(A/N: My word...I am terrible at keeping up with this. HOWEVER. WE HAVE ACT FOUR HERE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT! There's only 4k words...how shameful of me XD)
⚠️Warnings: angst between wannabe lovers...uh...I think that's it lol
Dividers by @saradika-graphics
Masterlist
“Gambit found a little extra. Here, pigeon, have some sugar with it,” Remy said as he sat down in the seat beside Rayna who was staring somberly at a coffee cup in front of her. She perked up and looked over at him. The smile on her lips was small and somber as she replied, “Sorry sharkie…but Magneto already beat you to it…”
The Cajun’s expression soured hearing her words. As if knowing she had mentioned him, the man in question sat down in the chair beside Rayna at the head of the table. Magneto spoke up staring directly at Gambit as the metal creamer cup moved through the air to place some of its contents into Rayna’s cup of coffee, “It’s cream…actually…”
“Oh leave him be,” Alison’s voice chastised as she entered the kitchen. She grabbed her own mug of coffee before moving to sit at Magneto’s right, “Do you have to be so mean?”
Erik glowered at the horned woman before asking, “Where’s Henry?”
“Probably still upstairs—”
“Right here!” Henry exclaimed almost breathlessly as he clambered into the kitchen. Alison hummed before chuckling and lifting a hand gesturing to her lips as if telling him something. The young man lifted a hand touching his lips which Rayna and Gambit noticed were lip stick stained. Gambit’s brow furrowed in confusion casting a sparse glance to the woman beside him. Rayna was wearing some lipgloss today. It did not match, but it was still suspicious to Remy…
“OH…” Rebel huffed before wiping his mouth on his sleeve turning to the coffee to save himself the embarrassment.
Alison chuckled at his antics before looking to the door as it opened revealing Rogue. The Ink Demon hummed knowingly and looked at her coffee cup.
“Ya know…if ya takin’ orders, I’ll take a cappuccino,” Gambit spoke up ignoring the awkwardness of being in the presence of Magneto, the Ink Demon, and Rebel.
Magneto huffed before answering, “No. Luckily, I’m giving them.”
Gambit soured glaring at the older man who merely stared at the Cajun over the rim of his coffee mug. Alison huffed quietly and gently kicked Erik under the table. Magneto’s eyes widened slightly as he choked a bit on his coffee. He glared at her as she stared back with a disapproving look, “After breakfast, the X-Men will report to the Danger Room for drills. We must be ready should Mister Sinister resurface.”
The others soon began to quietly file into the kitchen taking various seats at the small table as Magneto spoke. Henry stood behind Rogue’s seat leaning against the back of it.
“Surely our youngest member deserves some jubilation on her 18th birthday!” Hank quietly commented as he grabbed his own cup of coffee. His large hands moved to grab a second mug, but he stalled…Diana was not here…
“I second the blue Rogaine ad. Birthdays deserve excitement,” Henry mused as he finished his cup of coffee. Rogue smacked him causing him to huff quietly and throw the southern belle a soft glare.
“Kid deserves it,” Wolverine agreed as he sat down beside Morph who was reaching for a muffin.
“Jubilee will see far more birthdays should she learn to master her powers to face a world that despises her,” Magneto retorted sounding very unhappy. Alison kicked his leg under the table again causing his free hand to subtly reach out and grip her thigh to make her stop.
“Yoho! Someone’s daddy didn’t get him a pony for his sweet sixteenth,” Morph hummed while munching on a muffin.
“My parents perished when I was a child,” Erik deadpanned causing Alison, Henry, and Rayna to roll their eyes. Morph’s expression changed at Magneto’s words.
Silence settled over the room before the door slammed open revealing a very excited Jubilee. Rayna chuckled quietly as she watched the teen.
“Who’s got two thumbs that blast fireworks and turns eighteen today? ME!” she exclaimed excitedly as she twirled in a circle as she had her thumbs up emitting sparkles from her hands.
“Happy birthday, sparkles!” Rayna said offering Jubilee a big, lopsided grin. Rogue chuckled as well as she spoke up too, “Aw! Happy birthday, sweet pea! Boy, do we got some surprises for you!”
Jubilee’s smile widened impossibly more as she seemed to start vibrating with excitement. Wolverine held up a box of muffins specifically muffins that Morph had snagged one from.
“But how do you wanna celebrate the big eighteen, kid?” Henry asked leaning on Rogue’s chair watching the teen with a lopsided grin. He had grown found of Jubilee. Alison had taken notice knowing the infamous Rebel had a soft spot for those younger than him.
“We’re all ears,” Logan piped up offering her a very small, very gentle smile.
Jubilee took a muffin and held it in her hand gesturing with it, “Big shocker, I know, but let’s go to the arcade! It’ll be just like old times! What do we think?”
“Excellent—!” Rayna attempted to respond but was very rudely interrupted by Magneto, “You would have the Master of Magnetism seen in a bar of childish make believe?”
Alison quickly glared at Erik who merely ignored her. Rayna also cast a disapproving glare at the man. He blatantly ignored them both as he stared at Jubilee.
“Let the kid have some fun! Sheesh! You don’t have to go, you know?!” Rayna huffed as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.
“I agree with Rayna, Erik,” Alison said as she glared at the man to her left. He sighed heavily and narrowed his eyes at the Ink Demon, “I’m not going to allow—”
Alison kicked him under the table again causing him to grow quiet and look away and out the window pouting slightly. The others could not tell he was pouting, but Alison could. It took a lot in her not to laugh.
Returning her gaze to Jubilee, Alison smiled softly and replied, “Let’s do our morning drills first. Then we can have our fun.”
Jubilee stared at the horned woman for a moment before smiling and nodding as she plopped down in one of the dining table chairs. The X-Men ate their breakfast rather quietly.
Alison’s promise had been shot down though. Jubilee had retreated to her room very upset at Magneto who did not seem to care one bit. She had dragged a very confused Roberto with her as she retreated to her room.
No one had seen Magneto and the Ink Demon in the past few hours. They most likely were arguing. Rayna and Henry had disappeared as well. No one knew where they were.
Gambit was not at all happy when he noticed his Firebird’s absence. Sure they were not truly officially a thing, but Remy cared about her…more than he wanted to admit. He merely worried about her distance as of late. Something had happened since Magneto had taken over with his two goons. The Goblin Queen’s mind messing definitely did not help keep him off edge.
Absentmindedly, the Cajun wandered the halls trying to find something to do. Rounding a corner, he stalled in a hallway though when he saw Rayna and Henry murmuring near the Professor’s old office.
Quickly deciding to eavesdrop, Remy ducked behind the corner listening carefully to the conversation. He needed answers; and if Rayna would not give them to him, he would find out for himself. What Remy heard though caused his heart to lurch.
“Gambit can’t know. I won’t let him get involved in all this,” Rayna huffed, “I don’t want to hurt him.”
“He’s gonna find out sooner or later, Rayna,” Henry countered.
“Not if I don’t let him,” the Firebird sneered, “Not yet anyway…”
Gambit stood there dead still. What was she saying?! Did…she not want him anymore?
“Get lost, con-man. Go bother Rogue or something,” Rayna quietly snapped.
Wait…what did Rogue have to do with all of this?! Was she…was this…some kind of…
Gambit shook his head not wanting to let his mind wander there. He knew Rayna…at least…he thought he did.
Footsteps could be heard coming towards his hiding spot. He pressed his back flush against the wall holding his breath as he hid in the shadows. Rayna stormed by not even noticing him much to Remy’s relief. His eyes followed her as she moved down the hall obviously moving to go to her room.
A twang of hurt and jealousy pricked at his heart as his grip tightened on a playing card that he had not realized he had pulled out of his deck. Gambit looked down at it and cringed slightly seeing which card it was.
A Queen of Hearts…
Oh what are you up to, pigeon?
Knocking could be heard from the front door causing him to break from his daze. Gambit quickly and quietly left the hall and moved to the foyer to the front door. As he opened the door, he fully expected to see Diana standing there.
Remy froze when he made eye contact with a pair of familiar cold blue eyes. He swallowed thickly before greeting, “Hey…Ramona…”
The blonde standing on the front porch greeted him coldly in return, “Hey yourself, Cajun.”
Gambit stood there unsure of what to do. Loud foot falls could be heard approaching the foyer though. Wolverine appeared in a doorway of the foyer looking to the front door with a cold (but rather hopeful) expression.
Quickly, Logan pushed Gambit from the doorway, “Move, gumbo.”
A short laugh emitted from the the blonde on the front porch. Gambit rolled his eyes and stalked away leaving Wolverine to talk to the woman.
Logan stared at Ramona for a moment before gruffly muttering, “Why you here, blondie?”
“Well it’s definitely not for your company,” she sassed as she pushed Wolverine out of the way as she moved into the mansion. Ramona looked around before looking back to Logan, “Where’s my sister?”
“Dunno…probably with that little twerp Henry,” the feral mutant replied with a shrug.
“So that means Magneto and the Ink Demon are here, yes?”
“What else would it mean?”
“Look. I’m not here for a friendly visit as much as I wish this was one,” Ramona sighed turning to face Wolverine fully, “I’m here to judge the Ink Demon.”
The Firebird and Rebel had been in the Danger Room training after having unknowingly been caught talking by Gambit. They were playfully bickering as they sparred.
As Gambit approached the Danger Room, he could hear it in use. Gambit could hear voices. What he heard was not what he had expected. There was laughter and a few amused hollers.
A loud swear from Rayna caused Remy to suddenly rush into the room with a charged card drawn. He stalled when he saw the scene before him.
Instead of a couple locked in an embrace which Gambit had fully expected, what he saw shocked him. Henry was gently holding Rayna’s hands in ungloved hands. He was watching as a purple flame flickered from the Firebird’s hands. That was not the normal green flames that Remy knew…
“What’s goin’ on here?” Gambit spoke up glaring suspiciously at the pair. Rayna perked up and looked at the Cajun with wide eyes as she immediately turned her body hiding the purple flames from his view. Henry’s breath hitched as his gaze snapped from Rayna to look at the Cajun who was obviously fuming. He immediately pulled his hands away from Rayna’s quickly reaching for his gloves shoving them back over his exposed skin. However, Henry’s countenance seemed rather…uneasy…
“I asked what was goin’ on here,” Gambit repeated keeping his glare locked on Henry who swallowed nervously.
“Uh…” Henry uneasily huffed as he looked to Rayna for help. She turned and narrowed her eyes at Gambit.
“This is none of your concern, Gambit,” the Firebird coldly replied causing Remy’s heart to crack.
Seeing her almost downright glare, Remy growled quietly before quickly approaching Henry, “You wanna take Gambit’s girl?! You fight him for her!”
Rayna’s eyes widened as she quickly realized how her words had affected him. The Firebird placed herself between Gambit and Rebel who had quickly turned on his feet. She exclaimed, “WOAH! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves!”
“Move, cher. I ain’t gonna let one of Magneto’s goons take what’s mine,” Gambit snapped as he grabbed Rayna by the shoulders and gently moved her out of the way.
Henry quickly got into a fighting stance having expected this, “I’m not trying to take your girl, Gambit…”
“Nah. You just tryna get all the girls in dis mansion, ain’t you?” the Cajun grumbled as he swung at Rebel who ducked out of the way.
“You have this all wrong, my friend,” Henry retorted trying to keep from having to fight Gambit who seemed hellbent on smacking the other man around.
“Oh yeah? Then why you two sneakin’ ‘round like ya got somethin’ ta hide?”
“Really, Remy? You’re jealous?!” Rayna asked moving to stand between Remy and Henry again.
“Yeah, I am! You been sneakin’ around behind my back always in da company o’ dis lowlife! And lets not get started on how much him and Rogue tiptoe ‘round too!” Gambit retorted looking down at Rayna with angry eyes.
“You don’t own me, Remy!” she shouted pushing his shoulders slightly, “But this isn’t what it looks like!”
Her words and shove made Gambit stall. He stared at her with wide eyes his thoughts suddenly rushing with the vision that the Goblin Queen had forced him to see. Remy squared his jaw before muttering, “This ain’t what it looks like? Fine. I don’t own ya…but I ain’t gonna stand by. If he’s who ya want, then Gambit ain’t stickin’ ‘round to just be a side piece…”
The Cajun turned beginning to leave ignoring the sudden shouting of Rayna who sounded absolutely heartbroken. Henry stood back quietly for a moment before seemingly realizing what had just happened. With a quiet gasp, he moved to Rayna’s side as she suddenly started to break down into a sobbing mess.
As he tried to console her though, Rayna pushed him away shouting, “WHY DID YOU HAVE TO COME BACK INTO MY LIFE?! I WAS HAPPY! WHY DID ANY OF YOU HAVE TO COME BACK INTO MY LIFE!”
“Ray—”
“SHUT UP! YOU JUST RUINED THE ONE GOOD THING I HAVE HAD IN THE PAST SIX YEARS! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!”
Rayna rushed from the Danger Room trying to go after Remy who had disappeared to his room.
Loud shouting could be heard from the depths of the mansion. One of the voices was Magneto as he was attempting to defend himself against someone. The other voice although familiar had an eerie unworldly edge that most of the X-Men recognized.
Cyclops had returned in time to hear this loud shouting causing him to sigh heavily and approach the situation. What he saw startled him.
Wolverine stood beside Magneto attempting to talk someone down. The sight of Alison wrapped tightly in a chain did nothing but cause a pit to settle in Scott’s stomach.
“What is going on here?!” he quickly asked pulling the attention of the four in the room to him, “Why are you here, Vur?”
“She said she’s here to judge Chios!” Logan huffed narrowing his eyes at the blonde who rolled her eyes and gripped the chain in her gloved left hand tighter.
“Oh lighten up! I’m just going to do this, and then we can go eat dinner and drink a couple beers,” Ramona snapped looking to the feral mutant before looking at Cyclops, “Leave the situation. This is between the Demon here and the demon in my head.”
“I know you don’t want to do this…” Magneto quickly asked trying to take a step closer. Ramona growled quietly at the Master of Magnetism though causing him to not take his step forward.
“I don’t get to pick who gets judged…” the woman murmured as her grip on her chain slackened slightly.
“Rayna wouldn’t be happy with this,” Erik commented causing Ramona groan quietly.
“Don’t bring her into this…just…don’t,” she grumbled as she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head.
While her attention was diverted, Magneto reached out a hand pulling the chain out of Ramona’s grasp and off of Alison who coughed loudly as her breath had almost been squeezed out of her.
Ramona did not even flinch. She just sighed and lifted her hands rubbing them over her face. Alison scrambled to her feet and looked at the blonde.
“What’d I do?!” the Ink Demon quickly snapped.
“I don’t know…the Rider wasn’t very specific…”
“Oh great. That voice in your head keeping secrets from ya now?” Wolverine sarcastically remarked causing the blonde to glare at him, “Keep your mouth shut, fuzz.”
Ramona sighed and held a hand out silently asking Magneto to give her chain back. When he did not return it, her blue eyes glared daggers at the older man.
“Give it.”
“Not until I know you won’t kill my wife.”
The blonde growled quietly before approaching the Master of Magnetism snatching the chains before swinging them around herself.
“I can’t promise she’ll survive if she steps out of line again,” Ramona said as she stared at Magneto coldly before moving to leave the living room. The X-Men present watched her leave. Wolverine quickly followed after her, and Magneto quickly moved to check on Alison who was getting to her feet.
Cyclops rubbed his hands over his face feeling so very tired of the sudden changes and turmoil in the mansion. I shouldn’t have ran Diana off…
“Erik…” Henry’s voice gently called out to the Master of Magnetism who looked away from Alison to the young man.
“What is it?” he asked watching Henry as the young man fidgeted with his gloves.
“We have a situation…”
The Firebird had pounded on Gambit’s door for a good thirty minutes. When the Cajun did not even acknowledge her presence at his door, Rayna had broken down just outside his room. Her forehead leaned against the door alongside a hand as she brokenly sobbed.
Silent steps could be heard approaching her. She did not look to whoever was approaching her until she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her helping her to her feet.
“Come, little bird…”
Rayna was steered away out of the corridor to her own room. Once inside, she pushed away who had pulled her out of the hall. Her tear stained face made the man before her heart ache.
“Really?” Rayna sneered as she turned and gave him her back.
With a sigh, Magneto replied, “I’m not going to ask why you were sobbing in the hall…”
“Oh no! Because I’m sure Henry already told you all about it!”
“Quiet.”
Rayna huffed before moving to sit on the edge of her bed. She crossed her arms before angrily muttering, “Where’s Ali? Shouldn’t she be doing this?”
“You’ve never listened to her,” Magneto replied as he moved to sit down beside the Firebird, “You always listened to me though, little bird.”
Rayna lifted her gaze glaring at him, “Who says I ever listened to either of you?”
“Your control over your powers is proof enough.”
“What control?! I’m slipping more and more every single day! It’s just a matter of time before something happens! A-Again…”
She clamped her mouth shut looking away. Her bottom lip still quivered. The older man beside her sighed quietly before gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
“I…know you’re afraid,” he began sighing unhappily, “But…if what Henry says is true, don’t be stupid. You cannot push everyone away. So many people care about you…even that…hillbilly…. He deserves to know just as everyone else does. Your powers don’t define you. The people around you do.”
Magneto slowly stood and moved to leave Rayna’s room. She watched him leave with a somber expression.
“Mags?” the Firebird quietly called out causing him to stop and look at her, “I still haven’t forgiven you…”
“Ramona’s downstairs,” Magneto hummed quietly after he stared at her for a moment. Then, he offered a curt, somber nod and cold, regret filled expression before leaving the room. Rayna sighed quietly before looking around her room. She looked down at her lap for a moment as it registered that her sister was here.
Her eyes drifted again before landing on a specific shelf on her bookcase. Rayna stood and went over to it looking to the collection of small metal birds that decorated it. She sighed quietly as she reached out to a turned down picture frame picking it up and looking at it.
Gambit deserved to know…I have to tell him…everything…
She could not bring herself to do it though. Rayna had not wanted anything to do with Magneto and his Ink Demon since they had shown back up. Henry just did not know how to leave her alone even if he tried to “help” which only added to the fire that Rayna knew she could not control for much longer.
Angrily, the Firebird clutched the picture tightly in her hands before throwing it across the room. It hit the wall causing the frame and the glass to shatter as it clattered to the floor. Rayna swore loudly before collapsing to her knees as she began to cry.
Magneto sighed quietly from where he still stood just outside her closed door. She’s too stubborn for her own good. Where did I go wrong?
The Master of Magnetism’s presence in front of her door did not go unnoticed. Gambit was peeking out of door watching the older mutant stand outside the Firebird’s room. His hand clenched around the doorknob seeing the almost sickeningly soft expression of Magneto’s face. What do any of them want with my girl?
“You’re leaving already?”
“You know I cant stay in one place for long. The Rider won’t let me stay, fuzz.”
“Not even for a night? You didn’t even see your sister, Ramona!”
Ramona and Wolverine were standing in the front hall of the Institute talking. Logan was very adamant about the blonde staying for a bit at least long enough for dinner and maybe a couple of drinks with him. The Rider was calling her away though just like usual.
Despite knowing how dangerous Ramona Vur could be, Logan could not help but find her appealing. She was rough and tumble just like he was. Her past was riddled and scarred just like she was.
“If I stayed for dinner, would that make you feel better, fuzz?” She asked giving him a look as she crossed her arms. The Wolverine smirked in response as he nodded, “Would be nice. Plus…it is Jubilee’s birthday.”
“WAIT. WHAT?! NO ONE TOLD ME WHEN HER BIRTHDAY WAS!” Ramona exclaimed causing the feral mutant to chuckle.
“Now you have a reason to stay.”
The blonde narrowed her blue eyes unhappily at Wolverine before rolling her eyes and conceding to his pleas. She brushed past him into the mansion just as Jubilee and Roberto were meandering down the stairs. They were talking quietly until Jubilee spotted the Ghost Rider.
“Mona!” she happily shouted as she bounded down the stairs quickly grasping the blonde in a hug. Ramona huffed from the impact but laughed as she hugged the younger now woman back.
“Hey kiddo! I heard it was someone’s birthday,” Mona said as she pushed Jubilee away slightly so she could look at her, “And I know someone who might like to go fast on this special day.”
Jubilee gasped knowing what that meant. She beamed at the older blonde exclaiming, “Really?! We can go drive those winding roads as fast as possible?!”
“Wait…what?” Logan spoke up giving Ramona a disapproving glance. She smirked at him, “Oh don’t worry you old sourpuss. I’ll be driving. I promised little sparklers here that I’d take her for a ride with me and the Rider when she turned eighteen.”
Wolverine sighed unhappily before turning and walking muttering swears as he wandered away. Ramona chuckled quietly before Jubilee speaking to her dragged her attention away from the feral mutant.
“Oh! I want you to meet Roberto!” Jubilee happily said as she gestured to the young man behind her. Ramona gave him a once over before bluntly saying, “Your boyfriend?”
Both of them blushed at her comment as Jubes quickly spoke up, “N-No!”
“Not yet then. Ok,” Mona mused as she took a step towards Roberto who looked at her uneasily, “She’ll break your heart, kid.”
“HEY!” Jubilee shouted causing Ramona to laugh.
“Oh hush. I’m just messing with you two. Now come on. I think we can squeeze that drive in before dinner!”
This sweetheart needs some fic…so if no one writes for him, I WILL!!!!!
𝒯𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒯𝓊𝓈𝓀𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝓍 ℱ𝑒𝓂! ℳ𝑜𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇! 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇
Summary: Tylor comes to college with big aspirations of becoming the best scarer. However, he never expected to meet a pretty monster who sweeps him off his feet.
Warnings: bullying mention, parties
Monsters University was the top college in all of Monstropilous. Every monster aspired to attend it and become a fierce scarer. Some were good at it and aced every test thrown their way. Tylor Tuskmon was one of those students.
He had come to MU with high hopes of getting a Masters in Scaring. His roar was already decently famous, maybe here he could make a big difference.
The young monster had already been admitted into RΩR even though he’d been there basically two months. Everything was going great until the day he saw one thing…
His day was going as normal, class to class nothing too unusual. However, one thing caught his eye. A pretty female monster leaving Scare Hall with tears in her eyes. Tylor was confused as to why she looked as if she were going to cry. That was until he heard the laughs…
He looked to see a group of monsters who he recognized as some of the girls of PNK. Tylor’s brow furrowed until he saw the torn jacket that they were holding in their hands. It was one of their own but appeared to have been modified to match the pretty monster’s fashion taste. They must have made fun of it and took it.
Tylor turned to look over his shoulder and felt his heart break when the girl glared at PNK. She shouted something which made the other girls immediately shut up. He thought it sounded like a very loud growl.
Interesting…
His gaze turned back to PNK once again before beginning to continue on his journey. However, Tylor kept thinking about that girl…
She seemed like she cared what people thought and voiced against it when need be…something that fascinated Tylor. He’d have to muster some courage to talk to her.
His sorority brothers could sense that something was on his mind, but they didn’t press merely joking every once in a while that Tylor had a crush. Every time they said that, he’d glare and growl before heading to his room.
He didn’t have a crush on her per say…she just…couldn’t leave his thoughts. She seemed soft despite her frightening yet beautiful appearance. He just had to talk to her!
Tylor procrastinated talking to her though. And every time he tried to talk to her, he’d chicken out…so much for being a scare major…can’t even talk to the pretty girl…
That was until she approached him…
“Are you Tylor Tuskmon?” she had asked causing the large monster to panic so hard that he had dropped all of his books. The girl had merely chuckled before helping him.
“So I’d take that as a yes?” she kept pushing making Tylor look her in the eyes. He gulped the lump in his throat before trying to splutter something out.
“I-uh-I-uh…YEAH! Y-yeah! I-I’m Tylor Tuskmon!” he mentally slapped himself for stuttering so bad. The girl merely chuckled before handing him one of his pencils.
Ok…maybe he did like her just a little bit…
“I wondered…one of my friends kept saying that ‘Tylor Tuskmon was staring,’” she replied with a mischievous grin. Tylor’s eyes widened as he looked down to the slightly smaller monster.
“W-Well…I’d say they’re wrong!” he tried to joke, but his nerves were gnawing at him like one of those crazed pigeons gnawed on stale bread.
“Maybe…PNK is throwing a party later. They wanted me to let one of you RΩR boys know,” she said still holding the pencil out. Tylor quickly noticed and reached for the pencil and tried not to scream when his hand brushed her own.
“I-I’ll let the boys know,” he replied with a smile making the girl smile in return.
“See you then, Tuskmon!” she said as she turned away. Tylor released the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.
“Wow…” he muttered standing still for a moment watching her walk away. Tylor soon turned around and bolted to tell RΩR about the party.
RΩR had heartily agreed to go to the party especially since it was a Friday. Tylor kept trying to keep his nerves in check. The prospect of being able to talk to the pretty girl who he’d seen loudly growl was making him go crazy.
“Hey Tuskmon, you coming?” one of his friends shouted to him as he stood on the steps of the PNK commons.
“Yeah yeah yeah…just…thinking,” Tylor replied beginning to hear the beat of the music inside. Now or never Tylor…
The party was loud and very, very pink…which he knew he should have expected, but his mind was on other things. His eyes immediately scanned the dance floor looking for the girl. This was when he remembered he had never asked her her name.
He sighed before quietly separating from his friends to go on the hunt. Tylor felt his nerves once again chew at him. This was just one girl! Why was he so nervous?
“Hi there! You’re one of RΩR boys aren’t ya?” he jumped when he heard a very high pitched voice behind him. Tylor turned to see one of PNK standing there with a big, fake smile.
“Uh…yeah!” he replied, “I was just—”
“Oh glad to see that our little messenger kept her keep! Come on! A big scare major like you should be on the dance floor!” the girl exclaimed grasping his hand firmly and dragging him to the dance floor.
“H-Hey uh…sorry but I-I don’t want to dance r-right now,” Tylor tried to explain, but the PNK member kept dragging him.
“Oh! Yes, you do!” she said with a high pitched giggle.
“Cindy! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LET HIM GO! If he says he doesn’t wanna dance, he DOESNT wanna dance!” a familiar voice growled making the whole room stop. Tylor’s eyes widened when they landed on the girl he’s been looking for.
“Oh what’s it to you, loser?” “Cindy” sasses in reply.
A dark chuckle emitted from the other monster. All eyes in the room moved to her making her swallow thickly despite not being noticed by a huge percentage of the monsters in the room. Tylor ripped his hands from the PNK’s hands and turned his eyes to the pretty monster he’d been dying to talk to.
“Loser, you might be a ‘member’ of PNK, but you’re not one of us!” Cindy walked up to the other girl getting right in her face, “Now go away! You wouldn’t have a chance with a hottie like that!”
“Tsk…you wish you could actually pull someone like him in,” the girl growled making Cindy back away if only slightly.
Tylor just stood there his jaw practically on the floor. His gaze could not be broken from the infatuating glare on the girl’s face that made the member of PNK back away even more.
“Y-You’re such a flake!” Cindy shouted before turning away. Tylor blinked and watched her walk away lifting a hand making the party come back to life.
“SAYS A FLAKE!” a loud growl resonates through the party making it stall once again.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” Cindy shouts back from where she’s standing. A few members of PNK gathering around her.
“I SAID—” she tried to shout but was grasped around the waist and thrown over someone’s shoulder, “HEY! WHAT THE—?”
Her words were ripped from her mouth though when she was set on the ground outside of the PNK commons. She whipped her head up with a glare before her eyes immediately widened.
“Tuskmon?!” she asked through gritted fangs.
“I uh…I-I-I…I-I didn’t want you to get h-hurt or a-anything,” Tylor spluttered and mentally slapped himself again at his stuttering.
“Heh…I’ve survived worse from those…” the girl’s voice trailed off. She sighed and looked to the taller monster, “You must think I’m really stupid eh?”
“N-NO! You’re…really…brave…” he tried not to sound nervous, but his voice betrayed him.
The girl merely smirked up at him.
“Well then…if I’m so brave…would…you take me on a date?” she asked making Tylor’s heart leap into his throat.
The girl he’d been thinking about for the past two weeks had just asked him out. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t blink. He couldn’t do…anything.
“Uh…you good there Tuskmon?” her words dragged him from his frozen state.
“Y-Yeah…just…I don’t even know your name,” he spluttered once again and looked down to his feet.
“(Y/N)…my name is (Y/N),” she said with a small, genuine smile. Tylor couldn’t help but feel starstruck by her beauty.
“O-Ok then (Y/N)…w-would you go on a date with m-me?” Tylor whispered his hands pulling together wringing them.
“I guess I’d say yes,” (Y/N) says with a smile that slaps Tylor once again. He smiled making (Y/N) chuckle.
She liked the scare major’s boyish charm. It was sweet and definitely something she’d be happy getting to know better.
I will write for just about EVERY Skyrim character, regardless of DLC. I‘m pretty rusty on my Oblivion lore and am new to Morrowind!
Some of the Gotham Rogues Gallery! The Joker, Oswald Cobblepot, The Riddler, Jonathan Crane, Bane..
I‘m pretty confident that I can write for the Mortal Kombat roster! I‘m better at writing romance with male-aligned characters
I will write for all of the horror movie slasher bachelors and bachelorettes, even if theres a character I haven‘t heard of! i have an affinity for Pinhead, however…
All of the Fallout New Vegas, Fo3, and Fo4 bachelors are open!
Beckett, LaCroix, Mercurio and Smiling Jack are the chosen few of the VtMB cast
The entire cast and crew of Dragon Age 2 and DA:I are open!
So...because I've been so focused on my novel and the Of the Voide stuff (novel mostly) therr is some next level writer's block on fanfic. So very uninspired there...
But...I fixed some major holes in my novel (where info was missing that I thought had been written down) and wove in the one romance that's happening. Now I have to put some spots where I copied in notes I yo prose and then the first portion can be left alone for a while.
But ill do that later. My brain is fuzzy and fixing the start of the middle section is way more important. It's what prompted me to go back anyway.
Yay writer life!
I'm also making notes for Of the Voide so I may resume posting that at some point. If not...add it to things im thinking of publishing right along with my Fantasy Novel.
Questions, Comments, or Concerns?
Direct them at my cat...and his catnip filled D20...
Many emotions coursed the Xavier Institute. Some of sadness…some of anger…but most of all fear…
Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean had gone on a daring mission to try and enlist Magneto’s help. And even if Magneto had lended his aid to help his old friend, everyone had a sneaking suspicion that even the Master of Magnetism’s aid might not be in time.
With Magneto’s aid performed, he stood back gripping the hand of his wife Alison Chios, the Ink Demon, who had come along for moral support (and the knowledge that Xavier’s psychic abilities might kill her husband if this was not done correctly). The Master of Magnetism watched his old friend with a hardened yet somber expression. A young man named Henry Chios, Alison’s nephew, stood back having only come to comfort his aunt and uncle. His eyes quite frequently trailed to the southern belle, Rogue, as if wanting to approach her…comfort her…
The Professor murmured many things to each of his X-Men…as if saying his final goodbyes…. Slow, steady beeping came from the machines connected to the psychic.
Tears flowed down the X-Men’s cheeks despite some of them fighting those droplets of sadness. Some more than others felt the weight of the situation weigh down on them…
Diana Xavier felt it most. She stood to the side trying to hide in the shadows. Her emotions overwhelmed her. The man who had raised her since she was only an infant was slowly dying in front of her, and she could do nothing to help.
Ramona Vur stood in the back with her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. She was not here hardly enough…but everything in her, that voice in her head, was telling her to leave. Her little sister’s expression made the blonde stay though as did the obvious pain being felt by the feral mutant, Wolverine.
Rayna Vur, the Firebird, stood idly by Remy LeBeau, the Gambit. She fought the tears that threatened to fall. The Professor’s words directed at the Firebird echoing in her head…
“Little bird of the flame…strong on the outside despite loving so much…you cannot bear it…a daughter to proud parents…a guardian of earth…”
The pink haired young woman looked away in shame. She sniffled quietly. Gambit wrapped an arm around the Firebird’s shoulders in an effort to comfort her.
Xavier’s gaze slowly turned to Diana who was already sobbing in the shadows. He lifted a hand shakily as if beckoning her closer. The young woman could not deny him…out of fear she would regret not doing so.
Slowly, she emerged from the shadows moving to kneel by Xavier’s bedside taking his hand in hers…
“Young Diana…my daughter…your power is strong…but your heart is just as strong…I trust you…my dear…stay strong…”
Xavier soon was taken from them…leaving the X-Men to go through their lives now without a leader…
⚠️Warnings: very long (almost 9k); mention of throwing up
Dividers by @saradika-graphics
Masterlist
One year.
It had been one whole year since the Professor’s departure…since his death. The X-Men had mourned him as if he had died; and to some of them, he had.
Diana Xavier, his adoptive daughter, was particularly upset by the Professor’s “demise.” She had become reclusive. What once had been a shy but lovable young woman had become a somber hermit. The others, especially Scott and Jean who had never seen her in such a state, worried about her. The Summers had learned that they had other things to worry about though.
With a baby now on the way, the X-Men had felt even more sporadic. Missions became tense especially since a huge chunk of their muscle was gone in Diana’s mourning and Jean’s pregnancy. Sure the others had stepped up pushing themselves and their powers to the limits, but one accident had ended this limit pushing though.
Rayna Vur, the Firebird, had accidentally started a fire in a building…an occurrence that was slowly becoming more frequent as if she had no control over her powers. Cyclops had not been happy leading to a big argument that had accomplished nothing. It only built a wall between members of the X-Men. Both too hotheaded and stubborn to come to an agreement, Rayna and Scott had begun to avoid each other going so far as to avoid each other’s respective partner as well much to everyone’s chagrin.
With these tensions so high, Scott and Jean had silently come to an agreement…to leave the X-Men so to raise their child like a normal family. Somehow that had gotten to Diana who had thrown a fit claiming they were abandoning the Professor’s legacy.
The goth was in such depths of despair though that her words were merely that. They held no weight against her chosen siblings. She just did not want to be left alone.
Diana’s mourning had gotten on Scott’s final nerve though when she had thrown her fit. He had ultimately made her cry which caused a drift to come between the two who had once been so close. Despite the idea just resting in the air, it had caused more tension than help. No one spoke of it after that argument. Cyclops and Diana continued to drift apart. He never checked on her even if he heard her crying. She never tried to talk to him even if they were in the same room.
So much was happening…and none of the X-Men knew how to fix it…or if it even could be…
A supposedly abandoned warehouse tucked away in a seedier part of New York City was brimming with activity. It had been occupied by the Friends of Humanity who were slowly becoming more organized than most mutants would have liked.
Right now, they had a young man held captive roughly pushing him through the warehouse belittling him and calling him names. He did not fight back claiming he was not a mutant. Which on the surface, he quite possibly might not be.
The Friends of Humanity ever the suspicious lot though had placed an inhibitor collar on the young man who merely sat in the chair they had forced him into. He even offered them money seemingly from a wealthy family. They laughed and belittled him more. Their attention turned away though.
While the FOH quietly schemed how to deal with this young mutant, a loud explosion suddenly disrupted the tense moment though causing the FOH to scramble around like rats.
“Hey you twits!” a female voice shouted from the rafters, “You wanna have a bonfire? Roast your stupid carcasses?!”
Large balls of green flame fell to the floor scattering across the dingy floor almost like water flickering at various humans who screamed in panic. They scattered before stopping and trying to spot who had spoken to them. Thunder cracked above the ceiling as it suddenly caved in glass scattering amongst the flames. Several of the humans began to arm themselves with weaponry that seemed to mimic Sentinel technology.
“I am Storm, mistress of the elements. Surrender the boy or face my fury,” another female voice bellowed much more commanding than the previous one. A woman, Storm, floated down into the building her eyes stark white as lightning crackled around her.
“Real subtle, Storm,” the first voice mumbled as she appeared on the overhead balcony her long pink hair swirling in Storm’s wind.
“Be quiet, Firebird,” Storm quietly commanded to Rayna who rolled her eyes and looked over to the Friends of Humanity who were finishing arming themselves.
“Oh yay…these fools and their weaponry,” the Firebird grumbled as she slid off of the balcony when the humans began to try and attack Storm. The shots from the blasters were poorly aimed, but Bishop’s were much better aimed as he slid onto the balcony beside Storm. He couldn’t help but comment, “Whole announcement shtick didn’t go over well, did it?”
“Pardon me, Bishop, for striving to resolve the matter peacefully,” Storm replied as she maneuvered lightning to strike several of the humans’ blasters.
“You know! You’re just as dramatic with your entrances, Bishop!” Rayna loudly interrupted the conversation as she looked up at Storm and Bishop who quickly took out the armed humans who were attacking them. They seemingly ignored her much to her frustration.
The Firebird reached out and reigned in her flames stepping back. Panicked settled in her chest when she saw Storm and Bishop knocked down. However her worry soon turned to disgust as Cyclops soon appeared through a hole he blasted in the wall. She sighed quietly and watched him as he finished up the hero business. None of the lackeys seemed to even notice her as she basically stood idly watching over Storm and Bishop. Watching Cyke have all the fun though irked Rayna the most. They always had had a very strained relationship, even more so in recent months.
I should have just stayed home with Remy…they don’t seem to need me much…
However a noise caught the Firebird’s attention. She looked up and over to see…a Sentinel hand? Rayna gasped before swearing quietly when she noticed someone attempting to turn it on…more specifically access the blaster.
She rushed forward moving between the Sentinel blast and Cyke with the kid. Her hands raised offering a flamey shield in the fast moving moment. The Sentinel hand shot out a harsh blast that was stopped by Rayna for just enough time so Cyclops could push the kid out of the way. As soon as they had moved, the blast overwhelmed Rayna whose control over her powers loosened for just a few seconds…specifically when a certain purple hue flickered through her flamey green shield.
The Firebird was thrown back several feet rolling across the floor in a hissing pile. Her hand lifted tenderly touching her left shoulder. With a quiet swear, she lay down on the dingy floor. Well that’s a sprain…
Cyclops quickly attempted to try and take down the man who was fidgeting with the Sentinel hand. He was detained though. Rayna watched this happen rolling her eyes at the pitiful scene as Scott’s visor was pulled off. She ducked and covered her head knowing what was coming. The concussive explosion from Cyclops’ optic blast threw all of FOH back rendering them unconscious.
With the Friends of Humanity now defeated, the X-Men present returned to the Institute bringing their new young friend with them as he had seemingly passed out from all the excitement.
As they returned, one of the rooms of the Institute had the curtains slightly opened. Cyke had noticed first sighing quietly when he realized it was Diana’s room. She was watching them return from another mission…again. Rayna sensed the eyes on them as well looking at the window and with no shame waved up at Diana.
“Don’t do that. She won’t care,” Scott snapped at the Firebird who merely glared the man.
“And how do you know that, four eyes?” Rayna huffed about ready to smack the self appointed leader silly.
Before Scott could answer, Jean’s voice could be heard from the steps of the mansion. Rayna took that as her opportunity to slip away and track down Gambit.
When the rest of the team entered the mansion, Diana could be seen standing at the top of the stairs watching them with an emotionless expression. Some of them greeted her which garnered no response. She appeared to want to say something but chose not to as she turned around and retreated to her room once more.
Cyclops watched her carefully as she retreated away once again. His worry was always present, but he did not know how to approach her anymore. Diana had always been strange…now more than ever…
He chose not to approach her tonight though. After the latest mission, Scott just wanted to go to bed, a sentiment shared by most of the X-Men.
The night air was calm and serene…except for the soft sounds coming from Beast’s lab. Hank was asleep right now; and even if the young man who the others had saved was there, the lab was still being occupied…specifically by Diana.
She looked sleep deprived, and her once short hair had grown long in the year of her mourning. It was rather disheveled from how often she kept running her hands through it. Her arms were wrapped in gauze as if trying to protect a wound. That was the main reason she had started to grow distant. Diana had been studying her blood since she had stumbled across something in Xavier’s files…a secret…
Every night for the past six months, Diana had been sneaking to the lab doing various studies. The others never knew as she never left a trace of her nighttime escapades.
One person sort of knew about Diana’s studies though…Rayna…who was becoming increasingly worried about her friend. The Firebird tried to let the shadow manipulator have her space, but it seemed as if Rayna was the only one trying to keep in contact with Diana. Every day it felt as if Diana was drifting away further into whatever was going on in her brain.
A quiet timer that Diana kept nearby went off telling her her time for the night was up. She looked over to the window seeing that the sun was starting to rise. With a heavy sigh, Diana quickly finished what she was doing snapping her fingers causing the shadows to clean up after her as she disappeared into them moments before Beast came into the lab.
He did not seem to notice that his equipment had been used, but Diana always left no trace of having been there. For once, she did decide to go downstairs to eat (it was definitely not because she smelled something specific).
Remy had gotten up early making beignets. Rayna had been in the kitchen almost immediately. It was easily the quickest way to get the Firebird out of bed this early in the morning.
“Cher…Gambit swears you has a sixth sense for dese things,” Remy commented when he noticed Rayna slide into one of the seats at the kitchen island. She rolled her left shoulder as if it hurt. The Firebird never was good at telling others when she was in pain.
“How could I not? Beignets are like a drug, sharkie,” she mused as she stifled a yawn. Gambit chuckled at the Firebird finding her absolutely adorable something the Cajun knew he could not call her in open areas. He had a reckless streak though, “Don’t yawn like that, pigeon. Gambit might start thinkin’ ya cute.”
Feigning a disgruntled, disgusted noise, Rayna glared at Remy playfully as she made a face at him, “I should slap you silly for that comment.”
“Ah but chere, ya all bark and no bite,” Gambit retorted looking over his shoulder at Rayna and her messy bed head, “Gambit could bite you though…”
The Firebird gasped loudly as her jaw dropped, “DUDE!”
Gambit laughed at her reaction and looked back to his cooking shaking his head smiling softly to himself. His heart fluttered in his chest hearing Rayna begin to playfully chew him out. Oh how I wish you’d let me get close…
A figure suddenly caught both of their attentions though. They looked to see Diana standing in the doorway. She looked so tired…it was a rather pathetic sight.
“Good morning,” Diana quietly greeted as she moved to the coffee maker starting it.
“Mornin’, petite,” Gambit greeted treating her like usual. Rayna quickly greeted Diana as well, “Hey, shade.”
With a cup of coffee now in her hands, Diana moved to sit a few seats away from Rayna at the island. She was quiet like normal, but it was so much more somber than usual.
“You hungry?” Remy asked looking over to Diana who looked at him making eye contact. She nodded, “Yeah…”
“Good. Got a fresh plate righ’ here,” he said as he put a plate of beignets right in front of the shadow manipulator. A faint smile came to Diana’s face causing the duo in the room to sigh silently in relief. Such an expression was rare on Diana’s face anymore.
“Thanks,” Diana replied as she set her coffee cup down summoning the shadows to grab her a fork.
“HEY!” Rayna suddenly spoke up as she looked at Gambit, “WHERE’S MINE?!”
Gambit tried not to laugh at Rayna’s almost childish attitude. He shrugged, “Ya don’t get none if ya act like dat, birdie.”
“HEYYY!” she whined as she stood slightly trying to reach for him. Gambit turned though staying just out of her reach. With a huff, the Firebird sat back down in her seat narrowing her eyes at the Cajun.
“You see what I have to deal with?” Rayna grumbled as she looked over to Diana who was quietly eating her breakfast. The goth looked up and hummed, “He’s not very nice.”
Firebird flashed Diana a lopsided grin which was returned in the form of a small smile. Diana’s eyes turned to look at Gambit who had his back turned to the women. Lifting her hand, Gambit’s shadow subtly grabbed a ready plate of beignets placing it in front of Rayna who started to cackle loudly.
Rayna’s cackling caught Gambit’s attention. He turned and huffed in amusement when he saw the plate in front of the Firebird. Throwing a feigned glare of chastisement at Diana, Remy tried to keep from smiling; but a smirk found its way to his features causing Diana to giggle quietly. A welcome sound…
“Diana…!” a new voice suddenly said from the doorway to the kitchen. She stiffened and looked to see Scott standing stiff. Rayna glared at Cyke as if he had offended her. Gambit quietly cleared his throat pulling the Firebird’s attention back to him. Her gaze snapped back to the Cajun watching him instead of glaring at the visored mutant.
“Good morning,” Diana coolly greeted Scott whose expression turned to one of almost somber betrayal.
“Is that any way to greet me, sugah?!” Rogue’s drawl cut into the tense moment causing it to shatter for the moment. Diana looked over to Rogue and offered the southern belle a gentle smile.
“I didn’t mean you, Anna,” she replied causing Rogue to hum and return Diana’s smile.
“What? No ‘good morning’ to the rest of us?” Rayna sassed smirking at Rogue who merely rolled her eyes and reached out a gloved hand to ruffle the Firebird’s bright pink hair.
“I’m sure she was getting to that,” Diana spoke up as she continued to quietly eat her food.
Scott stood awkwardly in the kitchen doorway until he noticed the pot of coffee which he quickly reached for. Once he had a cup, he leaned back against the counter looking down at his cup. He could not help muttering looking to Gambit, Rogue and even dared look at Diana, “You know…Storm and Bishop could have been hurt….We needed you out there.”
“You stopped the bad guys…saved the kid…got home safe. These beignets needed me more than you did, Mon Ami,” Remy mused smirking at Cyke who merely put on a harsh face, “Plus! Ya had Firebird!”
“She about burned the building down and got herself hurt! And the Friends of Humanity had retrofitted Sentinel technology! Do you have any idea what that means, Gambit?” Scott snapped. Rayna immediately got defensive ready to give Cyclops a piece of her mind. A hand on the Firebird’s shoulder caused her to still though. Diana had her gaze on her breakfast, but she did not want another big argument to break out.
With a huff of smoke, Rayna relaxed looking down at her own breakfast gripping her plate tightly. Gambit noticed his birdie’s reaction and was about to say something snide to Scott but was interrupted by Rogue, “Means you get to howlin’ like a lonely kettle left on a fiery stove! We've rodeo'd more Sentinels than I care to count. And Storm and Bishop are made of sterner stuff than you think.”
“The more help the better though,” Scott grumbled.
“Oh quit your whining Scott!” Rayna snapped having had enough of Cyke’s grumblings.
“Really? So you don’t care that the Professor entrusted us with his dream of mutant-human coexistence? Or did you forget about that while sneaking around with Gambit?! We have to stay vigilant even if it seems good out there,” Scott snapped back causing Rayna to stand from her seat knocking it over as she narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at Cyclops ready to start arguing with him.
“The last few months have been rough, what with the Professor being gone and all; but, sugar, if you don’t simmer down, you’re gonna die of a stroke!” Rogue quickly spoke up as Diana stood and placed her hands on the Firebird’s shoulders trying to get the pink haired woman to calm down. With another huff of smoke, Rayna snatched her chair back up and sat down turning her glare to her breakfast. The southern belle’s speech is unheard by both Rayna and Diana as one tried to comfort the other while the other seethed. A familiar voice jolted both of them though. Diana more so than Rayna…
“Rogue is right, Cyclops. Scott, while I trust that all my students would gladly die for my dream of a better future, where both human and mutant live free of your total disdain for fun, I would prefer it be avoided,” the familiar voice of Charles Xavier carried through the room. While the others rolled their eyes knowing it was only Morph, Diana was horrified staring with wide eyes at the visage of the late Professor. She suddenly stood and stumbled from the kitchen abandoning her breakfast on the kitchen island.
The others immediately took note. Morph shifted back to normal form a look of shame crossing the shape shifter’s features, “Oh boy…I didn’t notice she was in here…”
A few moments of silence passed before Gambit piped up smirking at Cyclops as the Cajun gripped a beignet loosely in his hand, “Looks like Cyclops boutta have dat stroke. Maybe dis’ll help.”
Rayna perked up and smirked wickedly when she saw the beignet the Cajun held turn bright pink. She leaned to the side slightly as Gambit tossed the beignet at Scott. However, the beignet was caught suspended in the air. Rayna groaned as the sweet treat was flung out of the kitchen window where it safely exploded.
“Remy! You could have hurt someone!” Jean’s voice chastised from the kitchen door. The Firebird grumbled quietly to herself and picked at her breakfast feeling frustrated with Mrs. Summers. Gambit paid no mind though merely saluting with the tongs in his hand as he turned back to his cooking whistling while he worked.
Cyclops just had to pipe up though, “He doesn't care, Jean. All he cares about
are his stupid beignets. I don't know who's worse, him or Wolverine.”
“Hey, don’t slander the beignets!” Rayna huffed turning her gaze to glare at Scott whose eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
“Both of you stop that!” Jean huffed looking between the two. Rayna looked away and over to Gambit trying to ignore the couple behind her. Rogue noticed this and sighed quietly reaching out a hand and gently placing it on the Firebird’s shoulder as she moved to leave the kitchen.
“I’m gonna go check on Diana,” Rayna suddenly said as she stood moving over to Remy placing a kiss on his cheek before rushing out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Gambit froze, but she moved away too quickly before he could snatch her. He smirked to himself taking note to get his birdie alone later. Ya killin’ me here, pigeon…
While Rayna searched for Diana, some of the others were in the lab questioning the young man they had saved…one Roberta Da Costa. However, the Firebird did not realize that for once in a long while Diana was helping Hank in the labs. The goth did stay as far away from Roberto as possible to ensure she did not scare him. Beast could be scary enough at times.
Diana quietly listened to the conversation the others where having while she subtly grabbed a few things. The others too caught up in their conversation with Da Costa took no notice of the ravenette’s “thievery.” Once her pockets were full with the necessary small equipment she needed, Diana turned her attention to the others. She noticed that the young man and Jubilee were gone. Jubes probably was showing the young man around.
“Do I ask where Jubilee took the poor young man?” Diana quietly asked as she approached the others. They all turned to look at her with wide eyes not expecting her to come into the conversation. Beast was the only one who did not make it awkward as he replied, “I am sure Jubilee will take him to the Danger Room. Her curiosity can be quite admirable albeit a bit foolhardy.”
Diana hummed in agreement before Cyke quietly cleared his throat and spoke up, “I need to go do some inquiring. If the kid didn’t know anything, somebody has to.”
He soon turned and left as did Storm leaving Diana and Beast in the lab. Hank quietly looked at Diana for a moment contemplating what he should say.
“Diana…” he finally muttered after a few moments of silence, “Are you…doing alright?”
“I’m fine,” the ravenette replied almost coldly. She sighed quietly though looking to Hank with tired eyes, “Sorry…I don’t mean to snap…I just…”
“You miss him…I know…we all do,” Beast answered as he placed a large hand gently on her shoulder, “But I know how much it hurts you to lose the man you considered a father. We’re here for you though…we always will be.”
Diana stared at him for several long moments before nodding and turning her head in the direction of where Scott had left. She whispered, “Is Scott ok? He won’t approach me anymore…I know I made him mad but…”
“He has much on his mind, Diana. Between the impending child and the overwhelming amount of leadership, Scott is…doing all he can to remain sane…perhaps it is time to help?”
Diana looked to Beast once again and nodded slightly, “Perhaps…”
With a gentle pat to Diana’s shoulder, Hank moved to go back to his work table to continue working on Bishop’s time band. Diana watched after him though contemplating something. She had known Hank for so long and knew he was a trustworthy friend. Perhaps he could help her with what she had been working on…
Cautiously, the goth pulled the small pieces of equipment from her pockets. Beast’s eyes widened in shock upon seeing those small devices. Each one was for blood work. It made him suspicious. He stayed silent letting her speak first.
“Hank?” Diana quietly called trying to get his attention. He turned his stool and looked at her, “Yes, Diana?”
“Can I ask a favor of you?”
“OH COME ON! Is that the best you can do?!” Rayna sassed as she ducked Gambit’s grasp.
Some of the team was currently outside playing basketball. Rayna was being her usual cocky poor loser self. She did not seem to mind when Remy was a bit too touchy though.
“You two make me sick,” Logan spoke up as he caught the ball that Rayna had thrown at him.
“Says you! You like my sister!” the Firebird sarcastically sneered causing the Wolverine to stiffen and flush while clearing his throat quietly. Her sarcastic reply was said as she tried to get away from Gambit who quickly reached out grabbing her and lifting her up in his arms as she squealed, “PUT ME DOWN! YOU STINK!”
“Non, ma cherie…mine,” Gambit murmured as he buried his face against Rayna’s neck. The others present rolled their eyes and groaned at the duo’s antics. The Firebird was blushing harshly at how possessive Remy had sounded. She was laughing though as she attempted to get out of his hold.
Glass shattering pulled Rayna and Remy apart though. They both looked in the direction of the noise their brows furrowing in unison especially when Logan was thrown back into the basketball pole by a very unhappy Jubilee. Scott could be heard shouting as he rushed out of the mansion. Rayna rolled her eyes and turned giving Cyclops her back.
“Birdie, when you gonna let things go with Cyclops?” Gambit whispered placing a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head and grumbled, “When he quits thinking he’s the only here who can make decisions…him and Jean both…”
Remy sighed and pulled his hand away from Rayna’s shoulder turning his attention to the argument at him. Firebird was too caught up in her seething that she almost did not hear Wolverine shout at her, “BIRDBRAIN! Come on!”
She looked over to see the others moving to the mansion. Rayna quickly rushed after them, but she heard Scott mumble under his breath, “I’m shocked she’s even going…”
The Firebird ignored him leaving Jean to deal with him. Rayna quickly changed before moving to through the halls to the living room to wait for the others. She passed Beast’s lab though. Upon hearing muffled voices, Rayna slowed and listened for a moment.
That’s Diana…
Diana could be heard talking with Hank. The Firebird could not hear what was being said, but it was obvious that Diana was upset.
“Rayna!” a voice suddenly exclaimed causing the Firebird to jolt and almost fall over. She whirled and glared at who had startled her.
“What are you doing?!” Jean asked with an expression of slight worry.
“Oh go away, Jean! Don’t you have better things to do than follow me around?! How about working on that blessed baby’s nursery?!” Rayna snapped before turning and walking away.
“Rayna? RAYNA!” Jean called after the Firebird who just kept walking. With a soft sigh, the red head turned and walked the other way.
“A club…really?!” Rayna asked almost grumpily when the X-Men approached the building that Roberto had seemingly entered.
“Got a problem with that?” Logan asked looking at her with a bored expression.
“No no…just have had my fill of clubs,” she replied before brushing past all of them entering the establishment. Several people took note of her probably due to her unique looks, but she brushed that off used to the stares.
At least there was a good song playing…
“The kid's here, but there are too many scents. Looks like we split up,” Wolverine grumbled as he looked around the sea of people. Morph saddled up beside the Wolverine ‘helping’ him although they had to talk about Logan’s current problems instead.
Rayna’s eyes scanned the crowd her head already bobbing with the beat. She hated to admit it to herself, but she had kind of missed this noise.
“Nice place to pass a good time, eh, birdie?” Gambit suddenly asked from beside her. She lifted a hand and waved it slightly. He chuckled quietly and grabbed it pulling her along with him. The other X-Men watched them with annoyed expressions…all except for Rogue who watched them with a jealous gleam in her dark green eyes.
Something else caught the southern belle’s eye though…she could have sworn she caught a glimpse of…no….No, he has long since forgotten about me…
Rogue moved to one of the rafters looking over the dance floor. She sighed quietly as she watched the people. How she wished she could touch…
Her bitterness flared when she saw Rayna and Remy wandering through the dance floor. Sure they might be on a “mission,” but those two always found a way to be absolutely ridiculous with their flirting…their touching…. Rogue knew the pair were not “official,” but it still irked the poor southern belle.
However, Rogue was unaware of the eyes on her. A man stood in the shadows of the club. He had noticed the X-Men enter. He mainly had noticed Rayna at first. His chocolate brown eyes remained on Rogue though once he had spotted her. A look of longing was on his features as he stood there. He gripped his gloved hands together before slowly moving out of the club through the back door.
Roberto Da Costa had been found by Jubilee. She was attempting to get him to go back to the mansion with them, but he seemed dead set on denying the X-Men’s protection.
And although they were supposed to be searching for Roberto not knowing he had been found, Gambit and Firebird were strolling through the dance floor. Rayna was dancing slightly not able to ignore the music. Her memories of her past were coming back in waves, and it honestly made her miss this scene a bit.
“Ya’know cher…you dance real nice,” Gambit all but purred as he suddenly reached out and pulled her closer keeping her back against his chest. Rayna scoffed and looked over her shoulder slightly at him as she quipped, “Remy…you don’t know dancing until you see me really dance.”
“Oh? Mind showin’ me, Mon amour?”
Rayna smirked taking that as a challenge; but before she could start, they heard Logan shouting their names from the entrance of the club. Gambit sighed and gently took Rayna’s hand lifting it to his lips as he gave it a chaste kiss, “Perhaps anotha time, pigeon.”
She grumbled in agreement before gripping his hand tightly in hers dragging him from the dance floor and out of the club with the other X-Men. Another moment ruined…
While the others had been on the hunt for Roberto, Cyclops and Storm had gone to confront Henry Gyrich. Jean had stayed behind with a plan in place. She had been using Cerebro and did not notice when Diana sneaked into the room to keep an eye on her.
Diana was glad she had come in especially when Jean harshly pulled away the Cerebro helmet her breath shaky as she clutched at her stomach. Within a matter of moments, Diana was at Jean’s side gently clutching an arm and wrapping her other arm around Jean’s waist.
“Jean…? Jean?!” Diana asked as she tried to figure out what was wrong. Her attention turned to Scott’s voice that was worriedly hollering at Jean through the Comm.
“She’s ok, Scott,” Diana replied looking back to Jean lifting a hand and gently gripping the red head’s chin. Jean noticed Diana and gasped quietly. Shushing her friend quietly, the goth guided Jean to one of the seats in the War Room.
“I’m fine…” the psychic murmured as her hands rubbed her stomach, “What I felt though…we have to stop Trask…now…”
Diana nodded and kneeled down in front of Jean taking her hands. Jean seemed spooked, and it did not sit well with the ravenette.
“Scott, I suggest you and Storm come home. Now,” Diana said addressing the two mutants beyond the Comm. They agreed before shutting the Comm off leaving Diana and Jean in silence.
“Diana…” the red head whispered looking to her gothic friend, “Something’s coming…”
“What? What did you see?”
“I-I don’t know…but I fear that someone’s going to die…”
Diana’s eyes widened slightly at Jean’s muttered words. She sighed shakily and nodded looking away as if in thought, “Did you track Trask?”
“Not yet…b-but I will…”
“No…not in this state,” Diana huffed looking to Jean, “Let me…you don’t need anymore stress than you’ve already faced.”
“Diana—”
“No. I can handle it. You sit there.”
“But Diana, how are you—”
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing…”
Diana reached out for Cerebro. The Professor had always told her it might possibly enhance her field of shadow empathy. Right now was the perfect chance to test her theory. Her talk with Hank had been enlightening now that someone else knew what had been troubling her.
Once the helmet was securely on her head, Diana closed her eyes reaching out into the shadows. Jean gasped quietly when the lights in the room flickered before going out. A faint blue light glimmered near Diana obviously not from Cerebro. It unnerved the psychic, but she trusted Diana.
One of the screens flickered as the shadows began to move around the room. A map came up and began to scroll through coordinates. It soon stopped on a specific spot…a spot in the Sahara Desert.
Diana reached up and yanked the helmet off her head. She leaned against the computer in front of her her breathing labored as she caught it. Jean immediately noticed Diana’s reaction and became increasingly worried.
“I’m ok…” the goth huffed as she caught her breath. The lights turned back on much to Jean’s relief.
“Are you sure?” the red head asked reaching out a hand and gently touching Diana’s back.
“Yeah…just give me a moment…that many negative emotions can mess with you…”
“Wha—?”
“I’ll explain later. For now…I need to go throw up…”
Diana moved from the War Room and retreated to her room where she stayed until everyone returned. She had indeed thrown up, but it hadn’t been as bad as she had expected. Now she sat in front of her vanity staring at her reflection. Her blue on black eyes were narrowed in on her hair…how long it had gotten. She sighed heavily as she began to braid it. The shadows slithered around the room digging out her hero suit placing it on her bed.
She knew Scott would want to go after Trask now…and this time…she was going with them. It was time to be the leader that the Professor had raised her to be.
The X-Men were gathered in the War Room making their plan of attack. Rayna had several colorful things to say about some of Scott’s ideas, but Gambit ultimately shut her up by leaning over and whispering something in the Firebird’s ear that caused her to blush and look down at her boots.
While they were arguing about a course of action, the door slid open silencing them. Diana stood there with her hands behind her back and her hero suit on. She looked…different…in a way.
“I could hear the argument down the hall,” she commented as she stepped into the room, “I suppose that means we have no course of action?”
“Diana…” Cyclops muttered as he looked at her, but he was interrupted by Hank, “No, we have not…”
“I figured as much,” she grumbled as she looked around the room, “What would the Professor say if he saw all of you arguing? He’d be horrified by our behavior.”
They all looked away in shame, but Cyclops had no filter as he sassed, “Like you’ve done anything in the past year.”
Rayna immediately perked up ready to start verbally sparring again, but Gambit placed both of his hands on her shoulders tugging her back against his chest causing the Firebird to huff and cross her arms as she leaned back against the Cajun.
Diana cocked her head slightly as she coolly replied, “I lost the man who raised me. I finally have adjusted and am ready to take up the Professor’s work. This is our first time since his ‘death’ that we are going to work as a team. Anything you say will hold no relevance in my ears if you keep acting like a petulant child. Do I make myself clear?”
Everyone (except Beast) stared at Diana with wide eyes and open mouths. Usually Diana was so quiet and reserved…this was a new side of her. One that some of them seemed almost shocked of.
Cyclops swallowed thickly before nodding his head and respectfully replying, “I understand.”
He finally saw how he had been acting. Now he understood…Diana was taking over…as their leader…. Her sorrows now finally drained, and her attitude adjusted to make herself the leader they needed. The leader that Xavier had raised…
Beast smirked proudly at Diana offering her a faint nod when she looked at him. She returned it subtly before looking to the X-Men, “Shall we plan our actions now?”
The X-Men sat on the Blackbird flying to the Sahara Desert where Diana had mapped coordinates. The goth had told Jean to tell them that the psychic had found Trask not wanting the others to be made aware of how powerful their gothic friend was becoming. She sat idly in the back obviously trying to be brave and of leadership quality. Before they had left, Jean had pulled Diana aside and told the goth how proud she was of her. That had been enough of a confidence boost for the moment, but Diana was starting to slip.
Rayna knew her friend was not good in such a position especially having to be the center of attention, but the Firebird knew Diana could handle it. If anyone could, it was Diana Xavier.
Chattering amongst themselves, the others did not seem to notice Diana’s timidity. She soon stood though and approached the pilots, Cyclops and Beast. Her hands rested each on one of the pilots seats as she stared out the front glass.
“First mission back…how’s it feel?” Wolverine asked breaking Diana from her thoughts. Her gaze turned to Logan as she shrugged and replied, “Surreal…I shouldn’t have waited so long to come back…to be what the X-Men needed…”
The others softened at her words. She felt as if she had abandoned them…perhaps even abandoned Xavier’s dream. Cyclops’ heart felt the heaviest. He was realizing too late that he should have tried to help her, but he had been too caught up in everything else to aid the young woman he considered his little sister.
After a few moments of idle silence, Cyclops spoke taking some charge knowing Diana would need some help, “Listen up, people. Jean's psychic scan placed Trask in the Sahara Desert. We fly into the coordinates, detain Trask, and shut down Master-Mold for good.”
Diana hummed in agreement as her grip tightened slightly on the pilots chairs.
“I say we skip detaining and mail Trask back to the UN in little pieces,” Logan said smirking slightly as he flashed his claws.
With a soft chuckle, Storm commented, “There will be no dismembering, Wolverine.”
“Dismembering? Nah. Weight loss,” he mused as he retracted his claws.
“We get this done by working together as a team,” the goth countered looking to the feral mutant who only smirked at her.
“Think you can do that, Logan?” Scott spoke up as he tilted his head slightly to look at Wolverine who merely rolled his eyes, “Jeez, Dad. Keep buzzing in my ear. What would we do if we ever lost you?”
Before Cyke could retort something sarcastic, a loud explosion resonated from one of the Blackbird’s engines. Diana almost fell over from the impact but was able to keep herself upright. Rayna could be heard swearing from where she sat across from Gambit who looked over to her worriedly.
The shadow manipulator looked up and out of the front glass before gasping as the Blackbird was pulled apart by a Sentinel causing all of the X-Men to begin tumbling to the ground. Luckily since some of them could fly, there were no major issues.
Storm had Gambit and Firebird by the collars of their jacket and vest, Rogue had Beast and Bishop, and Morph had Wolverine having shifted to appear as Angel.
Cyclops and Diana were left to their own devices as they were pulled by gravity closer to the ground. The ravenette had her own way she could get down so she knew she did not have to worry. She looked over to Scott who was maneuvering further away from her to use his optic blast to slow his speed. The shadow from his blast was more than plenty to create a slide that Diana used to safely glide to the ground. Once there, the goth looked around before lifting her hand touching the Comm on the lapel of her jacket.
Her voice was steady and powerful as she spoke, “To me, my X-Men.”
The others were soon behind her ready to take action. Diana looked around taking note of the almost graveyard they had come to. Sentinel parts were everywhere.
“Storm. You’re our eyes in the sky,” Diana said turning to look to the Mistress of the Elements. She nodded before sailing into the sky, clouds beginning to form over the desolate desert.
“Oh this isn’t creepy at all…” Rayna whispered stirring quiet chuckles from Gambit and Rogue who were closest to her.
A voice suddenly bellowed from the distant, “Gyrich warned me you were coming. Even in prison, he has friends who know the mutant agenda must be stopped.”
Trask…
“Trask, we don’t want to fight,” Cyclops spoke up keeping a hand on the side of his visor.
“You mutants may be the next step, but you're still animals and need to be put down,” Trask snarled from wherever he was.
“Final warning, Trask,” Cyclops replied getting ready to fight. Diana spoke up as well, “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be…please…”
Suddenly a Sentinel appeared from the piles of rubbish standing tall towering over the X-Men, many more appeared from the heaps standing menacingly, “Surrender. Mutants.”
Diana stood silently as she carefully watched the machines who stood there as if waiting for the mutants to make the first move. A sudden shift in the shadows caused Diana to shout, “MOVE!”
She whirled lifting her hands causing the shadows to grab the others and pull them behind her as a Sentinel appeared from the carnage flailing on the ground as it tried to grab them. Rogue immediately got into action taking it out as the others began to attack the remaining Sentinels.
The X-Men worked together fluidly for possibly the first time in the year since Xavier’s death. Diana felt proud of them and in part proud of herself.
Rayna kept a close eye on Diana but ultimately looked away when she saw the goth was doing fine on her own. The Firebird turned her attention to Gambit now smirking as she watched him throw several charged playing cards at a Sentinel’s head causing it to explode. She hummed before throwing a large green fire bolt at a Sentinel that had sneaked up behind the Cajun.
He smirked at her and bowed slightly, “Much obliged, cherie!”
“Yeah yeah whatever,” she huffed before throwing another ball of flame at a different Sentinel. The Cajun’s smirk only widened as he watched her, “Gambit owes the pretty femme a favor now, non?”
Rayna rolled her eyes and quipped, “Shut your trap, sharkie. We don’t have time for that!”
“Oh Gambit’ll make time,” he mused trying to reach out to grab Rayna. More Sentinels appearing dragged their attentions away from each other though.
Several Sentinels zoned in on Diana as she tried to draw some of them away knowing they would be far more interested in her. It also pulled them away from the other X-Men to ensure they would be safe from the next aspect of the plan.
“Storm? I suggest these Sentinels are made aware of the forecast,” Diana said as she dissipated into the shadows.
Thunder rumbled as Storm descended from the clouds, “A wise decision, Diana.”
The sands of the desert soon began to swirl around the Sentinels taking them out with large whirlwind and powerful bolts of lightning. Diana reappeared near Cyclops muttering, “Now for Master-Mold.”
Scott nodded before looking to Gambit and Wolverine signaling to them. They both nodded before beginning to charge the largest of Sentinels.
Rayna using her flames boosted herself into the air slightly before sending two streams of her bright green flames at Master-Mold to distract him from the impending death coming his way. With Master-Mold distracted and Wolverine’s claws now charged with kinetic energy, it was time to strike.
Logan shouted to Morph who shifted into the Blob offering Wolverine a springboard to reach Master-Mold. Once his claws decapitated the lead Sentinel’s head, Logan jumped away with just enough time to spare as Master-Mold’s head fell to the ground.
Trask could be heard swearing at them before attempting to run. When he turned though, he was faced by Diana who had appeared through the scientist’s shadow. He let out a startled cry before almost falling over. She reached out to grab him, but Trask lifted something in his hand, a flashlight.
It was bright and made Diana let out a startled cry as she covered her eyes. She could hear the others yell at her as her hands rubbed gently at her eyes. When the goth looked around and saw Trask now standing above her lifting a hand as if to hit her, Diana growled quietly before lunging at the scientist tackling him into the shadows and reappearing near the X-Men.
Cyclops and Rayna immediately heard how Diana scuffling with the human as they appeared from the shadows. Trask struggled against Diana before holding her down.
“Diana!” the Firebird exclaimed as she quickly approached the scene reaching out and smacking Trask in the nose causing him to fall back.
“Stand down, Trask!” Scott countered trying to not sound upset at seeing the scene unfold. He moved to haul the human to his feet.
“He had a light…” Diana mumbled before growling as she placed her hands over her eyes, “It hurts…”
Cyke sighed heavily before forcing Trask to sprawl on the ground a short distance away. She had no control over her perception of light, and it was a weakness that could easily be exploited.
“Do I need to wrap your eyes?” Rayna whispered as she tried to pull Diana’s hands away from her face.
“I’ll be ok…just give me a second…” the shadow manipulator whispered as she sat up on the ground. Rayna sighed quietly and sat down beside Diana. Gambit soon moved to sit beside the Firebird leaning his head against her shoulder. The Firebird leaned her own head against the Cajun’s causing him to sneakily wrap an arm around her waist.
Cyclops was currently speaking with the UN representative, Dr. Val Cooper, who had been made aware of Master-Mold’s defeat and had brought a large task force to dispose of it. Their discussion was quiet, but Scott gestured to Diana at one point.
She’s our new face, Dr. Cooper. Diana Xavier is mutantkind’s new hope…
“Alright remember! No. Powers,” Jean shouted to the X-Men. She held a basketball in hand which she passed to Scott who took it and looked to the others.
“Hey now. What about Gambit’s other powers?” Remy mused as he peeled his shirt off. Rogue smacked him in the stomach resulting in a quiet “ow” from the Cajun. Rayna cackled from where she stood as she sneered, “What other powers? Being a pain in everyone’s rear?”
“Oh pigeon,” Gambit muttered looking to the Firebird feigning hurt, “And here Gambit thought you liked his other powers.”
His words sent Rayna into another laughing fit. The other X-Men rolled their eyes at the duo’s antics.
“Alright quiet!” Cyclops shouted getting everyone’s attention. He sighed quietly before looking to Diana who sat on the sidelines. Scott was unsure what to say so Storm gently spoke up, “The responsibility to choose team leader falls to Diana now.”
Scott nodded before looking to the basketball in his hands deciding to speak up, “…I want to say that I know I’ve been hardheaded…”
The Firebird scoffed and crossed her arms giving Scott a look. He returned her glare with one of his own, but he sighed and continued, “I…I am sorry for being so stubborn…but I was worried about what would happen to the Professor’s dream…”
“Something that you needn’t worry about now, Scott,” Diana spoke up as she stood and approached the group, “It has us…”
“Which just explains to us that you’re bailing so you can raise your little one nice and ‘normal,’” Logan suddenly spoke up as he crossed his and narrowed his eyes at Cyke.
“Logan—!” Jean tried to chastise the Wolverine, but Rayna piped up having no filter like always, “Good riddance.”
Cyclops immediately got upset and turned to try and argue with Rayna, but Diana cleared her throat pulling everyone’s attention to her, “All of you stop it!”
Rayna grumbled quietly but kept her mouth shut as she tried to push her temper away. Gambit laid a hand on the Firebird’s shoulder easing her slightly.
Jubilee timidly spoke up, “Weren’t Scott and Jean like…the first X-Men though? Who’s gonna lead us if not them?”
“Are all of you that daft?” Diana spoke up sounding slightly offended, “I was Xavier’s adoptive daughter…his true first student. He taught me everything I know, and I plan on keeping his legacy alive. If Scott and Jean want to leave, I will not tell them they cannot. They have a new life to make decisions for. I respect whatever path they choose.”
The X-Men stared at Diana with wide eyes. This new side to her was definitely going to take some time getting used to. Beast spoke up though agreeing, “I agree with Diana’s sentiments. The X-Men are in capable hands.”
A few silent head nods concurred with Hank. Diana relaxed slightly before offering a shy smile as she quickly asked, “So who wants to be lead on basketball? I know nothing about sports.”
Her statement made the X-Men laugh however it was short lived as the automated voice of Cerebro spoke out, “INTRUDER ALERT.”
The game was immediately forgotten as the X-Men quickly filed into the mansion, Diana in the lead. They approached where Cerebro had tracked the intruder…to the Professor’s old office.
Swinging the door open harshly, the X-Men stood in the doorway in ready fighting stances as they faced their intruder.
“Charles Xavier was the finest man I knew. Despite our differences, he never ceased to have faith in our friendship, nor forgive my many failings. Perhaps that is why the old fool has done this,” the familiar voice of the X-Men’s greatest rival spoke from behind the Professor’s desk flipping through a book.
“Magneto?” Diana asked quietly as she stared at the white haired man who turned around to face them.
“Well…just ignore us,” a familiar feminine voice sarcastically called out pulling the X-Men’s attention to around the room.
The Ink Demon sat quietly in an arm chair in the corner of the room, and Rebel stood near her with his arms crossed over his chest. No one noticed when Rayna and Rogue tensed up seeing the trio in Xavier’s office.
“Magneto, what are you doing here? In our home?” Cyclops piped up his hand ready on his visor. Diana lifted a hand telling him to relax which he did if only slightly.
“Your home? I beg to differ, Cyclops,” Magneto mused as he used his powers to send the book that had been in his hands towards the X-Men, “The last will and testament of Charles Francis Xavier.”
Once Diana had taken it in her hands, she quickly opened it. This was not the will that she had found in the Professor’s safe, but it was obviously in the Professor’s handwriting. Diana’s heart hammered harshly in her chest as she realized that what she had thought would become hers had never been destined to be hers.
Magneto could see the goth’s expression and felt slightly bad for Diana. The Ink Demon’s expression despite being its usual cold glare had a flicker of sympathy as she watched the ravenette.
“As you all will see, his fortune, his school, everything he built, everything he fought for, now belongs to me, my X-Men,” the Master of Magnetism said looking to the X-Men with an almost diabolical smirk.
Diana merely stared at the will reading the sentence over and over. Her brain was starting to feel like it was spinning as she read it.
I, Charles Xavier, leave my fortune, school, and leadership of my X-Men to Erik Lehnsherr….In the time of his absence or demise, Diana Xavier will take helm as heir to the Xavier fortune and estate and leader of the X-Men…
“No…” Diana mumbled before looking to the trio in the office. Her grip on the book loosened before clattering to the floor.
(A/N: THE SECOND CHAPTER IS HERE AHHHHH!!!! I think there were a couple mistakes in here somewhere, but I can’t find them again😭 So if you see, please help a girl out🖤)
⚠️Warnings: long (9.5k); mentions of canon typical violence; guns; getting shot; trauma...ya know...the normal Tuesday for the X-Men
Dividers by @saradika-graphics
Masterlist
The creaking was getting increasingly louder. People were chattering worriedly as they stared up at the wobbling Ferris Wheel. Emergency personnel were attempting to rescue everyone from the ride before it ultimately collapsed.
A young boy was hunkered in one of the cars sobbing loudly out of fear. One of the rescuers was attempting to keep him calm. She stepped into the car wrong though causing the whole Ferris Wheel to shimmy and tremble.
It soon gave way…
The crowds below screamed believing the ride to collapse. However, it never did. A faint yellow glow wrapped around it.
Whispers could be heard as a silhouette could be seen hovering closer. Several screams were heard as black liquid emitted from some of the manholes moving to the Ferris Wheel scaling up it and unhinging cars that were occupied. The yellow glow safely transported those occupied cars to the ground leaving those inside unharmed.
A silhouette could be seen ducking down into one of the manholes that the inky black liquid had leaked from. That same inky liquid retreated along with the individual.
The one hovering in the air turned and flew away leaving the crowds below to whisper and gossip amongst themselves.
Diana Xavier sat quietly in the currently vacated office of Professor X. She looked as if she had been crying something expected after the past few days of adjustment. With Magneto and his mistress as the new headmasters, the X-Men had been turned upside down once more.
A soft knock at the door signifying someone was there could be heard over the quiet sounds of the news that was playing the background. Diana sniffed quietly before wiping her eyes.
“Yes?” she asked softly.
“It’s Jean, Di…can I talk to you?” Jean’s gentle voice called from behind the closed door.
Diana lifted a hand causing the shadows in the room to open the door and let Mrs. Summers in. The psychic’s heart nearly shattered when she saw the state that Diana was in.
“Oh honey…”
“Don’t…I’m not in the mood to be coddled…”
Jean nodded slightly before taking a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk that Diana was sitting behind. They sat in silence for a moment before the goth quietly spoke up, “Did the Professor not trust me…?”
“Maybe…we’re all seeing this wrong…perhaps he did this for us…” Jean tried to counter. Diana however snapped, “How could this have possibly been in our favor?! Allowing Magneto and those two goons of his to take up residence in our home!”
“Di…”
“NO! If the Professor didn’t trust me enough to take over, what other secrets has he been hiding?! Certainly nothing good!”
“Di…”
“He kept so much from us…from me!”
“Diana!”
Diana looked to Jean who had a worried expression on her face. The red head sighed quietly before reaching a hand out for the goth to take. She obliged placing her ashen hand in the psychic’s.
“Maybe this is the perfect example of keep your friends close but your enemies closer. This is only a small bump in our path.”
“But you and Scott were going to leave! Now he feels like you can’t because of—”
Jean shushed Diana who stared at her friend with watering blue on black eyes. The psychic gently responded, “We’ll figure something out…we always do, Diana. Whether we leave or stay is our choice…and right now we don’t want to leave all of you alone. Especially you Diana.”
With a quiet huff, Diana allowed a few tears to fall from her eyes. She looked away and pulled her hand from Jean’s.
“I would be fine…” the goth grumbled looking down at her lap.
“Don’t lie to me, Di. I know you wouldn’t have been…you aren’t even fine now,” Jean gently countered causing the goth to sigh.
“Who says I have been? Who says I ever will be again…” Diana mumbled as she stood and moved to leave the office. The psychic watched with a startled but somber expression.
So much was about to go wrong…
The sewers were known for housing the ugliest of mutants…the Morlocks. Their home had remained hidden for so long, but some things do not remain hidden forever.
Friends of Humanity had hunted down these mutants set on making them examples in their plight for human domination. A plight that could cost so many their lives.
Several of the Morlocks were being detained. One was even a young boy. The humans did not care though. He was merely another mutant in their conquest.
“You think regular folks can sleep knowing you demons are down here, lurking?” one of the humans sneered pointing a Sentinel blaster at the boy’s head causing him to start crying. Those around him began to try and reason. However reasoning was soon silenced when the human’s weaponry were pulled from their hands.
“You want to see a demon?” an eerie voice called out as inky black liquid oozed from some of the pipes in the walls reaching out and grabbing the humans who swore in terror. A pair of silhouettes approached the Morlocks and the captured Friends of Humanity.
“The depths you humans go…” Magneto tiredly said as he hovered closer before letting his feet hit the ground.
“Denying even these outcasts of your pitiful scraps,” the Ink Demon sneered as she stood beside Magneto.
“DIRTY MUTANTS!” one of the humans, a woman, shouted but was silenced by an inky tendril wrapping around her mouth. The Ink Demon looked to the woman and raised a finger to her lips shushing the human, “You’ll get what’s coming, dear.”
Magneto turned to the Morlocks offering them the softest look he could muster. The binds that tied the Morlocks down soon loosened. His companion turned to them as well. Her gaze softened when she spotted the young boy.
She knelt down in front of him holding up a hand offering it to him as a sign of comfort, “Hello, little one…do not be afraid. We have—”
“You’re her! Th-The Ink Demon!” he murmured as he stared at her with wide yellow eyes. She chuckled quietly and nodded, “A monicker I hope to prove has changed.”
The boy turned his gaze to Magneto, “Leech knows you too! You’re Magneto!”
With an approving hum, Magneto silently approached Leech. He kneeled down beside Alison and replied, “Yes, and we promise you, child, that you shall never be afraid again.”
“You will be safe,” the Ink Demon continued as she reached out and gently placed a hand on the boy’s head. Leech smiled at them.
Alison smiled softly in return. Her hand moved from his head to gently tap his chin before she and Erik stood turning and dragging the Friends of Humanity from the sewers.
The X-Men were gathered in the War Room. There was one topic though…Magneto and his Ink Demon…as well as Rebel who had been wandering the halls of the mansion all day.
“What was the Professor thinking?!” Rayna grumbled from where she sulked beside Gambit who was watching her with rather suspicious eyes. Something had suddenly changed in the Firebird. Gambit’s nightly visits to tell Rayna goodnight had suddenly been cut from him. He had noticed how distanced she suddenly was. How she had gone into the late Professor’s office while it had been occupied by Magneto…alone…
“‘The only safe and sure way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend.’ Mark Twain,” Beast mused from where he sat beside Diana who had her head hung. Her expression looked almost haunted as she sat there not muttering a word.
“Beast isn't wrong. The Professor had a plan,” Storm commented watching and listening carefully. She appeared to be the most calm of the group.
“Seen a lot of futures, but Magneto and his two goons leading the X-Men? That's a new one,” Bishop countered looking around the room.
“Maybe we go change it, huh?” Rayna huffed looking more upset by the second.
“Look, plenty of us at this table have paths so dirty they don't squeak no matter how much spit you got. Maybe we should take a page from the Professor's playbook and give Erik, Alison, and Henry a second shot,” Rogue spoke up trying to be a voice of reason. The glare that Rayna threw in the southern belle’s direction though did not go unnoticed by Gambit who was growing increasingly suspicious of his Firebird.
Suddenly the door to the War Room opened revealing Magneto who entered speaking, “I have arranged for the Morlocks to travel to the mutant nation of Genosha. It saddens me that none of you, nor Xavier himself, thought to use his considerable finances to do the same. But this is one of many mutant matters on which we can and will improve, my X-Men.”
“Guess we can assume those jerks in the sewer are...” Wolverine asked quirking a brow at the supremacist.
Alison entered the room and answered Wolverine’s question, “Oh they’re alive, but not unharmed. The tragic fact that we didn’t throw those trash humans to the waste bin of history is proof of our desire to honor Charles Xavier's dream of mutant-human,” she sighed cringing slightly, “...coexistence…”
“Okay, prove it. Let Jean scan your minds, see your real plans,” Cyclops piped up standing and glaring at the couple in the room. His glare was met by the glare of the Ink Demon who had a brow raised appearing very unimpressed.
Jean quietly spoke up, “Scott, no.”
“What? You did it with Gyrich!” Scott huffed looking to his wife.
“That was different, you idiot!” Rayna snapped glaring at the bespectacled man who immediately whirled to return the pink haired woman’s glare.
Jean tried to keep the situation calm as she gently placed a hand on Scott’s arm and answered, “Even if I sensed Magneto's intentions were sincere; that's today, this hour, this minute.”
“Then we check every minute of every day,” Cyclops said through gritted teeth as he stared at Rayna suspiciously before looking at Magneto and his mistress.
Erik could not help but comment, “I was under the welcome impression that you and Mrs. Summers were leaving us.”
“Not a chance. I'm keeping an eye on you. All of you,” Scott huffed looking to Magneto then to Alison before snapping, “Where’s Rebel?”
“I’m right here, Cyclops,” came the sudden response of Henry Chios from a corner of the War Room where he had not been a moment ago.
For the first time in these long tense moments, Diana finally spoke up, “Scott, read the will again. Like it or not, this is what the Professor wanted…”
“Please, my intentions here were not to cause drama or discord. I did not expect this anymore than you did,” Erik replied looking to the goth almost sympathetically.
“You must understand. You have been our fiercest foe for years. A desire for you to prove yourself is only natural,” Storm answered placing her own input into the situation. The trio in the room looked to her.
“Ah Storm, you are the closest thing to a goddess anyone will ever see,” Alison mused offering her a respectful nod.
“So, we do not lightly deny your request,” Henry mused moving closer to the Ink Demon who continued, “We must demand your trust.”
“Xavier wanted this,” Magneto finished looking to those gathered in the room. His eyes settled on Rayna though as if trying to convey a message. The Firebird narrowed her eyes at him before looking away. Gambit watched the interaction with an ever bittering heart.
“Maybe he was wrong…” the fire manipulator huffed from where she sat before standing and moving to the door shoving both Erik and Alison away from it. They did not seem phased almost as if they had expected that of her.
Gambit quickly stood and followed after her. He cast sparse, suspicious glances at Magneto and the Ink Demon as he passed them.
The group soon disbanded to keep from a full on argument for now. No one noticed when Rogue and Henry hung back in the War Room.
“Rebel…”
“Rogue……You want me to leave?”
“No…stay…I want to talk…”
“So do I…”
“Cool…”
“You know…whenever you do any kind of pep talk, it goes south right?” Alison commented as she sat in the late Professor’s office with Magneto.
Erik merely hummed looking at the helmet he had worn for so many years. With a quiet sigh, Alison stood from her chair and reached out taking the helmet from him. He looked to her with a vulnerability in his eyes that only she ever got to see.
“Back when we were friends…Charles was always in my mind…a constant presence…” Erik muttered looking away from his wife, “That helmet…I told myself it would protect me from his…pestering…”
“Don’t you mean your fear of realizing he actually still cared about you?” the horned woman countered giving him a look. Erik huffed and almost pouted at her words.
After several moments of silence, Magneto whispered, “Xavier’s sacrifice…has…forced us to take up his dream. I worry about that adoptive child of his doing something irrational. But…I am willing to do this since it is his final wish of me…but are you sure you want to be a part of it, Alison?”
The Ink Demon stood up straight setting his helmet aside as she stared directly into his eyes, “There’s no place I’d rather be than by your side.”
A slight smirk appeared upon Erik’s face as he lifted a hand gently caressing her cheek, “You, my dear, are an anomaly.”
“Maybe…but you know I’ll always be loyal,” she replied offering him her own smirk.
“And Henry?”
“Oh you know he’s only here because of the girl.”
Erik chuckled quietly as his hand fell away from Alison’s face, “And…Rayna…?”
“That…will take some time…”
“As expected…”
He stared at her for a moment before leaning in and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. A hard knock at the office door interrupted the moment.
The door swung open as Rayna looked inside. She stared at them for a moment before muttering, “The UN is here…”
Alison’s eyes widened before she looked to Magneto who was watching Rayna with a scrutinizing gaze. The Firebird huffed as she narrowed at him, “I’m not lying. I may not agree with you, but I don’t want you to get caught.”
She quickly moved from the room closing the door behind her. Alison quickly followed after the Firebird but stopped looking to Erik beckoning him. He trailed behind her until he heard the helicopters flying over the mansion.
The X-Men were gathered outside as UN forces took stations outside the Xavier Institute. Diana stood front and center as she stared Val Cooper down.
“Ready yourselves, my X-Men,” Magneto called out as he hovered above the X-Men. Alison and Henry soon took up stances near Diana just a bit in front of her.
“We don’t fight the good guys,” Diana sneered glaring at the back of Alison and Henry’s heads.
The UN forces powered up their weaponry when Magneto and the Ink Demon appeared. Henry stood in a ready stance holding a hand in front of Alison. She placed a hand on his arm as if telling him to stand down for the moment. He relented but looked back to Magneto who appeared to be in deep thought.
“You were saying, Miss Xavier?” Erik countered Diana’s words. Rayna stood back her hands shaking slightly. She seemed distressed a look that Gambit did not like…because he did not understand why.
Diana sighed quietly and placed a hand over her eyes rubbing them slightly. She looked to Val Cooper and quickly asked, “What do you want? State your purpose of being here.”
“We’re here for Magneto and the Ink Demon,” Cooper replied coolly as she glared at Magneto who glared back, “He best think twice before trying anything as our weaponry are electromagnetic repellent.”
“They ink repellent though?!” Alison snapped ready to fight. Henry grabbed her arm with a gloved hand making her look to him. He shook his head warning her.
However, Magneto did not stand down. He merely smirked before manipulating the metal of the helicopters the UN forces had arrived in. Alison smiled maniacally at what she was witnessing.
“I should ‘think twice?’” he inquired staring Cooper down. She remained undeterred and merely glared back at him.
“Magneto, by order of the UN Commission on Superhuman Activities, I hereby place you under arrest for crimes against humanity. You will stand trial at the UN Headquarters,” the woman shouted authoritatively, “Ink Demon, by the same orders, I place you under arrest to stand trial before the UN for your crimes against humanity and various other acts.”
Rayna’s eyes widened from where she stood. She tried to take a step forward, but a hand gripping her arm made her harshly stop. The Firebird glared at Gambit who had grabbed her. He could see the strange emotions that he could not pinpoint swirling in her lime green eyes.
“No,” Remy whispered, “I don’t want ya to get hurt over those scum…”
Rayna huffed and pulled her arm from his grasp as she looked away from him and the scene before her. She looked so disturbed. Her gaze snapped back to the situation when she heard Erik speak up, “Should I successfully vindicate myself in what I will generously assume is a fair trial, will I earn your trust?”
“That is how due process works.”
“Then…” he muttered floating to the ground landing just beside Alison, “I yield…”
“WHAT?!” the Ink Demon shrieked looking at him with wide eyes. Henry stared at him just as aghast, “Erik…”
“Hush. Both of you,” Magneto snapped causing the Chioses to shut their mouths. He sighed quietly before looking at Alison and whispering, “We have to do this…”
Alison shook her head a flash of fear flickering across her eyes, “You know I can’t! Think of what they’ll do! You know it won’t be fair!”
Magneto sighed and gently reached out a hand to gently touch her face before calmly approaching the UN forces who stood at the ready. Cooper looked over to some of her people nodding curtly which caused them to approach the Master of Magnetism. He was soon shackled and placed under inhibitor collar. Casting a sparse glance at Alison, Erik allowed the soldiers to guide him to one of the helicopters.
The Ink Demon grit her teeth and growled quietly before attempting to follow after him. A hand caught her though. She turned expecting to see Henry. Instead, she found Rayna looking at her with pleading eyes, “You can’t!”
Alison sighed, “Maybe it’s time I faced my past…”
Pulling her arm from the Firebird, Alison approached the UN soldiers. When in front of them, she lifted her hands out to them allowing them to shackle her as well. The Ink Demon cringed when they placed the inhibitor collar around her neck. She immediately felt herself being drained with her powers dampened. The horns on her head seemed to flicker as if they were like the ink she controlled.
Once aboard a different helicopter than Magneto, the UN forces left the Institute leaving the X-Men to watch with wide eyes and slackened jaws. Rayna and Henry seemed the most affected. It did not go unnoticed by Gambit when his Firebird smacked Rebel on the chest catching the man’s attention. They turned and retreated to the mansion.
Gambit’s suspicion was steadily increasing. What was going on with his girl?
The day of the joint trial of Magneto and the Ink Demon was upon the world. All over the world people turned on their televisions to view the justice that supposedly had been long overdue.
Alison and Erik had been separated for the past few days that their personal trials had been happening. Sadly, it appeared that they were going slightly easier on Magneto than they were on the Ink Demon. Every crime that Alison had ever committed was being brought up and condemned with a firm “guilty” from the judge.
Each day Alison looked worse and worse. Her eyes were glazed over, her movements were sluggish, and her appearance that she prided herself in had diminished leaving her looking very human. That inhibitor was doing numbers on her.
Some of the X-Men were present in the courtroom watching the trial with prejudice. Rayna looked worried when Alison was brought before the world court. Gambit noticed her expression and looked at her with a furrowed brow.
“Why you so worried, Cher?” he whispered leaning closer to her, “It won’t be a bad thing if they get convicted. We won’t need to deal with them no more…”
“Alison’s hurting…” was all Rayna muttered seemingly not hearing the Cajun’s words. He huffed and leaned away crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair almost angrily.
Henry and Rogue sat by each other watching the trial with just as much worry. It was unseen when Rebel brushed a gloved hand against Rogue’s own gloved hand. They seemed to be trying to comfort one another. Morph sat uncomfortably by Henry with crossed arms and an uneasy expression.
Diana sat quietly and properly between Cyclops and Beast who each respectively looked upset and curious. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap as she watched the trial with an unreadable expression. Bishop sat beside Beast his own attention and curiosity watching the scene carefully. Storm was sitting quietly beside Bishop her calm nature the only saving grace at the moment.
Human voices could be heard even all the way in the court room. The X-Men sat vigilant ready to step in if the humans managed to get into the building.
The judge soon got the trial underway slamming the gavel as he loudly spoke, “The defendants may speak.”
Magneto cast a worried glance at Alison who was becoming increasingly wobbly on her feet. He carried on though delivering a heavy speech. The Ink Demon nodded along as best she could. Her mouth was dry, and her head spun. She could agree though.
The judge stayed silent for a moment before looking at the Ink Demon, “And you?”
With a deep shaky breath, she lifted her head and looked directly at the judge, “I stand with Magneto. His choice to take up Charles Xavier’s dream has become my mission as well. You may have convicted me of all my crimes, but I have realized that this is a fight worth fighting for. I may not like humanity for what they do to us; but without them, we would not exist.”
Magneto smirked proudly at Alison as she spoke. Even when weakened, she portrayed herself as strong and commanding…no fear.
“You claim justice is overdue,” Magneto calmly continued looking back to the judges, “Indeed, but so is healing.”
“Your words, while kind, do nothing to heal those hurt by your crimes,” a judge commented causing Alison to grumble quietly.
“And your one minded indignation will not heal mutant wounds!” the Ink Demon spoke up looking to the judges. Her chains rattled as she swayed slightly, “You build robots to hunt us, collars to chain our power...”
“Humanity must protect itself,” one of the judges retorted.
“Protection?” Magneto could see how weak his wife was. He quickly continued allowing her to catch her breath, “This is extermination. We have only ever acted to avenge crimes against our people, as you act to avenge those against yours today.”
The judges looked to each other before the lead one spoke, “If that were the case, are we truly to believe, then, that in the face of what you consider to be extermination, you would walk Charles Xavier’s path?”
Rayna was holding her breath from where she sat. She did not notice that she was chewing on her nails until Gambit gently pulled her hand from her mouth. The Firebird looked at her hand before looking to the man beside her muttering, “Thanks…”
Gambit smiled slightly at her. Before he could reply though, a loud explosion could be heard from the front hall of the court room. The X-Men immediately got to their feet.
“THEY’VE BROKEN THROUGH!” a guard shouted as several moved to the doors into the courtroom holding their weapons at the ready. The X-Men all looked at each other before Diana spoke up, “As much as I hate to say it, we have to keep Magneto and the Ink Demon safe in here. Their trial must be finished.”
Springing into action, the X-Men broke off into two teams. Storm, Firebird, and Rebel hung back with Magneto and the Ink Demon. The others quickly rushed out to the foyer to confront the rampaging humans.
Many of them turned and fled upon seeing Diana as she led the charge. Shadows flickered around her as began to carefully control the shadows pulling various humans out of the court house. However, FOH suddenly entered the fray armed with Sentinel blasters.
“Heads up!” Diana shouted as she used the shadows to shield herself from some of the blasters shots. The X-Men quickly took notice and aided the goth. Cyclops created a wall by blasting a crater in the floor. Now to fight…and hopefully no one hurt them as they tried not to hurt the humans…
The head judge in the court room was angrily confused as he shouted when a guard brought information to him about what the people outside the court room wanted, “What in blazes did we do?!”
“You gave two monsters a trial, you twit,” Rayna huffed as she glared at the man. Magneto hummed in agreement, “Now you are traitors to your own kind.”
Alison cackled weakly and looked to the judges, “Fun being wanted isn’t it?”
“Oh to play by the rules and they still come for you,” Rebel mused as he moved to stand beside Rayna. He held a now ungloved hand out to her which she looked at for a moment before placing her hand in his.
Henry hummed before turning and standing in the middle of the room. He stomped his foot on the ground causing an icy trail to shoot forward spreading out and covering the doors.
“That probably won’t hold them long, but it’s a start,” Rebel said as he turned back to his fellow mutants and the judges.
“You better hope so, con-man,” Rayna playfully sneered before shutting her mouth when Storm looked at the Firebird suspiciously.
In the lobby, the other X-Men are valiantly fighting the humans trying to keep them back. Not hurting them was difficult to do though when so many of them wanted to kill the mutants. Diana was having the hardest time as they never stopped coming at her.
She grit her teeth and growled when she barely ducked out of the way of one the human’s blasts. Diana lashed out causing the shadows to drag several of the humans from the courthouse. They all shouted and swore at her when she did so.
Someone entered the courthouse though claiming himself to be the X-Cutioner. He took out most of the X-Men. Cyclops was the only one still standing despite Diana slowly getting overwhelmed.
The goth noticed Scott getting beat down by the human. She attempted to reach him but was shot in the back by a Friend of Humanity with a Sentinel blaster. Diana’s anger was slowly getting to her. She had had too many pent up emotions to be doing this. Screaming loudly, she unleashed a harsh control over the shadows dragging every human from the courthouse roughly.
With heaving breath, Diana kneeled on the floor. Her hands were clenched into fists as she tried to keep from passing out. It went unnoticed by her when the humans began to move past her. One in particular approached her. The X-Cutioner stood over her before kicking her harshly, “Freak.”
Cyke saw what happened and immediately freaked out. He commed Storm and Firebird to inform them of the situation. Quietly, he sat there for a few seconds before Jean telepathically contacted him.
Slowly, Diana lifted herself from where she had been knocked unconscious. The taste of blood filled her mouth causing her to growl. Cyclops’ voice broke her from her thoughts though, “DIANA! Jean’s in labor!”
The goth froze. Her eyes widened before she swallowed thickly and thought as quickly as possible. She lifted her hand touching the Comm on her lapel, “Rogue. I need you to get Scott to the hospital. Storm. Get these guards on our side. We’ll be overwhelmed if we don’t have some help.”
“We’re already on it, shade,” Rayna’s voice called over the Comm. Diana sighed quietly before forcing herself to her feet. She had a score to settle…
Rogue quickly swooped through the air grabbing Cyke and leaving the scene. Storm began to rally the human guards to the X-Men’s side. They all knew they’d need more help though.
“Free Magneto and the Ink Demon,” Rayna spoke up glaring over at the guards who were trying to decide whether they wanted to help or not.
“THAT’S—” one of them tried to splutter.
“Oh shut up! You wanna get killed or survive this?! I’d prefer you all live so you can go home to your families tonight!” the Firebird snapped. Alison lifted her tired gaze and watched the pink haired young woman with a glimmer of pride in her brown eyes. Magneto shared a similar sentiment as the Ink Demon.
“I don’t think—”
“Do not think. Be silent. Heed our commands and you shall survive,” Storm calmly spoke up. The guards looked at each other before looking to the judges who begrudgingly nodded.
Rayna and Henry were both at Alison’s side instantly as they heard the beeps of the collars. Alison almost toppled over, but the duo grabbed her arms keeping her upright.
Magneto quickly approached them as well as he reached out and manipulated the metal of the shackles that Alison wore.
“Alison,” he whispered, “Can you hear me?”
“Yeah…just give me a second…” the black haired woman mumbled. Henry and Rayna both looked at Erik worriedly.
“Put her somewhere safe for now,” Erik quietly replied. Rebel quickly placed an arm around Alison’s waist and helped her over to the large stand the judges sat on settling her behind it.
The judges looked at the Ink Demon curiously. She noticed their stares and mumbled, “Now do you see what happens to some of us with those inhibitors?”
Before the judges could answer, Henry’s ice wall was being bashed in as humans began to flood into the courtroom. They could be heard shouting several things.
Magneto grit his teeth before going into action. With the metal in the room, he constructed several large spikes that he sent plummeting in front of the rioting humans, “Be as animals and be caged!”
The humans shrieked in terror. Their cries only getting louder as a wave of ice surrounded the spikes. Rebel yelled to Storm, “Put some electric on the situation!”
Storm complied as she hovered in the air summoning a bolt of lightning that confined the humans even more. The humans, now confined, screamed and swore at the mutants.
Rayna observed the scene before spotting someone in a mask stalking into the courtroom. Her eyes widened as she shouted, “GET DOWN!”
Magneto looked to the Firebird before looking around the room. His eyes did not notice the masked man until he heard the crack of a rifle.
“MAGNETO!” Storm shouted as she moved in front of the Master of Magnetism taking the shot that was meant for him. Rayna gasped loudly before trying to get to her friend.
Her arm was grabbed though as Henry kept her from moving, “Don’t…he might shoot again!”
Rayna huffed glaring at Rebel as she quickly pulled her arm from his grasp. She rushed to Storm’s side reaching out and gathering the sobbing woman in her arms.
The masked man quickly turned his attention to the Ink Demon who had stood leaning against the side of the judge’s stand. His rifle aimed directly at her…. Time slowed as Magneto attempted to reach her. The shot never resonated though.
Diana had tackled the human and began to brawl with him on the floor. The X-Cutioner had no qualms in hitting her as hard as possible. Her mouth was already bloodied from his kick. She grit her teeth at him as she used the shadows to drag him off of her. His rifle had rattled to the floor when she had tackled him.
The man was doing everything in his power to grab it. Diana did not allow him to though. Coiling around him, the shadows began to strangle him. She lifted a foot to bash her boot against his face.
Somehow though, the X-Cutioner pulled a hand from her shadows. He grabbed his rifle aimed it at her and pulled the trigger.
Diana stalled as she felt her body give out. She fell to the floor in a quivering heap.
Magneto saw this happen and felt his heart drop. He growled quietly before reaching out pulling the X-Cutioner to him attaching the scum to the large metal seal that the Master of Magnetism had pulled off the wall. Erik inspected the weapon for a moment before looking to Storm and then to Diana.
Alison gasped seeing Diana sprawled out shivering. The Ink Demon rushed over and fell to her knees reaching out to the goth who was leaning up. Diana’s hand moved to touch her shadow that extended past her. Her breath hitched though as she felt nothing but the carpet beneath her touch.
“No…oh no…no no no no…!” Diana exclaimed as both of her hands reached to touch at her shadow. Alison reached out wrapping her arms around the young woman’s shoulders. Gently shushing the now sobbing goth, the Ink Demon lifted her gaze glaring at the masked man.
Val Cooper stood from her seat and looked to Storm and then to Diana with wide eyes. She tried to murmur, “Magneto, this isn’t what we wanted.”
Magneto grit his teeth before lashing out, “Lies! This is your dream! My kind splayed before you, powerless and afraid. All the X-Men have done is use their powers to protect a world that hates and fears them. Behold their reward...”
He looked to Alison silently conveying a message which she quickly understood. She looked to Henry and summoned him over. Rebel seemed to understand what was about to happen and quickly approached his aunt. He kneeled down reaching out to help Diana up.
“Get. Them. Clear,” Alison murmured as she reached into Henry’s jacket pulling something out, a vial of black ink. He nodded curtly and quickly moved to lift Diana in his arms before moving over to the two women as Rayna moved Storm away from Magneto and the Ink Demon.
Alison lifted the vial of black liquid to her lips drinking it. She huffed as she tossed the vial aside before quietly approaching Erik and nodding at him which he returned. She spoke up looking to the judges, “What must we do to be ‘good enough?’ Now do you see what happens when our powers are truly stolen from us. Some of us can’t survive without them. They’re a part of us…”
Soon loud rushing of liquid could be heard under the courthouse. A large crack spread across the floor before Magneto summoned a large force field carrying the judges and the masked man away.
Alison clutched to Magneto as he wrapped an arm around her waist lifting her with him as he floated through the air. Such transportation was something she had grown used to. She looked over to Henry, Rayna, Storm, and Diana who watched with wide eyes. Her gaze turned to see the rest of the X-Men present rush into the courtroom. With a heavy sigh, Alison looked away from them over to the frightened judges.
Once high enough in the atmosphere that they could see earth, Erik carefully placed the Ink Demon down onto the floating debris. Alison noted the expression on his face knowing he would shed a tear or two. Something she would soon do herself once in a private area. The Ink Demon turned to the judges watching them carefully. She looked to Erik has he began to speak.
“Bigot, ingrate, sycophant, worm...” Magneto spoke as he turned to look at the judges who looked fearful. He hovered closer just above the X-Cutioner who was was panicking, “So small we could smite you with a step.”
“There was a time we would smite you all for what was done to Storm…to Diana,” Alison murmured as she lifted her gaze to look at Erik who made eye contact with the Ink Demon for only a few moments. The look in her eyes held a rage and sadness that Magneto could only begin to try and understand.
“But today, we have saved you from your own, for an old friend has challenged me…us…to remember this view of Earth…. How vast it is versus how small we make it. Charles Xavier entrusted me with his dream, and it does not ask you to love or embrace our kind as your own, but merely to accept that this is a shared world with a common future, and that our kind, like yours, have the right to live in it,” Erik continued looking to the judges who still looked frightened. His gaze turned to Alison once more before he looked to the judges again, “We are trying to be better…”
“Please,” Alison spoke up looking to the judges, “Do not make us let you down.”
“I’m fine!” Diana exclaimed as she pushed Henry away as he attempted to check on her.
“No. You’re not,” he snapped grabbing her by the chin making her look at him, “You got shot by that same kind of blast as Storm.”
The goth turned her head as her bottom lip began to quiver. Rebel sighed before quietly asking, “You can’t feel the shadows…can you?”
“Don’t tell the others…please,” Diana pleaded looking at Henry. He merely sighed and nodded, “I’ll let you tell them. Understand?”
She nodded before beginning to quietly sob. With a quiet sigh, Henry helped Diana to her feet. Something in him felt protective of the young gothic shadow manipulator. He remembered his aunt’s words…something she had told him when he was only a child…about his mother’s eyes. A pale blue that mimicked no other…
Rebel opened his mouth to ask her a question, but he did not get to. Quiet beeping could be heard from Diana’s comm that she quickly and quietly pressed answering whoever was on the other side…
Despite the sudden lack of her powers, Diana stomped through the halls of the hospital. Although not wanting to appear as intimidating, the way she was carrying herself it appeared that way. Her long black jacket billowed behind as she stomped through the halls. Those big black combat boots thudding menacingly as she walked. She was searching for Cyclops and Jean.
However, she had not come alone. Alison had tasked Henry with watching after the young gothic woman, and he did anything his aunt told him to do. Rebel knew what had happened though. He did not want her to be without any kind of protection.
Scott had contacted her telling her that the baby had been born and that he and Jean were fine. It was a relief, yes; but Diana needed to see for herself.
The goth was relieved to finally find the room opening the door slowly as she peeked inside. She spotted Logan sitting quietly in a corner chair with his arms crossed. Rogue was standing quietly in another area of the room. Henry stood very quietly behind her peeking in. His eyes met Rogue’s, but he stayed outside not wanting to encroach on the moment that was not his to see.
“Knock knock?” Diana whispered as she entered the room. The group in the room immediately looked up at Diana offering her soft smiles (well Wolverine did not but he still had a somewhat happy twinkle in his eyes).
“Di…come here,” Cyclops whispered as he summoned her closer. She stepped slowly closer and gasped quietly when she saw the small infant in Jean’s arms.
“He has Scott’s eyes,” Jean muttered as she looked at her son.
Diana took another step closer and reached out gently touching the baby’s head. He immediately quieted causing the Summers to look at each other confused.
“How’d you do that?” Scott immediately asked as he looked at her.
“Maybe he knows his aunt,” Diana replied smiling softly at the baby before looking between Scott and Jean.
“Maybe…” Jean replied smiling softly at the goth in return, “Do you…want to hold him?”
Diana’s expression immediately became petrified. She had never held a baby before.
“You…trust me to do that?” she asked quietly causing Cyclops to chuckle quietly.
“Yes, we do. Here…” Jean immediately replied patting the edge of her bed. Diana sat down quietly and listened as Jean explained to her how to hold the infant.
As soon as little Nathan was nestled in her arms, Diana felt at ease. She looked at him with a small almost motherly smile. The Summers found that interesting.
“What’s his name?” Diana softly inquired as she gently ran her knuckles over the baby’s cheek.
“Nathan…Nathan Charles Summers,” Jean replied watching Diana with a soft smile. Diana hummed in approval although something flashed in her eyes.
“Nathan…” the goth repeated as she lifted her hand that was not connected to the arm that cradled the infant to gently touch his cheek, “It works…”
There was no need to burden the new parents with her situation now…perhaps she would not tell anyone…
Rogue watched Diana and the Summers for a moment before looking over to Henry who was leaning against the wall in the hall absentmindedly. She tried not to smile at him, but her lip quirked into a slight smirk. Carefully and cautiously, the southern belle moved from the room to lean against the wall beside Henry.
Silence encompassed them for a moment before Henry quietly spoke, “Grey ok?”
“Yeah. She’ll be one strong mama,” Rogue answered casting a glance at the Rebel whose eyes were glued to the floor. She could tell something was bothering him. Before she could ask though, the man spoke up, “Storm lost her powers…. Shadows in there probably won’t tell any of you that she lost hers as well.”
Rogue gasped quietly hearing what Henry said. She stared at him with wide eyes and slack jaw, “You ain’t jokin’ are ya?”
“No, Anna…I’m not,” he whispered his expression taking on a regret she had never seen before. Henry choked out, “Rayna’s gonna blame herself…she tried to help, and I didn’t let her…”
The southern belle sighed quietly as she carefully placed a gloved hand on his shoulder in comfort. Rogue watched him sympathetically before murmuring, “You blame yourself too, sugah…”
Henry bristled but did not deny it. He lifted his gaze to peer through the slightly open door of the Summers room. His eyes were glued to the young goth who was talking quietly with Jean and Scott about the new baby.
“There’s something about her Rogue…there’s a connection I can’t explain…”
Rogue’s brow furrowed. She knew he did not mean it in the way that someone else may have heard it, but it put her on edge.
“Whatcha mean by that?”
“I don’t know…it’s not like what we have, but…there’s something Alison’s not telling me about that girl…”
“And…?”
“Alison knew my real mom…always said that she had the brightest blue eyes that you’d ever seen…”
“You don’t think—”
“I don’t know what to think…but I need to get an answer from Alice…”
Alison stood quietly beside Erik in the living room of the mansion. A news broadcast played on the television recounting the days events. They were in comfortable silence despite some of the events of the day. Luckily, they had been pardoned though meaning they now did not need to worry about getting arrested while adjusting to life as leaders of Xavier’s dream.
“Poison?” Magneto’s voice pulled Alison from her thoughts though. She looked to see Cyclops with three coffee cups balanced awkwardly in his hands. The Ink Demon offered Scott a faint smile as she gently elbowed her husband who “oomfed” glaring at her.
“Thanks, kid,” she mused as she took one of the mugs. Scott nodded respectfully before handing his other cup to Erik who took it suspiciously.
“It’s just dark roast,” Cyke piped up smirking slightly. Alison chuckled quietly as she lifted her mug to her lips taking a sip. Magneto looked at her for a moment before taking a drink from his own cup.
The trio stared forward at the television that was playing the news. Their silence was tense to say the least. Cyclops finally spoke up, “Genosha…a UN nation…never thought I’d see the day…”
“Pretty cool isn’t it?” Alison piped up smirking slightly. Scott hummed in agreement.
“I hear that you and Jean have began to make arrangements to leave,” Magneto commented as he cast a glance at the bespectacled man, “Does this mean you trust us to carry on Xavier’s dream?”
“The Professor trusted you. I trust him,” Scott coolly replied not even looking at Magneto or the Ink Demon.
“And Miss Xavier?” Alison questioned sounding slightly worried. Cyclops sighed heavily before looking into his mug seemingly in thought.
“She’s…adjusting…that’s really all I know,” he muttered lifting his head to give the couple a chaste glance. Scott had not been made aware of Diana’s situation…
Magneto hummed and nodded casting a glance at Alison who appeared troubled by the thought. The Ink Demon took another drink from her mug before gently elbowing Erik in the side. He huffed quietly before clearing his throat and speaking up, “If I might offer some advice, Scott…be wary. Be vigilant.”
“Tragedy lures with fortune first, kid,” Alison spoke up when Erik hesitated.
“This may have been a good week for our people, but it will not be without cost,” Magneto finished looking over to Scott who looked between the couple before nodding and looking down at his mug again somberly.
Beast quietly peered into a microscope. Diana stood close at his side as if trying to peer over his shoulder. Rayna stood in the corner with her head hung and arms crossed. Storm and Jean stood a short distance behind Beast and Diana.
They all waited with bated breath as Hank studied Ororo’s blood. With a heavy sigh, he leaned away. Diana crowded in slightly as she quickly looked through the lenses of the microscope. A faint noise emitted from the goth when she saw what lay through the lenses.
“Well…?” Jean asked trying to get an answer from one of the two scientists. The pair looked at each other before Diana looked down at her feet allowing Hank to reply instead.
“Inhibitor collars use radiation to temporarily neutralize our mutant powers. The X-Cutioner’s laser rifle fired a concentrated dose of that same radiation. It affects genetics on a cellular level, suppressing a mutant’s abilities without the need for a collar itself. Ororo…” Hank replied. His voice trailed off though as he tried to find a gentle way to tell Storm the news.
“How long…?” she whispered looking at Beast somberly. He opened his mouth to reply, but Diana spoke up instead her voice betraying a slight twinge of panic, “It looks permanent, Ororo…”
Soft gasps came from Storm and Jean at the news. Storm hung her head obviously going deep into thought. Jean began to blabber, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
No one seemed to realize how unusually quiet Diana was in this situation. She was always the one comforting…now…she just stood there. The goth was feeling every negative emotion one could feel. If Storm’s powers were gone permanently, Diana’s most likely were as well…
Rayna immediately moved from the lab opening the door angrily as she fled the lab. Diana watched the Firebird leave with a saddened glance. She knew her pink haired friend was blaming herself. If she could comfort anyone, hopefully it could at least be Rayna…
The Firebird stomped through the halls, but a voice called after her, “Rayna!”
She stopped and stood still looking up at the ceiling obviously not wanting to cry. Diana quickly came up behind the Firebird stopping just a few feet away.
“Rayna…” the goth tried to speak, but Rayna cut her off, “This is my fault…I saw him…and I didn’t do anything! Storm took that blow! I should have done that! I couldn’t keep her or you safe!”
Diana approached her fiery friend carefully. She gently placed a hand on her shoulder causing Rayna to break. The Firebird turned and grasped Diana around the waist as she hugged her. Diana felt her heart shatter more than it already had.
“Ray…?” a familiar accented voice whispered when he saw the scene. Diana looked to see Gambit standing timidly just a few feet away. The goth lifted a hand beckoning the Cajun to come over as well. He did as Diana silently asked wrapping his arms around both Rayna and Diana.
The Firebird was sobbing quietly while being comforted. They stood there in that hallway for what felt like an eternity. Gambit had his head resting on top of Rayna’s as he ran a soothing hand up and down her back. His other hand was placed respectfully between Diana’s shoulder blades as the goth held Rayna wrapped up in her arms.
“Rayna!” Henry’s voice shouted from a distance down the hall. The Firebird swore quietly before pushing Diana and Remy away wiping her eyes as she stomped in the direction of Rebel’s voice.
Gambit and Diana looked at each other before watching Rayna walk away. The Cajun huffed quietly as his gaze turned to glare at the wall. A soft hand gently rested on his arm.
“Give her some space…but not too much,” Diana gently commented before turning and leaving him standing alone in the hall. Remy sighed before turning and moving to leave the labs.
Rayna found herself sitting in the Professor’s office. Alison sat in the armchair in the corner of the room. Magneto sat behind the desk staring at the top of the desk. Henry stood near his aunt. Rogue even was in the room watching the tense situation with an uneasy expression.
“It’s my fault,” the Firebird murmured staring absentmindedly at the same spot as Magneto.
“Ray…” Rogue murmured hearing the self deprecation in the fire manipulator’s voice. Henry placed a gloved hand on the southern belle’s arm silently warning her not to get involved. She looked at Rebel before looking to Magneto when he began to speak.
“It was not your fault. The human was just able to land two lucky shots,” he sternly said causing the Firebird to grit her teeth and growl quietly.
“NO! That was my shot to take! Even if I don’t want anything to do with any of you, I still want to keep you safe,” she sneered looking at the Master of Magnetism before looking to the Ink Demon who still looked rather sickly from the collar.
“Quiet,” Erik sighed looking at Rayna, “Unfortunate things happen. You know that. We taught you—”
“Taught me,” Rayna sneered scoffing sarcastically, “You only taught me how to control this curse of a power I have.”
Alison sighed from her seat before she snapped, “Rayna. Your powers never were a curse. You just won’t admit to yourself that you’re afraid to accept what happened before we found you. We still love you though.”
Rayna grew quiet at that. She crossed her arms and seemed to pout leaning back in her seat. Ultimately, the Firebird unhappily muttered, “You didn’t act like you loved me when you left me with Joey back at the DCC.”
“Rayna,” Magneto snapped before the Ink Demon shushed him harshly. He closed his mouth and turned his chair around not wanting to unleash his temper on the young woman who sat across from him.
Alison continued much softer than her husband, “Rayna. We never expected you to understand what we were doing.”
“I know what you were doing! You thought I was kid! I was eighteen, Alison! You let Henry and Anna join you! What was so different about them, huh?! She was eighteen too!” the pink haired fire manipulator sneered causing Magneto to sigh loudly as he turned his chair back around, “Rayna, we wanted to keep you safe. You’re our daughter. What kind of parents would we have been if we had let you run around fighting dangerous fights that could have gotten you killed!”
“You’re not my parents,” Rayna coldly replied narrowing her eyes at the Master of Magnetism who narrowed his eyes in return. Alison sighed quietly knowing how the two butted heads no matter how much they cared about each other. The Ink Demon looked to Henry and Rogue lifted a hand silently telling them they could leave.
They quickly stood leaving the room and the argument that was obviously inevitable.
“Have those two ever gotten along?” Rogue quietly asked the young man who walked beside her.
“Yeah…they care about each other in their own special ways. You know how harsh they both can be,” Henry answered as he took one of the southern belle’s gloved hands into his own.
Rogue hummed in acknowledgment. She had been around the Chios-Lehnsherr household enough to know that Magneto and his “little bird” liked to argue whenever they could. It was more often than it used to be, but they knew that Rayna was readjusting to having them all back in her life. Rogue could understand. She was adjusting to having all of them around again too.
The pair continued to aimlessly wander through the halls of the Institute until Cyclops suddenly approached them.
“Where are Magneto and the Ink Demon?” Summers quickly asked as he expectantly stared at them. Rogue and Rebel looked at each other before gesturing in the direction of the Professor’s old office. Cyclops rushed in the direction they gestured shouting over his shoulder, “Head downstairs. Storm's gone.”
An emergency meeting had been called in the living room of the Institute. Everyone was gathered staring expectantly at Jean who was reading from a sheet of paper. It was a letter from Storm…who had slipped away without any of them realizing.
Diana sat quietly in her chair tucked in a shadowed corner. Rayna stood between Gambit and Henry (who had Rogue on the other side of him) her head hung and her arms crossed. Alison stood beside Magneto who was watching and listening carefully to everything that was happening. The others were sitting or standing in various areas of the room.
“If only I hadn’t left the UN…I could have…” Scott guiltily murmured while holding Nathan in his arms.
“You had more important things at the moment,” Diana spoke up from her shadowy corner.
“You did what you had to,” Bishop agreed looking to Diana before looking to Cyclops.
“Storm did the same,” Alison said hanging her head slightly. She opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by Erik, “And we will respect her decision.”
The room fell silent at Magneto’s cold response. They stared at him with aghast stares all except for Alison, Rayna, and Henry who appeared to have expected that sentiment.
“Dat so?” Gambit spoke up narrowing those red on black eyes at the Master of Magnetism, “Dat blast had ya names on it. Should be you two leavin’, mes amis.”
“Remy!” Rayna hoarsely whispered as she looked to him with wide eyes.
“What? I’m just statin’ the obvious, cher,” he sassed giving her a look that caused her to roll her eyes.
“Well, I don’t buy it! Not for one minute,” Morph piped up shrugging slightly, “Storm’s gonna spend a day with the basic folk before coming back home! Most likely grumping about—”
Before Morph could finish speaking, a heavy knock at the front door caused the shapeshifter to smile, “See! What’d I say?”
However when Morph opened the door, the room gasped loudly as…Jean…fell into the shapeshifter’s arms.
“The X-Men…I need them…” came the whisper from this identical Jean.
Diana immediately stood from her seat staring wide eyed at the woman in Morph’s arms. She looked to the Jean in the room before looking back to the other one. Her expression turned suspicious as if she knew something.
(A/N: Long time no see ohmyword...I'm ashamed it's taken me so long to put this OUT. I've had a lot of wild things happen irl the past couple months that have pulled me away from my fanfic. Nothing bad promise! :3 WE FINALLY ARE MOVING ON WITH PERMANENT REBELLION THOUGH HALLELUJAH also I swear I'll get to everyone else in my writing...this is just heavy Diana lore HA)
⚠️Warnings: ironically this chapter is only 7k; mentions of canon typical violence; Diana gets thrown around a bit; emotional turmoil; some ANGST
Dividers by @saradika-graphics
Masterlist
The mansion was in disarray as the X-Men debated about the second Jean that had suddenly appeared. Some of them looked suspicious while others just looked perplexed by the situation.
It had not taken much persuasion to get Jean to read her doppelgänger’s mind after the second red head had been placed on one of the couches. Diana however looked worried over the thought.
Jean spoke quietly as she sat beside the second Jean, “Her mind is dense…vague in uncertain memories. As if her awareness was born only yesterday…I see a den of confusion and pain. Some sort of laboratory… Then escape…. Desperate. Alone. One purpose… and hope. A home?”
However Jean yelped as if in pain pulling her hand away from her doppelgänger. Her eyes were open wide as Cyclops quickly approached her side having handed Nathan to Diana who was shushing the infant that had started to whine.
Scott worriedly asked, “Darling, are you all right?”
Rayna’s eye roll could practically be heard as she sulked from where she stood between Gambit and Rebel.
“I’m fine, Scott. But who she is or where she came from remains a mystery,” Jean murmured shoving Scott away from her slightly.
“Well! This isn’t gonna get confusing or anything!” Rayna piped up obviously being very sarcastic. Cyclops shot the Firebird a glare from behind his visor. She glared back at him not even flinching.
Morph sensing the tension quickly spoke up, “Let’s call this mystery gal on the coach ‘Jean Doe.’ All in favor?”
Rayna looked to the shapeshifter (who had duly shifted into Spyro) and quickly raised one of her crossed arms in agreement, “Agreed!”
Before the tension could snap into an argument, Hank as he stared down at a device in his big blue hands mused, “Hmm. Every moment is a new and shocking valuation of all we have ever been. My friends, words will fail to prepare you. But the Jean that lies on this couch would appear to be the actual Jean Grey.”
That got everyone’s attention. For the first time in the past few minutes, Diana spoke, “What do you mean, the ‘actual Jean Grey?’”
“I used gamma rays to isolate the hemoglobic properties of both Jeans’ genetic markers. Effectively carbon-dating each woman on a cellular level,” Hank replied looking at Diana who nodded understanding what he was saying.
Rogue however knew that she and others did not understand and asked, “Uh…English, sugar?”
Hank looked to the others in the room before realization crossed his face as he quickly answered, “Jean Doe is older, the proper age.”
He looked to the Jean beside Scott, “Yours, while identical, is not. Ergo, our Jean is a clone.”
The conscious Jean bristled as if appalled by what Hank had said, “Impossible!”
“Jean, I assure you, the science is sound,” Hank gently said as he tried to keep Jean calm.
“But I have memories! Her mind, it’s just fragments!” the psychic shouted becoming very defensive, “Your science could have been manipulated by someone with wicked intentions.”
“Scott, tell them!” Jean shouted looking to Cyclops. His expression caused Jean to stall though questioning somberly, “Scott?”
“Beast, confirm your tests,” Magneto spoke up causing Jean to clench her fists.
“Enough tests! I am Jean Grey, member of the X-Men. One of the first! I’ve fought by your side in countless battles, given my life how many times? You know me!” the psychic defiantly shouted starting to feel her eyes water.
“We just…have to be sure,” Scott answered trying to calm Jean down.
She lashed out causing her telekinesis to throw some things. Jean wrapped her arms around herself before muttering as she began to approach Diana, “Storm would have believed me.”
Once standing in front of Diana, Jean reached out and took Nathan from the goth who almost didn’t want to hand the baby over. Ultimately, Diana let Jean take him. The psychic stormed off leaving the X-Men standing around the living room idly.
A sigh came from Magneto as he stood in a corner of the room with a hand pinching the bridge of his nose. Alison cast a sparse glance at him before looking to the others speaking up, “Rayna. Take Rogue and Rebel on patrol. The rest of you take the second Jean to the labs. Understood?”
Silence overcame the group as they looked to the X-Men. Rayna nodded curtly before quickly hitting Henry on his arm before walking away with him and Rogue in tow. Beast soon picked up Jean Doe and beckoned Diana and Bishop to follow him.
Scott stood idly in the living room looking utterly defeated. Diana looked to him for a moment wishing she knew how to comfort him, but her mind was still elsewhere right now.
After getting Jean Doe to the labs, the goth had retreated to her room for a moment. She looked around noting how dark it was. Usually the dark comforted her; but now that she did not know what was there, Diana was on edge.
With a sigh, the goth moved to her bedside lamp turning it on. Diana shrugged her sweater off and turned to approach her closet. She gasped and stumbled back falling onto her rear when she saw a curled up figure in a corner of her room.
Diana was gasping quietly as she caught her breath. She stared at the individual with wide eyes. They were shaking violently dressed in nothing but a white medical gown.
The goth stalled when she saw the golden blonde hair and slender figure of what she now noticed was a female. Diana quickly crawled over to reach out to check on the woman.
As soon as Diana’s hand gently touched her, the woman jolted snapping her gaze to Diana and yelping pathetically. They stared at each other with wide eyes as if recognizing each other.
Their eyes were the exact same shade of light blue. Diana had seen this face before in a picture she had found in one of the Professor’s files. This was not the same woman in that picture though…
The picture that Diana had seen placed the woman sitting quietly in a chair a crazed glimmer in her eyes. This woman…she did not have that same sadistic look. She looked…broken. As if her whole life had flashed before her eyes without ever having a say in it…
“Diana…” this young woman murmured staring at the goth who looked confused.
“Who…? How did you get in here?”
“I followed the red rabbit…”
Red rabbit? Wait…did she mean…Jean?!
“Do you mean…Jean Grey?”
The blonde woman nodded before moving into a position so Diana and her could face each other better. Diana’s confusion was evident as she stared at this young woman who was somehow in her room.
“You’re even prettier in person, Miss Diana,” the mysterious blonde muttered as she attempted to lift a hand to touch Diana. The goth flinched though making the woman flinch as well.
Seeing her flinch, Diana quickly lifted her hands and tried to speak, “Hey. Hey it’s ok. I’m just confused that’s all…”
The blonde stared at Diana for a moment before suddenly lifting a hand and gently poking her pointer finger onto the goth’s forehead causing Diana to gasp loudly and move away leaning down on the floor in great pain. That pain riddled through her body for an excruciating few moments before Diana could suddenly feel every shadow in the room again. Her blue on black eyes snapped open to stare wide eyed at the blonde who had curled back up in the corner. What did she…?!
“Your power is yours…no one should steal it…he would not have been happy…if he had found out…”
Diana stared at her for a moment before asking quietly, “Who are you?”
“He called me Seven…”
“Time band’s looking slick, Beast. Must be ready soon. Future’s calling me,” Bishop commented as he stood near Beast who had his gaze glued to a microscope.
Diana sat quietly at Jean Doe’s side checking her over. Something was off in the mansion though. She could sense it. With her powers now strangely returned with the help of the mysterious Seven who was still hiding upstairs in Diana’s room, she could sense every shadow in the mansion. It was almost overwhelming at this point. Almost as if that small amount of time away from her powers had broken her connection to it.
The goth had not exactly wanted to leave the blonde upstairs by herself, but Diana needed to go downstairs to do what she had promised Hank. Her thoughts kept returning to the woman upstairs in her room though.
“Once I resolve matters with our superfluous Jeans, I’ll be able to make the final modifications to send you back to your time,” Hank mused as he adjusted the microscope. Before Bishop could speak up, Scott entered the labs looking very somber.
He defeatedly muttered, “Bishop, you said, in your future, you hadn’t heard of Magneto taking over the X-Men. What about this.”
Bishop sighed quietly and looked at Cyclops before replying, “Time isn’t some history book, man. It’s always writing. Flipping back a few pages, rewriting things, skipping forward, headed in…”
Diana made a quiet noise as she lifted a hand to her forehead. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her teeth were grit. Cyclops and Bishop looked in her direction immediately growing worried at how she appeared…as if she were in pain.
Scott took a step forward to check on her, but Beast suddenly gasped leaning away from his microscope with wide, “Oh my stars and garters…. Scott, you have to get Nathan…”
“Hank, what’s wrong?” Cyke asked looking to Beast with a worried expression.
With a shaky breath, Hank began to speak, “Scientists, like artists, have signatures to their work. I know who cloned Jean. A man so dark and twisted, he can be described as nothing other than…”
“Sinister…” Diana suddenly murmured as she opened her eyes and slowly pulled her hand away from her forehead.
The trio in the room snapped their gazes to her. Her expression caused the room to practically chill. Diana looked…afraid…
“Di…?” Scott gently spoke to her as he took a slight step forward. He stalled though when he noticed a faint glow from her forehead.
“He’s here…” she whispered looking to Jean Doe before looking to the door.
“Scott…we need to go get your kid,” Bishop piped up reaching out a hand clamping it on Scott’s shoulder. Cyclops looked to the time traveler nodding curtly before rushing from the labs.
Beast and Diana sat quietly for a moment. The large blue man watched his young gothic friend with a worried expression.
“Diana…is it…?”
She looked to him causing him to grow quiet and nod slightly. Her forehead was glowing faintly behind her bangs.
“He wants Nathan…I can’t let that happen…” she whispered. Beast nodded before answering, “Go. I can handle things here on my own.”
Diana watched him for a moment before nodding, standing, and rushing from the lab…
That was when Diana had a thought…Seven was still upstairs…
“Ah, mon ami, maybe Gambit should have played less rough with you in the Danger Room? But the cards, they wild,” Gambit cockily mused after doing a training session with Wolverine and Morph.
“Huh. Rematch, then?” Morph asked reaching out to tap away at the wall computer, “Well, let’s look at the schedule and see who’s up next. Hmm, looks like Rebel…and Firebird have the Danger Room next. Oh, and all tomorrow, too. Wow. Rayna’s really training her stamina with the new guy.”
Morph’s words grab Gambit’s attention as he reaches out and pushes his way to see the console, “It don’t say that. They on patrol!”
Upon seeing the schedule, Remy’s face paled before he began to wander off mumbling, “On second thought, maybe Gambit go look for Firebird right now.”
Morph and Wolverine chuckle seeing their Cajun friend so bent out of shape. Gambit’s thoughts were deep as he hunted through the mansion looking for his Rayna.
An eerie green glow emitted from under her door as he approached it. His brow furrowed before he reached out twisting the door handle slowly entering Rayna’s with practiced silenced. What he sees causes him to stall.
Rayna sat quietly on her bed. Hearing the door open, she did not look up just merely asked, “Henry? That you?”
Gambit soured at her question. He coolly replied, “Non, chere. I’d hope ya’d remember I like to visit afta trainin’…”
“Oh…” the Firebird grumbled before standing and glaring at the Cajun, “Would you leave? I have different company tonight.”
Remy’s hands clenched at his sides as he quickly snapped, “You mean Henry? Dat man is doin’ nothin’ but usin’ ya!”
Rayna rolled her eyes and looked away crossing her arms. Gambit sighed and lifted his hands rubbing them over his face before looking to the Firebird asking quietly, “Say it ain’t so…pigeon…please…”
“Oh it’s true,” Henry’s voice suddenly said from behind Gambit who whirled facing a very…odd looking Rebel.
Henry looked like…goo? His face was twisted into an awkward, eerie grin that put the Cajun on edge.
“I found an old flame,” Rayna muttered from behind Gambit who turned his body to look between the two. Both had these horrifying twisted grins. They smiled wickedly at him and then to each other before lunging at him at the same time.
Gambit swore in French as he moved backward letting the pair collide. Instead of just hitting and folding against each other holding the other up, they melted together. Remy freaked out at the sight as they suddenly became a horrific sight. He was shown many things…Belladonna…the External…his brother…several girls he had met in the past…
His breathing quickened as he saw all these things from his past. Rayna returned staring at him with malicious intent. That was when he realized…that was not his pigeon…this was something else entirely.
As she attempted to grab him with gooey looking arms, he fled from the room slamming the door shut behind him.
Diana walked quietly but purposely throughly the halls of the mansion. The shadows reached out as if trying to follow her. She could sense the sudden pain in the house. The fear…the anguish…
Loud shouts drew her attention down a specific corridor of the hall. She turned and moved through the shadows at record speed as she reached the scene. The X-Men present looked…confused…terrified…
“What’s going on?” Diana quickly asked as she approached the scene. Jubilee looked to the goth and somberly quipped, “Di…it’s like the worst horror movie ever. The whole mansion’s possessed!”
One of the doors, Rayna’s quarters, swung open revealing a very disturbed Gambit who was breathing heavily. Diana saw the glisten in his eyes as he leaned back against the door, “Gambit can never unsee dat.”
“Downstairs, now!” Scott commanded before Diana could try and check on Remy.
“What the heck is going on?” Wolverine suddenly shouted as he approached the situation with claws drawn. Morph quickly appeared in the hall as well gasping for air and shaking slightly.
“Haven’t you figured it out? We’re in hell!” Morph exclaimed sounding very perplexed. Diana stalled at the shapeshifter’s words.
“NO! DON’T SAY THAT!” she shrieked, but it was too late. The floor rumbled beneath them before it gave way.
They all screamed loudly as they fell into a fiery pit. Spread out across the pit, the X-Men quickly scrambled to their feet looking around. Diana was at the furthest distance away but was not as far down at the others.
“What the—?” a different familiar voice could be heard from the edge of the pit. Firebird stood there looking down into the inferno.
“Rayna…” Gambit murmured looking up at her, “DOWN HERE, CHER!”
The Firebird was about to jump in when a hand reached out grabbing her and pulling her back. Henry peeked over the edge causing Remy to scowl.
“Woah!” Rogue’s drawl could be heard exclaim as she saw the situation as well, “Well that ain’t normal…”
Rayna huffed and looked to the southern belle snapping, “Thank you, Miss Obvious. You wanna fly down there and try and get them out?”
“What?!” Henry exclaimed looking incredulously. Rogue rolled her eyes and smacked Rebel on the shoulder, “Oh hush, sugah. I’ll be fine.”
Rogue jumped into the pit without even a second thought. As she reached out for Jubilee who had her hands held up, something grabbed Rogue by her ankles throwing her into one of the walls of the pit leaving a sizable crack.
“Hey!” she grumbled before her eyes widened seeing what was flying in the air with her, “Oh…now that definitely ain’t normal!”
Several demonic things were flying through the air growling and snarling. The X-Men fought valiantly. Rebel and Firebird kept them from escaping using a combination of fire and ice. The duo yelped though when they were pulled apart and away from the pit.
“ENOUGH!” Jean’s voice shouted.
Slowly, the room returned to normal leaving them in the living area. Once the mock pit of hell was gone, Diana subtly disappeared into the shadows. Jean stood for a moment before passing out. Cyclops cradled her as he tried to get her to wake back up. A twisted cackle though pulled the group from the current situation though.
“Pathetic,” Jean sneered as she emerged from the shadows dressed in black with Nathan in a floating green bubble, “What does he even see in you?”
Scott’s eyes widened beneath his visor when he saw the vision before him. He quickly spoke up, “Sinister’s controlling you. You don’t have to do this!”
“Who doesn’t? Me? Who am I? Say my name, Scott,” the red head sneered before humming and tilting her head slightly, “No? Allow me. I am beyond Jean Grey. Beyond the X-Men. I am scorn and fury, forged in righteous brimstone. I am the Goblin Queen!”
The room went silent as they stared at the now self proclaimed Goblin Queen. No one knew what to do until the shadows suddenly reached out grasping the clone who shrieked in terror.
“The Goblin Queen? How unoriginal…” Diana eerily murmured from somewhere in the room. The shadows tightened their hold on the fake Jean pulling her harshly to the ground.
Diana slowly walked up behind the now restrained Goblin Queen through the dark hall that the clone had been standing in. The X-Men stalled when they saw their gothic friend.
Her eyes were glowing brightly…as was something from behind her bangs. The shadows clung to her dissipating when she looked to Nathan in the green bubble. Nathan immediately calmed stopping his crying when he saw her. He gave her a gummy grin that made Diana chuckle quietly.
“Di…?” Scott questioned softly as he looked at her. She lifted her gaze to meet his visored one, “He isn’t leaving this house unless I’m dead.”
A muffled noise came from the clone who was still tied to the floor by the shadows. Diana glared down at the woman causing the shadows to tighten their grip. With a pained noise, the Goblin Queen stilled her movements.
Quietly, Diana moved to Cyclops and held Nathan out to him. Scott quickly took the infant giving the goth a thankful nod.
“Oh dear dear Diana,” the Goblin Queen murmured struggling to look at the woman she spoke to, “How does it feel to have him in your head?”
Diana’s gaze snapped to look at the restrained clone. She slowly took a step forward and kneeled down beside her murmuring, “He’s not in my head. You’re his only puppet. None of this is yours.”
The clone shrieked and tried to get out of Diana’s shadow hold, “NO! THIS IS MINE! ALL OF THIS IS MINE!”
“SILENCE!” Diana shouted causing the shadows to pull the Goblin Queen off the floor and slam into the wall. With a fearful gaze, the fake Jean looked at Diana.
The X-Men stood silent as they watched the goth who had a very eerie expression on her face. Taking slow steps toward the Goblin Queen, Diana reached out a hand gripping the clone’s chin making Jean look at her.
“Please…” the clone whimpered. Diana’s grip only tightened as she sneered, “You do not beg for mercy. I know better than to believe that he would have placed such a flaw in you.”
“Not against the others…but we know your strength…” she murmured before Diana suddenly flew back hitting the opposing wall. The Goblin Queen was loosed from the shadow’s grip as they slithered over to Diana.
“Di!” Cyclops exclaimed as he tried to get to the goth’s side.
“Oh hush, my darling,” the clone sneered glaring at Scott as she started to approach him. No one knew what to do. They stood still knowing they could not take the clone on if they wanted to.
“Give me our son, Scott,” the fake Jean mused as she reached out to take the infant who started to squirm and cry.
Diana lunged tackling the clone to the floor. The two began to brawl. Both of them got several good licks in before Diana was lifted into the air through the Goblin Queen’s telekinesis. She was thrown back into the wall where she hit her head and slumped to the floor.
With a satisfied hum, the Goblin Queen turned to the others, “This was just a taste of what waits for you if you follow. My suggestion? Don’t.”
“STOP!” an unfamiliar voice called out causing the Goblin Queen to stall and whirl around with wide eyes. The X-Men looked down the hall seeing the blonde woman in some of Diana’s clothes.
“No! Seven! Run!” Diana choked as she tried to get up, but she was lifted and thrown back into the wall again flopping on floor unconscious.
Humming satisfied once again, the fake Jean turned to look at the blonde, “You’re far from home. Let me guess. You followed little Miss Jeanie here?”
“Please…you don’t have to do this,” Seven murmured looking at the Goblin Queen with pleading eyes, “He doesn’t have to control you…either of us…”
“How cute of you to think that,” the clone mused before reaching out and grasping Seven by her forehead, “You’re coming home with me.”
Emitting a harsh blast of telekinesis, the X-Men stumbled. The Goblin Queen quickly reached out snatching Nathan from Scott who immediately tried to get him back, but he was thrown back just as Diana had albeit just a bit gentler.
The clone disappeared into the shadows of the hall with a controlled blonde behind her leaving the X-Men standing flabbergasted in the destroyed living room.
You failed Diana…failed to keep the Summers’ son safe…how sad…tsk tsk…what would Mother think…?
Diana jolted sitting up heaving heavy breathes. Large hands rested on her shoulders guiding her to lay down once more.
“No…no he has him…I can’t let him—” the goth murmured trying to push whoever was taking care of her away.
“Quiet…” Beast’s soft voice murmured attempting to calm the goth, “You’ve hit your head.”
Diana tried to object but a worried voice caused her to relax. Morph quickly moved to sit at the goth’s side, “Listen to the fuzz ball, girlfriend.”
She huffed and looked to the shapeshifter whose eyes were filled with worry.
“I’ll be ok…” she murmured lifting a hand and placing it gently on Morph’s arm. Before the shapeshifter could reply, Cyclops practically zoomed over to check on Diana.
“Diana! Are you ok? Can you see clearly? You hit your head pretty hard….Can you hear me? I watched you hit your head. Who was that blonde? I’m so sorry I couldn’t help—” Scott began to ramble causing Morph to chuckle and stand leaving the duo to talk.
“Quiet!” Diana huffed lifting her hands to cover her face, “You’ll make the headache worse.”
“Which is quite concerning,” Beast mused as he moved to Diana’s opposing side. He had something in his hands, but Diana did not care right now.
“I’ll be fine…” she mumbled attempting to sit up once more.
As Beast and Cyclops attempted to take care of the defiant goth, Rayna sat quietly beside Gambit. He had not said much to her. She silently worried what she might have done to upset him…if he had gotten upset when she had pushed him and Diana away while they had been trying to comfort her.
“What happened?!” Alison’s voice suddenly cut through the med bay as she and Magneto entered the room. Rayna and Henry looked up from their respective places.
“Lots happened,” Gambit sneered narrowing those red on black eyes at the Ink Demon who merely matched his glare.
“Anyone seriously hurt?” she asked pulling her eyes away from the Cajun looking at Rebel then to the Firebird who looked away as if upset.
“Diana got a nasty whack to the head, Alice,” Rogue murmured lifting a hand and pointing over to where Diana lay being observed by Beast, Cyclops, and Morph.
The Ink Demon quickly moved across the room to stand at the foot of Diana’s cot. Her brown eyes were filled with worry as she stared at the goth. Despite that worry in her eyes, Alison’s face was still a harsh mask of coldness.
Morph quietly moved away going over to Wolverine who struck up a conversation with the shapeshifter. The room was eerily quiet until Magneto finally spoke up, “Cyclops. Status report.”
The X-Man in question sighed quietly before standing from where he sat at Diana’s side looking to Magneto and answering, “Sinister created the clone.”
Diana made a quiet noise and attempted to sit up. Before Beast could attempt to try and keep her laying down though, long inky tendrils shot out pushing Diana’s shoulders holding her down. The goth huffed as she narrowed her eyes at Alison who held an inky hand out.
“He made the clone to get his hands on the offspring of Scott and Jean,” Diana piped up from where she lay. She sounded rather bitter, a tone that was rare for the goth to use.
The X-Men looked to her rather shocked by her change in behavior. However a quiet clearing of a throat pulled the attention away from Diana over to Roberto who was looking around curiously, “Mister…Sinister…?”
“He was a scientist in the 1800s,” Diana spoke up as she defiantly sat up. Alison was about to make her lay back down, but Beast held a hand up warning the Ink Demon not to interfere. She seemed to understand as she let her powers flicker away. The goth continued, “Sinister is the most evil man to ever exist…. He uses mutants as playthings to prolong his life…or take away their will.”
Silence settled over the group before Morph quietly spoke up shifting back to original form, “I should know…”
Before the conversation could continue, a loud scream came from the cot a few feet away from Diana’s. All eyes snapped to look at Jean who had sat up clutching at her head.
Beast and Cyclops immediately moved to her side trying to comfort her. Alison returned her gaze to Diana though noting the contemplation on the shadow manipulator’s face.
“Diana,” the Ink Demon quietly but sternly called to the goth who looked up at her. There was a moment of silence as they stared into each other’s eyes. Alison sighed before quietly speaking again, “You have your mother’s eyes…”
“You..you know…?” Diana’s eyes widened considerably at Alison’s comment. Before she could say anything more though, a fist hitting a wall broke any conversation in the room.
Scott went into a rant. Diana’s heart went out to him. She quietly moved to stand albeit shakily. Alison reached a hand out keeping the goth steady whispering, “Don’t do anything stupid, kid.”
With a faint nod, Diana pulled her arm from the Ink Demon’s grasp moving to stand at Cyclops’ side. She placed a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder as she murmured, “Sinister has been a thorn in our side long enough…we have to end this…get Nathan back…”
“How?!” Scott spat looking to her before suddenly realizing she was standing, “Diana—”
“Quiet, four eyes. She has something to say! Let her speak, you idiot,” Rayna snapped from where she sat by Gambit who chuckled quietly at the Firebird’s fiery comment. That comment earned a sour look from Scott, but he soon returned his visored gaze to Diana.
“I…we know where he is…” she murmured swallowing thickly. Diana’s gaze turned to Morph who sighed quietly and nodded as if in agreement.
Cyclops’ eyes widened behind his visor as he turned to look at the shapeshifter, “Morph…are you sure…?”
“I can’t let him hurt anyone else,” Morph replied looking to Scott with a determined expression before looking to Diana who nodded curtly in understanding.
The fleeting moment of understanding between Diana and Morph was broken as Magneto spoke up, “Alison, Wolverine, Beast—tend to our wounded. Morph, Cyclops, Bishop and myself will lead a surgical strike.”
“Wait a minute—!” Alison exclaimed narrowing her eyes at Erik who merely shot her a look, “This isn’t up for discussion.”
With an aggravated huff, the Ink Demon looked away from him crossing her arms.
“I’m going too,” Rayna snapped standing up glaring at the Master of Magnetism. His gaze moved to hers as she narrowed his eyes and coolly replied, “You are staying here as well…”
“MAGS!” the Firebird shouted ready to start arguing, but a hand gripping her arm caused her to relax and look down to Gambit who had a rather pleading expression. With an aggravated sigh, Rayna sat back down beside the Cajun looking away from Magneto’s direction as she crossed her arms just as Alison had.
Magneto looked to Henry who merely raised his hands in mock surrender, “I’m not gonna say anything.”
“Good,” Erik murmured before turning and leaving the med bay.
“I’m going,” Diana defiantly spoke up. Before Magneto could try and deny her though, Beast gently said, “You can’t…between the hit to your head and—”
“Don’t say it…” she snapped as she hung her head and stared down at her feet, “You know I have to do this Hank.”
The goth moved and left the med bay. All eyes turned to Beast as he watched her leave. With a heavy sigh, he murmured turning back to Jean, “I am not answering any questions at this time.”
Diana sat quietly in her room as she prepared herself. As she tied back her hair, her eyes glued to a pair of scissors on her vanity. Diana’s thoughts dwelled on the conversation she had had with Beast not long ago.
“Hank?” Diana quietly called trying to get his attention. He turned his stool and looked at her, “Yes, Diana?”
“Can I ask a favor of you?” the goth asked quietly as she approached him. Beast turned his stool to look at her. The worrisome look on her face caused Hank to pause.
“Of course…” Hank murmured reaching a large hand out gently grabbing Diana’s arm guiding her to sit across from him. Her gaze was downcast as she gripped her hands in her lap tightly.
After a few long moments of silence, the shadow manipulator whispered, “Can you keep a secret?”
Hank’s brow furrowed as he pulled his glasses off setting them on the work table turning all his attention to Diana. He nodded, “You know I can.”
Diana lifted her gaze and looked at him. The glimmer in her eyes threw Beast. He had never seen the young woman so perplexed…so afraid.
“The Professor lied to me…” she murmured as her eyes watered. The large man’s eyes widened at her statement.
“What…? What do you mean by that, Diana? Charles never would have—”
“Don’t. Don’t try and defend him. He kept a secret from me…something I had a right to know…”
“What? What did he know, Diana?”
“He knew who my parents were…he knew and he never told me…”
With a harsh snip of the scissors, Diana’s long ponytail lay in her hand. Her hair now its former short glory. She looked at her reflection as she squared her jaw. Alison’s words echoed in the goth’s head…
“You have your mother’s eyes…”
Swallowing thickly, Diana set the scissors aside beside the lock of hair. She slowly stood before gripping the lapels of her coat straightening it. The goth sighed before turning and leaving her room heading downstairs.
I have to save Nathan…
I have to save Seven…
“You sure you wanna do this, Morph?” Cyclops asked the shapeshifter who nodded, “It’s either this or let that madman continue hurting people.”
Cyclops nodded before sighing quietly as he looked to Magneto who had a harsh contemplative expression, “Our play?”
“Fan out,” the older man murmured causing the three with him to begin their movements through the eerie graveyard towards the equally as eerie church.
Not far from them, a dark silhouette stood near a gravestone looking down at it. The name on the headstone seemed to portray someone possibly gentle and soft, but the individual standing before it knew otherwise. Their gaze turned to the church. As silent as the breeze, the person dissipated into the shadows.
Below the church, a lab was hidden carrying dark secrets and sinister intentions. A voice could be heard talking to someone.
Mister Sinister quietly observed the infant in the brightly lit vat. He chuckled darkly hearing the battle above him. Finally, he had the one thing that had evaded him for years. A piece of him felt broken though.
However that feeling was fleeting…he could sense her…
“My dear…how brave of you to come down here by your lonesome,” Sinister commented as stood looking over the top of the vat that Nathan was enclosed in.
Diana stood just barely visible in the shadows. Her eyes held such an expression of anger, hate, and sadness. Mister Sinister chuckled slightly at her expression. A part of him softened though as he stared at the young woman before him.
“What are you doing to him? And where is Seven?” Diana snapped narrowing her blue on black eyes at the geneticist. With a quiet sigh, Mister Sinister leaned against the vat and stared at her.
“Straight to business…so much like Mother,” he murmured rather…softly. Diana held no reaction as her eyes narrowed at him.
“Do you find it amusing? Amusing that the X-Men are upstairs fighting that thing you made?” she asked as she fully emerged from the shadows.
“The clone of Jean?” Sinister mused as he stood straight. Diana’s cold expression cracked slightly. With a dark chuckle, the scientist continued, “I know that you know who you are now. That clone learned more than you realize. I saw everything after I switched Jean. Every little moment I was right there with you…”
Diana squared her jaw and glared at Sinister who merely calmly stared back at her. Her hands clenched at her sides. He watched her carefully expecting her to attack. Sinister was right to expect such a thing as the shadows reached out pulling him back causing him to hit the wall with tremendous force.
He huffed a breath before beginning to cackle, “Very good, Diana! Your rage is such a beautiful thing! Much like your mother’s—”
Sinister suddenly moved through the shadows that held him down causing Diana to growl quietly as she looked around. He reappeared behind her, but the goth was ready as she ducked and rolled out of the way.
“Where is she?” Diana snarled as she stood again.
“Where is who?” Sinister innocently asked as the pair began to move in a circle staring each other down.
“You know who I’m talking about. Don’t play stupid,” the young woman snapped as she flicked a wrist causing the shadows to reach out and wrap around Sinister’s throat. He choked slightly before laughing quietly as he moved through the shadows once again.
The scientist reappeared near the vat that Nathan was in. Sinister hummed before quietly answering, “I keep her hidden. She’s safe.”
“You can’t do it though…!” Diana somberly exclaimed looking at him with pleading eyes. Sinister stalled for a moment as his expression softened for a brief moment, “I have to…I lost her…lost you…if I can bring her back, I’m going to. I will not—”
“YOU’LL KILL SEVEN!” Diana snapped getting frustrated with the man.
“Seven is merely a means to an end. She had no other purpose than to harvest her heart,” Sinister coolly replied. He looked to Nathan and murmured with a twisted grin, “If only Xavier’s orphans knew the future we have in store for them.”
Before he could continue, a large red beam hit him square in his chest causing him to stumble back. Sinister’s red eyes turned to glare at who attacked him.
Cyclops and the Goblin Queen entered the laboratory. Diana stepped back; but when she noticed Cyclops look to the vat that Nathan was in, she panicked and reached out causing the shadows to cover Scott’s visor. He shouted in surprise as he brushed the shadows away.
His eyes widened behind his visor when he saw Diana standing there, “Di…?”
“You can’t take him out…” she murmured causing Sinister to cackle and look at her, “You would be wise to listen to her. She knows more than you realize.”
Cyclops looked between Sinister and Diana before making a hasty decision turning his gaze to the vat that his son was held in. Diana screamed at Scott as he blasted a hole in the glass draining some the liquid inside.
Her hands were held out as she stood frozen watching Scott pull Nathan from the green liquid. Diana felt her heart stutter painfully as she watched. A feeling of failure settled in her chest as she stood helpless to the side.
“What did you do?!” Diana shouted staring at Cyclops with wide eyes. He looked up from Nathan to her noting the perplexed expression on her face. Scott’s brow furrowed as he looked back down at his son who stared up at him with a gummy smile before beginning to cough.
“You’ve doomed the boy…” Sinister darkly murmured before slowly beginning to move back into the shadows reciting a poem, “‘Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home. Your house is on fire, and your child is gone…’”
The mad scientist disappeared as Cyclops began to panic over Nathan who he suddenly realized had contracted some kind of Techno-Organic Virus. Diana stood back as she clenched her hands into fists at her sides. Scott lifted his gaze and looked at her snapping, “Why didn’t you do anything?! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?! Why…”
His voice trailed off as he stared at the goth, “What did you do…”
Diana lifted her gaze glaring darkly at Cyclops. She was on the verge of tears as she murmured, “You should have listened to me….NATHAN IS GOING TO DIE NOW BECAUSE OF YOU! BOTH OF YOU!”
With a quick turn, she dissipated into the shadows just as Sinister had. Scott’s eyes widened behind his visor as recognition crossed his face.
“No…oh no…” his gaze turned to the clone of Jean before back to Nathan. What had he done?
“It’s a Techno-Organic Virus strain. Sinister was likely exposing Nathan to it in the hopes of making him invincible...” Beast murmured as he looked the infant over. His heart was slowly sinking the longer he observed tiny Nathan.
“Figure it out, Beast, please,” Scott pleaded becoming increasingly more worried and frustrated.
“Sinister’s variant is too advanced. It could take months, even years, to develop a cure, and the virus is already spreading rapidly,” Hank looked to them somberly, “There’s no time...”
Diana sat quietly across the room head in her hands. Rayna stood beside her leaning against the wall with crossed arms. The Firebird was watching the situation with a scowl on her face.
Several things were going through Diana’s mind. She had failed to keep Nathan safe…failed to get the information from Sinister she had wanted…failed to find Seven….
As Scott raged though, the goth sighed quietly before murmuring, “Logan’s blood…”
The room went silent as those present looked to her. Beast spoke up quietly, “What…?”
“Logan’s blood,” Diana repeated a bit louder than before, “Its healing quality…could possibly heal Nathan…”
Scott grit his teeth before turning his temper on Diana shouting, “HOW CAN WE TRUST YOU?!”
Rayna immediately bristled glaring at Cyclops snapping, “Shut up before you say something stupid, Scott.”
“Be quiet, Rayna! I don’t feel like dealing with you right now!” he sneered his temper getting the better of him. Cyclops looked around the room before pointing at Diana, “One of our own and she was in the company of Mister Sinister without being on assignment!”
Several gasps and gapes could be heard even from Rayna. Beast however just hung his head and looked away from Scott whose gaze snapped to the scientist.
“You knew…YOU KNEW AND DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING?!” he exclaimed sounding perplexed at the revelation. Beast sighed and looked at Cyclops, “Diana told me of her own volition. She needed someone who could keep a secret.”
“What? That she works for Sinister? That for all we know it’s her fault that any of us are in this situation?!”
“Quiet!” Diana shouted looking up from where she sat with her head in her hands. She quietly stood and stared directly at Scott, “I am not working for him…it’s…far more complicated…”
“Oh right. Because all we do now is keep secrets from each other,” he sneered causing Diana to snap shouting, “THE PROFESSOR LIED TO ME!”
The room went silent at her words. She sighed slowly closing her eyes and lifting her hands to run through her hair. Calmly, Diana began to speak, “The Professor lied…. He always told me he never knew who my parents were…but he knew the whole time…”
“What…do you mean by that, Di?” Rayna quietly getting a sneaking suspicion.
Diana sighed and hung her head before answering, “My real name is Diana Essex…I am the daughter of Mister Sinister…”
An eerie silence settled over the room the only sound being the beeping of the monitors attached to Nathan. Diana grit her teeth as her head remained hung. She lifted a hand and roughly rubbed the tears off of her cheeks.
“Leave…” Scott suddenly murmured causing the X-Men to begin shouting. Rayna was the loudest, “OH REALLY?!”
“She’s not one of us!” Cyclops sneered glaring at the goth.
“Scott, think about this,” Hank quietly spoke up trying to calm the situation.
“Shut it, Hank. You’re lucky I’m not getting upset at you for hiding this sickening secret from any of us!”
Diana gnashed her teeth before lifting her gaze settling it on Cyke, “Be. Quiet.”
Scott looked back at her with a startled expression before his face returned to a cold, angry facade. Before he could sneer any more at her, she snapped, “I was planning on leaving anyway. There are others who need my help like Seven who none of you even tried to keep safe from that fake Jean! I’m tired of being Xavier’s good little girl. If I truly am an Essex, I’m going to learn what it’s like and use it to our advantage.”
The goth looked around the room looking at the people she once considered her family. So many of them held expressions of betrayal…so much so that Diana felt her heart break. When her eyes met Hank’s though, Diana softened ever so slightly. His eyes held kindness and understanding.
Cyclops was silent. He did not know what to say. The woman he had considered a sister for most of his life as an X-Man had just revealed that she was the child of his greatest enemy. It did not sit well in his mind, but his heart was pleading to reach out…to comfort her. Scott was a stubborn man though…
Diana swallowed thickly before turning and leaving the lab. She went upstairs leaving the others to find a way to help Nathan knowing they would not listen to her.
Even as she watched Bishop disappear into the future, Diana could feel it. That heaviness in her heart. Her failure. She would not fail again though. If she had to, she would search every corner of the world until Seven was safe. The closest thing to actual family she had was a clone. If that’s all there was, Diana would take it.
Her bags soon were packed. She was leaving the only place she had ever called home. The clone of Jean who had began to call herself Madelyne Pryor waited patiently for Diana at the front door. They were leaving together…two beings created by the same evil…now family in a twisted game they never asked to be a part of…
Quietly, the pair walked out of the X-Mansion. Madelyne did not say anything not knowing what to say as she was still struggling with her own identity and having to hand over her son to the trials of time.
A voice pulled them from their silence. They looked to see Jean following after them. Diana did not stop just kept walking. Eventually, she did stop and looked over her shoulder watching the Jeans talking. It weighed heavily on her heart knowing…she knew who was who…not that anyone would believe her now…
Once Madelyne had began to approach Diana again, the goth began to walk leaving behind the only life she had ever known.
