and read the
inscription he had given her;



Alexa Bond Pierson

Beloved

Semper iuxta viscus, semper iuxta sententia [Latin for ’Always close in heart,
always close in thought’]

I wish….time would just stand still



No era suficientemente largo. Podría nunca ser suficientemente largo [ Spanish
for ’ It was not long enough. It could never be long enough’]



He had picked a lovely spot for her; she could see the sunrise from here and the
ocean. She had loved the ocean. He had buried her in Greece, the last place they
had lived. Of all the countries they had lived in Greece had been a favourite of
hers.

“Alexa….I…I brought these for you,” Methos mumbled, fighting tears but he felt
how they ran from his eyes and down his cheeks anyway. He held out the bouquet
of white lilies; her favourites and for one crazy yet wonderful instant praying
to see her come walking out of the mist and embrace him as she took the flowers.
But she didn’t and gently he laid the flowers on her grave.  As he closed his
eyes images….memories, ran through his brain. Memories of her, of her smile, her
hair floating in the wind, her smiling at him, laughing with him, teasing him,
loving him, holding his hand, walking on the beach…….never in all his years had
he found a woman who had loved him so completely as Alexa. Only she had known of
his past, all of his past and only she had been able to see past it.

He knew things had been difficult and hard for her as the years passed by. He
insisted that he’ll never claim to be anything but her husband even when she
looked old enough to be his mother. Some people had looked, thought it strange
but he hadn’t cared. He loved her and wanted to show that love for as long as he
could. In her last years they hadn’t gone out among other people because she
hadn’t wanted to but he had made sure she never lacked anything all the same; he
would rent an entire restaurant just for them, they would walk on the beach
alone in the moonlight and he would show her the sights of the towns they
visited, having either paid for permission to go there with her after normal
closing hours or simply did it anyway. His desire to officially be named her
husband for as long as she lived had made a few Immortals aware of his presence
but those he couldn’t outrun or outthink, he could beat. And even if he hadn’t
been able to…..Alexa was the only woman, the only person for so many years who
he was willing to give up his life for should it come to that. But it hadn’t and
now he had to learn to live without her again……live with the pain.  His greatest
fear now was that he’d someday, in a hundred years, a thousand years….would
forget her. He closed his eyes and remembered what she had said to him in her
final hour…….



//A month earlier, Alexa’s deathbed//

The room was quiet, the only sound Alexa’s weak breathing. The presence of death
was overwhelming and Methos wished he could do something; anything.

“Methos,” Alexa’s weak voice asked, and she opened her eyes and looked at him.
He sat by her bedside as he had the last week. They both knew time was running
out; Methos had tried everything from pleading to begging to threats but no
matter what he did all the doctors said the same; she was dying from old age and
there was no cure for that no matter how much Methos wished there was.

“I’m here, beloved. I’ll always be here,” he whispered, fighting tears. She
needed him to be strong now; he would have an eternity in which to cry in, in
which to mourn her. Now, he needed to be strong.

“I…know. You…always have been. Always,” Alexa said softly, her voice filled with
love as were her eyes.  Methos squeezed her hand gently, careful not to push too
hard. Over the years she had lost none of her beauty; to him she was as
beautiful as the first day he had met her. Her hair was all white now and thin,
her skin was wrinkled and her body was weak…….and never had a woman looked more
beautiful to him.

“Alexa,” Methos whispered, taking her hand to his lips and softly kissed it.

“It’ll be alright,” she said softly and he almost burst out in tears. Even now,
she was thinking of him.

“I love you, Alexa. I did from the first moment I saw you. I’ll always love you
and I’ll always remember,” Methos promised, his voice sober.

“I love you too, Methos. I always will. And I’ll never leave you…..Even when I’m
gone I’ll always be with you,” she whispered, her voice almost gone now.

“Beloved…….you’re my heart and soul,” he mumbled, a tear falling from his eye.
With a weak and shaking hand she wiped it away, her eyes concerned.

“Will you be alright?” she asked softly. Methos thought for a while; he would
hurt, he would feel like he was dying and his world had crumbled, he would
mourn, he would cry…he would survive. He always did. He smiled gently and
stroked her hair.

“Yeah, I’ll be alright,” Methos whispered softly. “Eventually……I’ll be alright.”

She smiled, love and a sense of peace in her eyes. He smiled back at her, a
bittersweet smile as he took back the covers and lay in bed beside her, taking
her in his arms, enjoying the feel of her for one last time.

Methos held her close, giving her all his warmth, all his joy and all his love.
He held her close, his arms around her, protecting her, keeping her safe. When
the sun rose the next morning she had fallen asleep, never to wake again. Safe
in his arms and in his love, a smile still shore on her face and though there
was no light in her eyes, there was still love in them when Methos finally let
his tears fall, holding her tight and kissing her still lips.

//



Part 2:

Finally, after what felt like forever but had only been minutes Methos slowly
stood up and as he did so he took his right hand to his lips and then laid it
gently on Alexa’s headstone.

“To warm you through the winter,” his whispered and with a last look at the
woman who had meant more to him than words could ever describe, Methos walked
away.

He was so consumed by his own thoughts, lost in memories that he almost missed
the man coming towards him. It couldn’t be…..it was….

“Logan!” Methos said surprised, a smile spreading over his lips. He was more
than ever beginning to feel the loneliness every Immortal felt and a familiar
face was a welcomed sight. Methos frowned when he looked more closely at Logan;
his clothes were loose and dirty, he had lines around his eyes and in his face,
his hair had a few white streaks but it was his eyes which caught his attention.
The light in them seemed to have died completely. In fact he looked weak,
dragging his feet…..almost…..almost like he was dying.

“Methos,” Logan said when he came to him, forcing a smile. Methos hugged Logan
briefly before he turned to walk out of the cemetery, Logan walking with him.
Methos cast Logan stolen glances, knowing the look in his friend’s eyes well. It
was a look of pure sorrow and loss. He knew that Scott and Ororo had died with a
few months between each other almost ten years ago. Both Alexa and Rogue had
aged a little slower, lived a little longer, thanks to Logan’s healing factor.
Logan had tried to see if he couldn’t somehow keep postponing Rogue’s death by
letting her touch him but it didn’t work that way; she was given a small piece
of prolonged life by her touch of him the first time as was Alexa but that was
all.

“Alexa died last month,” Methos said softly, his voice seeming loud among the
graves. He hadn’t said it out loud before; it was like telling it would make it
real. He remembered how heartbroken Logan had been when he two months earlier
had called him and told him that Rogue had died. Alexa and him had flown over to
be at her funeral and in that moment Methos had known Alexa’s time was really
running out.

“I know. I dropped by your house,” Logan told him and even his voice seemed sad
and tired. Methos got a worried look in his eyes. Something was really wrong;
something besides the obvious.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the company but…why did you seek me out?” Methos
asked, his voice forced calm.

Logan stopped, graves all around them, the wind cold.

“Many years ago when I killed Kronos you promised me you’ll do something for me.
Do you keep that promise?” his voice was intense, his eyes piercing.

“Yes,” Methos answered, his words guarded, his eyes likewise.

“Do you carry a sword?” Logan suddenly asked, his voice mild. Methos looked
confused. Well, of course he carried a sword, it was one of the reasons why he
always wore a long coat. He never left home without it. One never could be too
careful.

“Yes,” he said, his voice betraying his confusion at the question. Did Logan
want to fight him? Methos looked closely at his old friend. No, Logan looked too
tired in every way for that and besides, his jacket was short, there was no way
he could hide a sword on him.

Logan stopped walking and turned to face Methos, his eyes sad, tired and seeming
to hold all the pain of the world.

“I’ve lived for more than 200 years and in that time I’ve loved just one woman;
Rogue. She was my life, my soul, my heart; she was everything to me. How do you
go on? How can you stand it?” his voice was as pained and tortured as his eyes.

“I don’t. I live, I survive. That is what we do, Logan. You can live at least
200 years more. It’s a small comfort now, I know, but in time….the pain will
lessen. Never disappear but it will lessen,” Methos promised, concern in his
eyes as he looked at his old friend. It was as if he had nothing to live for,
Methos thought worried.

“I don’t want the pain gone. Don’t you see? It is all I have left of her,” his
voice was soft now, remembering.

“Come. Let’s get something to drink,” Methos changed the subject, the whole
conversation getting too painful for him, way too dark.

“No, I……Methos, you’ve lived for more than 5000 years. What makes your life
worthwhile?” there was a strange edge to his question but Methos didn’t know
what answer he had to avoid.

“Well…..I guess…,” he began.

“Exactly. Your moments with Alexa or any of your other wives. It was love that
made it worthwhile. Now, what would you do if you knew……knew there was only one
woman for you? Only one love?”

Methos closed his eyes briefly. Please, don’t let this discussion be heading
towards what I think it is, Methos prayed softly.  He remembered Connor MacLeod,
an Immortal he had last met during WW2. He had lived for more than 400 years yet
loved and married only one woman; Heather. His love for her had been so strong
life without her had seemed like torture. Though he had carried on. He
had…..maybe Logan could too.

“She wouldn’t wish you dead,” Methos said, concern and the possibility of loss
making his voice cold. Cutting him off now would make losing him easier should
it come to that. But……..could he cut him off?

“She wouldn’t want to see me suffer needlessly either,” Logan said quietly.
There was something in his eyes, an unspoken question…..

“No!” Methos denied hotly, backing away from Logan. Had he gone mad? No, never.
Never again would he take the life of a friend. Silas’s death still haunted him;
he didn’t need any more nightmares.

  “Keep the promise you gave me. Help me. You’re the only one who can,” his voice
was strong, sincere. He had tried to do it himself but no matter what he always
healed; he always came back.

“I will do anything but that,” Methos shook his head in denial, tears
threatening to fall. To love so strongly that death was preferable to life
without her…..to be so unafraid of death that one was actually able to do
it……amazing. His own will to live was as always too strong; no matter how much
he hurt, he would move on, he would survive. That was his way. But…..what was
Logan’s way?

“I ask you because I know you can do this and I know you can live with this,”
Logan looked directly at him, his eyes seeming to pierce Methos’s very soul.
“Don’t make me beg,” the words were soft, almost too low to hear.

“You love her that much?” Methos whispered.

“Yes,” the answer was instant, without hesitation.

“No doubts? No regrets?” his voice was more remote now, colder. It had to be if
he should be able to survive this. Just do it, don’t think. Don’t feel.

“None,” again the answer was without hesitation. “Let me rejoin her now but
promise me you’ll bury me with her; the same coffin, the same grave.”

Methos nodded, tears on his cheeks though his voice was steady as was his hand
as he drew his sword.
”I swear,” Methos promised and considered if he should ask Logan to get down on
his kneels but didn’t like the thought if it. It’ll make it feel more like an
execution than he could take. He walked slowly around Logan, the sword pointing
towards the ground, looking harmless.

“Methos?” Logan whispered.

“Yes?”
”It has been a pleasure knowing you,” a hint of warm was in his voice for the
first time since his wife’s death. Methos smiled sadly.

“Likewise, my friend, my brother. Likewise,” Methos said softly, now standing
behind Logan. “Close your eyes. See her before you. Isn’t she beautiful?” Methos
whispered, tears in his voice, making it low and almost hypnotic. Logan closed
his eyes and a smile spread over his face as he saw Rogue before him, waving him
nearer and smiling at him.

“I see her,” Logan whispered lowly.

“Go to her then. Go to her,” Methos whispered and forced all thoughts from his
mind as he swung the sword, using a backhand stroke on Logan, beheading him. He
closed his eyes as the body fell to the ground and for a long time he just stood
still, breathing in gasps. Then he opened his eyes and fell to his knees,
dropping the sword.

“Damn you, Logan. Damn you!” he sobbed, tears running freely from his eyes. Why?
Why did he have to love so deeply? So completely? Gods, why did he have to die?
Why did Alexa? Why did they all have to die?

Yet he lived, he survived.



He always did.



He always did.



Slowly, feeling all his years, Methos got to his feet. It was times like these,
the pain so strong that he…..no, no. He would live, he would survive. He would
go on. For if not….who would remember Alexa then? Who would remember Logan then?



The Navajo have a saying: The spirit lives as long as someone who lives
remembers you.



And Methos planned to live a long time. A very long time. Always
remembering…….always.



Logan, my friend……I shall miss you but hope you’re at peace now.



Alexa, my beloved, my precious……my love.

You’ll never be forgotten, beloved Alexa; never.





I’ll always remember.



Always



The End