1. The First Strike

**The Mutant Control Act**

The world would never be the same. Never. It has not been since the day a giant robot walked down a busy Bayville street, assaulting humans that had strange superhuman powers. Powers that caused large scale destruction and took down a Sentinel—one of the most powerful weapons known to mankind. Since that day the entire world has been living in fear; fear that has given rise to hate. And hate caused persecution and unlawful executions of "people" who were_thought_to be mutants.

Mutants were said to be the next stage in the evolution of mankind. After M-Day, mutants began to turn up across the world. It was like a disease. The number of mutants just kept increasing, and before anyone could realize what had happened, another incident took place that completely shook the world: The Rise of Apocalypse. Apocalypse was a mutant determined to take control over the world and rule it. No existing human technology was able to take him down. What finally defeated him was never revealed to the public. It just happened that one day he was going to take over the world, and the next day he had simply disappeared.

People began to panic. The general public soon realized that super humans only look good in fiction (i.e. cartoons and comics). There were some who did believe that mutants were a gift to mankind, but a majority of the world believed them to be something inhuman, and mutants with physical deformities like Beast or Spyke didn't help to change that image. There were those that used their powers recklessly to hurt people who had offended them, and some used their powers only for a mischievous intent. But in some cases that proved to be disastrous enough that those disgruntled mutants set a fear in the hearts and minds of the people. Was it panic? Was it fear? No one knows what led to the events that led to it... Just one word _hate_, _hate_ directed against mutants.

Several vigilante groups were formed to protect humans and exterminate mutants, or as they called it: "to bring them to justice and under control." This blatant hate and extremism backed by financial power from those who sought to make a profit in even such delicate situations aggravated not only the hate directed against mutants but Global Peace as well. The deaths of innocent mutants and their unlawful incarceration at the hands of these Anti-Human Factions infuriated mutants as they felt their right to live freely had been compromised. A few demanded justice in the court of law, but a majority of them decided that enough was enough, and for the first time, mutants retaliated.

The mutants wreaked havoc, destroying anything that came in their way. Terror set in, and the governments of various nations declared a state of emergency. Armed and other para-military forces were deployed to contain the situation and to protect the normal citizens; they were largely unsuccessful. The mutants had finally had enough and in order to protect themselves and their loved ones, they decided to spread the message far and wide that they had as much right to live freely as any other creation of God; if any person decided to hunt them down, it wouldn't end well for them at all.

Victorious, the mutants backed down temporarily; however, they always kept their guard up and started living in large societies and numbers. Numbers provided strength and security.

The humans, however, still lived in fear and rightfully so; parents lived in fear that their child might be a mutant and that he'd be forced to leave them. Some people actually thought it shameful that they had produced a mutant and disowned the member at the first given opportunity. Mutants became outcasts of society and started to live a life in exile. Those who could control their powers continued to live in normality, but were either scared of being exiled or that their families and loved ones would be harmed on their account. As it was mutants and humans were now two different races on planet Earth, the latter dominating the former in terms of number. However, the x-gene continued to activate mutations in people across the globe and continuously increased mutant numbers.

Though mutants stood their ground, humans continued to make life difficult for them; most were refused jobs or fired from their existing profiles. They were banned from entering malls and other shopping marts. Basically, they were denied the basic necessities of life. One situation led to another, increasing the number of unemployed mutants and thus forcing them to take what they needed to live with force even if that meant using their powers, never thinking once of the fact that they might hurt someone in order to fulfill their own needs. The problem aggravated, and before anyone knew it mutants were back in their armor and were ready to lock horns with their oppressors.

It was then that a voice of reason, Professor Charles Xavier, requested that acceptance was the only path that could help both humans and mutants to make peace with each other, that mutants were people, and that just like nonmutant humans, they too felt threatened of their surroundings when they knew that someone was going to hurt them or their family. Like humans, they would do anything to protect themselves even if it meant using their powers. He stated that if humans wanted to live in fear for the rest of their lives, they could continue to aggravate mutants or they could make peace, respect them for what they are and expect the same in return.

Whether grudgingly or after giving into reason, humans finally gave into the fact that right now, it'd be better for them to hold themselves back from their anti-mutant propaganda. However, there were those on both sides who continued with their extremist ways; The Friends of Humanity and The Global Alliance for Safeguarding Humanity (G.A.S.H.) continued to incarcerate mutants without any action being taken against them, and there were several mutants who believed in safeguarding themselves against such extremists and taking the war to them. The leading mutant extremist groups were the Rytsari from Russia and the Lancers from the European Union.

And I... what can I say? I pity humans for their narrow-minded attitude, but I prefer to work alone. I believe in making those who harm the innocent pay, and I believe in protecting my own kind. That's what I am going to do; especially after what is about to take place. It will have a great impact on the life of every mutant, and most likely it will be for the worse.

The Mutant Registration Act, a global law that if cleared by the United Nations would mean the end of a mutant's right to freedom. The Act forces mutants to register all personal information, professional details, his or her primary and secondary (if any) mutation, and the attachment of a GPS tracking device that is to be worn at all times. The mutant will only be allowed to go to certain places in his home town or city of residence, and any deviation from the authorized areas will lead to indefinite incarceration until the mutant is represented in court. If the mutant ever uses his power in any situation other than life or death, they will be imprisoned. Until a mutant learns to control their powers, they shall not be allowed in any public places; after authenticating the fact that the mutant has learnt control over their powers, only then they shall be allowed to visit the designated areas. The last rule includes the one that ensures that the life of a mutant will become that of a prisoner, as all mutants will be housed in designated housing societies that shall be provided by the governing body of the nation, and that their "security" shall also be the responsibility of the government.

The Act gives the humans the security they need and we...well, we get to be in prison. Xavier might be up for it, but I surely am not, and that's what I'm here to stop. As I walk down First Avenue towards the UN plaza, where the general secretary and the security council have gathered to pass the bill, I thought to myself that this is the last and the biggest mistake that they will ever make.

I walked down the busy lane to the barriers that have been placed around the plaza for security. Cops and special forces man the boundaries. _Fools,_ I thought to myself. _They think they can stop us, but they are mistaken._ I continued to walk, pulling the cowl over my head and concealing my face so that I could get their attention. Fortunately for me, a few of them made their way to me, pulling out their batons for safe measure. The officer in front brandished his badge at me.

"Sir, I would request you to lower your hood and identify yourself." I continued to walk at a slow pace, thinking about how foolish, how very foolish they were. They surrounded me, a few with their guns pointing at me.

The officer in charge stood in front of me, his badge in hand, "Put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees. Otherwise, we'll have to use force."

I stood my ground.

He took out his gun and pointed it at me his voice quivering, "Get down on your knees and put your hands behind your ... Aargh!"

Unfortunately before he could utter another word, I decided to end his pitiful life. He grasped for his throat, trying to relieve the pressure that was choking him to a painful death. I heard the clicks of weapons being unlocked, and guns being pumped, ready to fire. They knew they couldn't save the man from choking to death but they would try and take a shot at me..._BAMF! _

I was surrounded by a scarlet smoke that smells of sulfur dioxide, my ticket out of here, and before I could take another breath or blink my eyes..._BAMF! _I was out of there and standing on the top of the UN Headquarters.

"Impeccable timing, Azazel," I said to the red-skinned demon. His tail coiled around his waist, and with a devilish grin, he nodded and then teleported to the pre-planned location, leaving behind the foul-smelling smoke. I expanded my telepathic awareness, knowing that I have only seconds to execute the plan before the roof is stormed by the National Guard and special ops. I searched for the minds waiting in the crowds to hear me out, and I just said one word,_NOW!_

A blinding flash of light illuminated First Avenue, sending people into panic and probably blinding some.

"_Well done, Helia_!" I said into her mind, and the last thing I heard was Azazel teleporting her away, before I left her mind.

"_Tsunami, Gale, Quake, execute Catastros_," I conveyed the message telepathically to my other associates, and before I could utter another word, I felt the floor shaking beneath my feet and a whirlwind of twisters that surrounded the entire plaza, blocking out the light from the sun. I could hear them now, I could hear them in my head. Screaming, shouting, crying...A million foreign thoughts raced through my mind. People crying for help, others falling down several floors as the ground beneath their feet crumbled, and many others died a painful death as pillars, walls, and roofs crushed the life out of them slowly and painfully. Fear, terror, panic, pain, suffering, death...they knew what had hit them, and they couldn't do a thing about it.

As I rejoiced in the moment of the agony of the pitiful humans, I called out for the final strike.

"_Tsunami, put your entire force in the attack and destroy the very foundation of Turtle Bay_." She acknowledged my command, and the last thing that I felt from her was a surge of intense power coursing through her body and then nothing. Just raw power and no emotions, no conscience.

I looked over to the ocean, and for a moment, I thought that this would be the last thing I would ever see, with the floor crumbling beneath my feet and the wind ready to blow me off the roof any second. That I wouldn't live to see the day when mutants could live a peaceful life. As my entire life flashed before me, I saw a gigantic wave of about 200 feet coming towards me, as if the ocean itself had pulled back from the beach and the continental shelf, giving rise to this Wave of Death, and death it'd surely leave in its wake. I prayed for my last breath to the angels above.

But alas, I was saved by the Devil once again in the disguise of a mutant. A loud_BAMF!_And I was far away from where the wave had struck, and it had made its way inland to about a kilometer, destroying most of Turtle Bay. As I saw the water recede, I couldn't see a single sign of the United Nations Headquarters. It had all been destroyed, the four majestic buildings that were the center for all of humanity was now a large puddle of mud, left behind in the death wake of a Tsunami.

Project Catastros had been a success, or team Catastros had been a success he should say. "You are mad, Sean, you know that, don't you?" Azazel said to me with slight humor in is voice._Was the devil actually cracking a joke?_

"Trust me, Azazel, had I not been mad, we wouldn't have been able to pull it through," I said, looking at the receding waters and finding it difficult to believe that we had finally done what even the most powerful of our kind had been unable to do, and then it struck me.

"Tsunami..." I began to ask but even before I could complete the sentence I knew what had happened and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw Azazel look to the ocean and the setting sun slightly shaking his head. I felt pain, I had lost a member of my team today, but this was war and there were bound to be losses. "We couldn't have done this without you, Goddess of the Sea," I said silently to myself and for a moment there, I thought I saw her on the horizon.

The image of a girl so beautiful that even the moon's beauty was nothing compared to it, long waist length hair blowing in the wind and beautiful sea blue eyes looking over at me, making me warm from within. For that one moment, I felt something that I hadn't in a very long time. Grief. I felt Azazel place his hand on my shoulder, a gesture to comfort me, perhaps.

"Let's go, Sean. The others are waiting for us. It's a day to celebrate. She'd have wanted us to."

I looked at the setting sun that lit up the ocean in various hues of red and ochre, and I nodded. Before Azazel teleported me, I could hear it all in my mind... cries of agony and the anguish of thousands of people.

* * *

><p><em>New York Times<em>

_WAVE OF DEATH_

_Manhattan: 12th September 2011: The tsunami that struck Turtle Bay not only destroyed the entire UN Plaza, but also lead to the deaths of thousands of people. The 200 meter high tsunami that had suddenly arisen out of nowhere has maritime and meteorological experts in a frenzy, as the tsunami wasn't detected at all. No signs appeared to have been observed before the tsunami struck, nor were there any warnings given for the earthquake that struck Manhattan just before the tsunami hit Turtle Bay. Recent reports have confirmed that no one in the Plaza survived the natural disaster but a question has arisen: "Was it a natural disaster, or a carefully executed plan by the various extremist factions that have openly raised their voice against the Mutant Registration Act which the Secretary Council and the General assembly had sat to discuss upon?" Senator Kelly..._

Charles Xavier decided against reading the complete article. He folded the newspaper and kept it on his study table. He rotated his wheelchair to look out of the large glass wall that overlooked the sea.

"Difficult times are ahead for us, Storm." He looked at the white haired former African Goddess standing beside him. "Do you think we'll be able to handle it by ourselves?"

Ororo Munroe didn't have any answers and remained silent. For the first time, she didn't know what to say_. What had this world come to? _They saw the sun peek out from behind the clouds, and its rays illuminated the dark study. She sighed and looked at the man who had always been like a father to her since she was a little girl. "All we can do is try our best and hope for the same." She then took her leave to administer the school, leaving Professor Xavier deep in thought.


	2. Reminiscence

**Katherine "Kitty" Pryde's POV**

Life is like a dune of sand, for like the wind molds an entire desert of sand, time and circumstances change life forever. Like no two dunes are similar, life is never the same. It is subjected to continuous change, going through highs and lows just like sand; sometimes coarse, sometimes soft, but always changing. Somewhere in my mind, I always knew this, probably heard it in a history class but when I actually experienced it I had no words to explain. From the cheerful valley girl who wouldn't think twice before taking a step to a tactful Mutant Rights Activist, I Katherine Pryde, have experienced the ugly side of life first hand and it's a lot worse for someone like me. A mutant.

For the last few years, at least since the time I started studying law, the anti-mutant propaganda has taken a very grotesque and inhuman face. The humans have sacrificed their humanity in order to cleanse their world by killing all of us mutants. I remember the days when I used to walk through the streets of Cambridge, anti-mutant groups holding rallies and protests used to block my way. My peers at college, who I was best friends with, turned their backs on me the day I confessed to them that I was a mutant. Although they didn't expose me ask a mutant, they never spoke to me again.

Everyone wonders what ever happened to the X-Men. Well, we sort of….disbanded. We had stuck together for quite some time, but ever since the exposure the mutant race to humanity it just became more and more difficult to us to stay together in such large numbers. Professor Xavier had never accepted it, but all of us knew that people thought of us as a threat to national security and human life. Before they could take any action against us we decided to leave for good. Scott and Jean left for college the same year we brought down Apocalypse. Rogue a year after that, and Kurt and I the next year. Since then I haven't been in touch with anyone except for Jean, who is earning her PhD in Genetics from Harvard; her topic of research being the X-Gene. Rogue, I still wonder what ever happened to her. She'd been my roommate for over a year and, although it didn't look like it, we both were very good friends. Rather, she looked out for me while I was on a perpetual mission to get us both into trouble.

I like to believe that apart from Logan I was the only other person who understood her. It had taken some time for us to get to know each other after the initial bumps, but, like they say, opposites attract. I still remember the night she disappeared, we were drunk off our asses and she had helped me get into bed since she always handled her drinks better. When I woke up early in the morning she wasn't on her side of the room. I presumed that she was in the shower or something. It was when I woke up again in the afternoon that I found out that she had, for the lack of a better phrase, disappeared without trace. I had always known that she felt a little uncomfortable at the institute with Jean, Scott and some others. She was never the one to be a part of a large group. I miss her and every now and then, but I just can't help but think that she's…I don't want to think about it. The Professor believes that she's out there somewhere, even though he was unable to track her down we know she's out there.

As far as the others go, last I heard Scott was working as a journalist (doing really well I must add) for The Daily Bugle. A New York reporter; what more could we have asked for? He's our direct line to the media. However, Scott's done little, if anything, to get our words through to the public. We understand that it's not in his hands, he's just a journalist and it's up to the editor, but the newspaper sells because of his column and he wields enough power to steer the editor to at least listen to him. As they say, the pen is mightier than the sword. I sometimes wonder who is responsible for the lack of initiative Scott or his editor.

Speaking of Scott how can I forget Kurt, Scott's best friend and partner in crime, seems to have completely disappeared as well. He was never ambitious, but I never thought that he'd just leave without a word. It was strange how he had disappeared and all though the Professor had tried to track him down several times his efforts were in vain. Sometimes we thought... no he was too strong to be taken down so easily. There must be something else that we weren't taking in account, but, for now, I need to focus my attention to more pressing matters. "The Turtle Bay" massacre for one.

Never in my wildest dreams had I thought that a mutant could be capable of such barbarianism. True humans hadn't treated us well, but that didn't mean we lost our humanity as well. Hundreds, no thousands, had died in the massacre and it had been one massive display of mutant power. The world now knew the devastating consequences of challenging a mutant. As if Apocalypse hadn't been enough to scare the narrow minded humans. The last thing we needed at the moment was a new gang of mutants playing the Acolytes. There had been a time when the X-Men and the Acolytes were the only organized and financially funded mutant organizations, but these desperate times had led several mutants to organize themselves into groups of vigilantes. Some set to protect the mutants the others dedicated to maintaining peace between the two opposing factions.

What had gone so wrong in the last few years that it had come to this? Was it really the survival of the fittest? Were the humans scared of evolution or their evolved brethren? Too many questions unanswered and even more pouring through my mind. It had been so since the introduction of the Mutant Registration Act, or at least since the day Kelly suggested it. We, or should I say the mutant rights activists, like me, had known that something like this would happen, but a _massacre_ is something that we weren't prepared for. There was no way we could set things right now. Those mutants had taken it too far and now the humans were all set to take up arms against us.

I breathed out trying to clean my mind of all the thoughts that had sent my it into overdrive. I got up from my bed and walked to the window. Cambridge was beautiful indeed. The historical buildings and the beautiful streets, I used to love it here until the day I was left alone to fend for myself. I looked out of the window to see the sun peeking over the horizon and then I headed to the showers to get ready and begin my day. I used to live in the dorms earlier but ever since my friends found I was a mutant I stopped feeling welcome. Now, I live in a flat slightly outside the campus now. Professor Xavier had been nice enough to help me find a job and pay for the apartment until I was financially stable.

Looking at the sun peeping out from behind the clouds and rising up to brighten the day I feel hope trickling into me. Maybe someday the sun will shine on us mutants as well and expel the darkness that surrounds us. I continue to look outside the window with a cup of coffee sitting on the window ledge beside me. For several moments I was almost top lost in thought to realize that my phone was ringing. I move from the window into my room to get it. "Hello?"

"Kit! Its Rogue", the familiar southern accent of the girl who I'd been so close with almost brought me to tears

"Where the hell have you been for the last so many years? Do you have any idea how worried you got us? Some even thought that you were dead for Christ's sake." I said, speaking the words I had been dying to say for so long as I held back tears.

"But yah din't Kit. Yah knew that Ah was alive...Ah knew yah wouldn't forget me", she said with a warmth that she had never shown before and I heard a slight tinkle of laughter.

"Leave the rest and tell me where you are." I asked her with urgency.

She laughed again and said, "Where d'yah think Ah am?" I just knew it she had to be with him and he had made her happy broken her out of her shell but I wanted to be sure.

"Stop playing games Rogue. Just tell me won't you." I said with irritation not in a mood to be trifled with.

"Ah'm outside your building let me in won't yah."

And for the first time I let my emotions flow as I threw the phone down and ran out of my apartment in my knickers to let my friend in. I opened the main door and there she was; tall and lithe, her long brown hair sat in waves on her shoulders and down her back, her white bangs blowing in the wind stark in the shining sun. She was lightly dressed for autumn. In just an overcoat and black denim jeans was something that I didn't think of as enough during the season of harsh cold winds but she seemed perfectly at ease. Her creamy skin, minus the dark make up that she wore during her school days, was gone. Instead of that there was a healthy tinge of pink on her cheeks and her brown eyes now held warmth that I hadn't seen before but there was still the fire in them. That was something that hadn't changed. I was just so amazed that I couldn't say anything and to my surprise it was Rogue. I was shocked when she took the first step and engulfed me in a tight embrace. I had never seen Rogue in this avatar and I couldn't help wonder what the hell had brought about the change. As soon as I thought about it, there was only one answer that could possibly make sense.

"Now look at that will you, two young beautiful maidens making up to each other in public; what a sight to see." My instincts had been right again, Gambit stood before me and he looked pretty much the same as the last time I had seen him. Only now he was a little bit older. His overcoat was a little frayed and torn in places. but he looked great as far as I could tell.

"I knew it," I told Rogue with a smile.

"What?" she asked, sounding mildly surprised.

"You have been with Gambit, haven't you? All these years since the time that you left the Institute you've been with him haven't you?" She looked down, looking somewhat ashamed but then looked back at me with a smile.

"You know why." She said, but the three words got the message across loud and clear. I knew instantly what she meant.

"Yes I think I do." I gave her a tight hug to comfort her.

"Ladies I don't know about you but this wind is getting the better of me so if you don't mind Kitty, can we go inside and chat." Gambit said. Completely oblivious of the fact that I had been standing on the street in my knickers, I quickly invited them in and gave them both a cup of coffee each.

**Rogue's POV **

To say that Kitty's apartment was comfy would be an understatement, it was damn sleek and perfect for a single woman living alone. I knew she was a big girl and could take care of herself. but the old Rogue in me still felt protective of the cheerful hyperactive valley girl that I had once known. So much had changed, there was so much that I had missed. I sighed as I walked into the apartment and sat myself on the sofa next to a that window overlooked the park. I kicked my boots off, bundled up my overcoat and kept in beside me. Remy took the seat next to me and lean back. We had travelled a long way and this wasn't even our final destination. Honestly, we weren't even supposed to be here. I'd had to force Remy to take this detour because I had wanted to see Kitty. It had been so long that I just couldn't carry on without meeting her first and telling her why I left like that in the dead of the night so much as without leaving a note. I had no other choice as I was the only person who could do it. He had always shown faith in me and I didn't want to fail him.

"Here's some coffee guys and some freshly baked chocolate cupcakes." She said with that million dollar smile pasted on her face as she broke through my racing thoughts. Although the sight of food would make anyone as hungry as us into ravenous savages, I knew Remy was starving. _But _he was trying to be a 'gentleman' and he'd never eat before I did. He looked at me with that glint in his crimson eyes set over black onyx and I just shrugged telling him that he could start off without me. I simply couldn't bring myself to eat those cupcakes. I cringed at the thought of eating them as the five year old memories came back to me. Kurt with an upset stomach and Scott looking slightly green after trying Kitty's cooking hit me in a rush of images. I just couldn't help it, it brought a smile to my face as well.

**Katherine "Kitty" Pryde's POV**

If there was something that had changed for the best in the last five years, it was Rogue. Never had I seen her with a smile on her face and that many times in a day. We hadn't even got past half an hour and already I had seen her smile, cry, and laugh. For Rogue, that was showing way too many emotions and honestly I was very wary if she was a doppelganger. The sight of Remy and when Rogue embraced me ensured me that this was the same frowning, sarcastic, lonely 16-year-old Goth that I had known all those years ago. It was her embrace that ensured me because the few times that she had had to comfort me I had always felt a warmth. When she hugged me today I felt the same, transporting me five years back.

"Why are you smiling?" she looked at me sheepishly caught by surprise.

_**(here) **_"Uhm! Nothing," She said looking down at her hands with a tinge of pink colouring her pale face. She reached out for her cup of coffee, laid back on the sofa's arm and sat cross-legged with both her hands tight around the coffee mug aching for much warmth from the cold. There was a short silence broken by what I had never expected from the demure Gambit, a burp. "Desole.", he said apologizing to us immediately as if he had committed a crime. Rogue and I burst into a fit of laughter. "It's okay Gambit." I said in between laughing and I looked at the plate of cupcakes there were none left, "God!" I said "Looks like you haven't eaten for days." I said jokingly.

He looked at Rogue for a moment, "Oui, we haven't Cherie. Today's the first proper meal that we have eaten in days and in comfort." He said in a serious tone that I didn't ever think he could ever come up with. I looked at Rogue quizzically and she just shrugged it off.

"It's true that we haven't eaten in a while but we have had a few scraps that have kept us going" she said indifferently sipping her coffee.

"But why?" I asked. "I mean are you guys on the run or something." It was time for some answers now. "Rogue" I said, she nodded.

"ROGUE!" I said a little firmly demanding her attention and once I knew I had her undivided attention I asked in that serious business like tone that I had come up with during all my sessions in moot courts and meetings. "Where have you been for the last five years? You left without telling any of us. You just disappeared out of the blue the least you could have done was leave us a note. You could have left _me_ a note. Imagine getting up in the middle of the night with a full blown hangover from a party that you went with your roomie and who you came back with and she has suddenly disappeared." I asked not even pausing in between for breath it all just came bubbling out. She shrugged.

"I don't know where to begin from. But right now the time is not right. We need to leave." she said exchanging a quick glance with Gambit. "I took this detour to see you; to meet with you, to tell you that I was absolutely fine." She looked at me apologetically, "I am Sorry Kit. I didn't wanna leave without tellin' you but the... I assure you that I will come to meet you soon and I'll tell you everything. Ah swear!" she said with that southern accent of hers which I hadn't even noticed wasn't there.

"Rogue was packing some baggage full of secrets. Over there and I couldn't help but wonder what." While we all just sat together talking about this and that, they caught up a little on what I had been doing over the last few years; with my involvement in the Global Mutants Rights Association and how they strived for a diplomatic solution to do away with the Mutant Registration Act.

"Bullshit!" Gambit spat. "Peaceful negotiations, you are talking about _peaceful negotiations_. What does it mean that they point their guns away from you while they talk? It's a piece of bull crap if you ask me." I listened to the venom in his voice. If I hadn't known better I would have thought that he was involved in the Turtle Bay Massacre but I knew that how much ever he detested the humans right now he'd never harm the innocent unfortunately you couldn't say the same for humans all they needed was proof of a person being a mutant to torture them until they gave out on life.

He looked at me in the eye "If you ask me" Gambit said not breaking eye contact "What Magneto is demanding for is not wrong. It's high time that we mutants have a home where we could live freely without worrying for our friends and family." I sat in silence; somewhere inside I knew he was right and for the first time in so long I just shied away from arguing back.

Mutants all over the world shared Gambit's view on things and many along with Magneto had threatened to build their own independent nations on the ruins of current nations if their demands weren't met with. Mutant factions fighting for equal rights across the world were demanding separate nations the sad story was that the Organization that was to review their petition had gone under water and many suspected the petitioner that is the mutants from one of these factions responsible for it.

I didn't know what to think anymore. I was fighting for equal rights as well but I wanted equal rights in my motherland with the people I grew up with humans and mutants. We had to find a way to co-exist if we failed then all of humanity, humans and mutants wouldn't survive.

Many a times I myself had thought about running to one of those mutant island sanctuaries, a place where I could live in peace but then the big picture came into my mind or rather the reason for which I have been striving for over the last few years, No, this is where I belong. This is what I have to do. I was convinced that what I was doing was right.

I brought myself up to look Gambit in the eye. I had raised my hand and was about to open my mouth to speak when the doorbell rang. I balled my hand into a fist looked at Rogue and the neutral expression; yep she wasn't going to take any sides.

I got up from the chair and went to open the door and I don't know if god had sensed that I was going to lose this one out to Gambit he had sent me the motivation behind my striving, the one and only Sean Shaw.

Kitty was fighting a losing battle and I knew that pretty well. Not many people knew but Remy was the wrong person to debate with especially about Human-Mutant Relations and the Mutant Registration Act. I could see her struggling to come up with a retort for Gambit's last comment and how much ever I agreed with him I couldn't take his side because I knew that Kit had worked real hard for this and although I hated it I couldn't see Gambit make her hard work sound useless. I looked at Gambit trying to tell him to lay off but he was too focused on Kit to notice my subtle gestures and that's when Kit came back to reply but before she could say anything the doorbell rang taking all of us by surprise.

Kitty looked at me her hand balled into a fist and I put on a straight face in order to not betray my emotions. She just shook her head and headed off to open the door. I saw Gambit's hand slide in his pocket to take out the deck of cards, I raised my eyebrow and he just shook his head trying to say "precautionary".

I looked past him over to the door where Kit stood opening the door wide, "Hey Sean! Come on in" I heard her say. "I'm sorry to drop by this early." he said with a slight British accent. He had a deep voice, soothing. He bent to kiss her, a quick and affectionate and he entered the apartment but stopped in his tracks looking at the two backpackers in front of him sitting upright as if on guard and we did the same.

The man was light colored with sharp features and cold, piercing grey eyes. His blonde hair fell on his eyes. They were messy and it seemed that he was pretty comfortable with Kit coz he had come by in just track pants and a sweatshirt, with a suit sheath on his back. I didn't know why, but I knew I didn't like this guy.

"Oh!" Kit exclaimed and she ran forward and took his arm, "Sean meet Rogue and Remy", she gestured towards us, "and guys this is Sean, Sean Shaw, Vice President of MGRA and my good friend." I nodded and smiled while Remy got up to shake hands with him.

Remy looked him in the eye and was about to say something when, "Yes, I'm a mutant" he said taking Remy's hand "and I'm Kitty's boyfriend." He said the second comment directed at me his eyes fixed, unmoving and cold.

**A/N:**

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank my Beta, Cloudy-The Night Mare Queen who herself is an awesome writer and I'm going to get her to edit this but I thought I'll post it first and then get it edited later. I hope you guys like it! Review.


	3. Pack Hunters

**Pack Hunters**

"I'm Kitty's Boyfriend", the words continued to echo in my head. What was it that I was afraid of? Why didn't I like this guy? He seemed proper to me a perfect gentleman but then a gentleman won't invade the thoughts of the people around him. Is that why I didn't like him because he had tried to read my mind, see my memories, read my thoughts?

No, there was something about him that wasn't right. I wasn't a telepath but I could read a person well enough, I unlike others didn't need mind tricks to get to know a person and if anyone wanted to get to know me then they wouldn't do so by invading my thoughts and with that I brought up my veil to hide my thoughts.

The effect was immediate, the smile that he had been sporting until now disappeared to be replaced with a slight frown and brows furrowed in confusion. He couldn't see past the veil or should I say the memories the memories of all those people that I had absorbed over a period of time, those memories acted as a shield to protect my own thoughts and mind. The Disadvantage of being a telepath you start off with reading the memories floating at the surface and then make it to the core and before I knew it my fake smile had been replaced by a smirk of self satisfaction.

"What's it Rogue", asked Kitty her arm wrapped around her boyfriend's waist. She wasn't sporting a smile rather a questioning look. I knew what it was about, she wanted to figure out if approved of the guy or not and I the hell didn't know what to say so that's what I did.

"I don't know what to say Kit", I said as I walked towards her and opened my arms inviting her for a hug. She took the cue and walked away from Sean and into my arms. "I'm happy for you" I said in her ear "as long as you are happy." I wanted to be honest to her but at the same time I didn't want to disrupt her relationship on the account of what I thought and felt.

"Kitty speaks very highly of you" said Sean as Kitty and I held each other our arms wrapped around the other's waist. "She always spoke about how you were such a good friend to her, how much you cared and looked out for her even though she irritated the hell out of you and got you into trouble." He said with a glimmer in his eye when he spoke and looked at Kitty. I knew he liked her genuinely but there was something not right about him and that I definitely knew.

"Honestly speaking, when Kitty introduced us a moment back, I was taken aback" he said "And why is that" came a cutting retort from Gambit who had been standing in the corner with a wry smile on his face. "Well forgive me" Sean said with a smirk, "but I was expecting someone in Punk rock clothes and dark makeup" and then he looked at me "nothing on the contrary I suppose." I plainly nodded and looked at Kitty her face glowing, eyes sparkling with admiration for this guy I had no idea about but then five minutes wasn't enough time to get to know a person and you were bound to not like that guy if he invaded your thoughts. I looked at him one last time and I knew why I didn't like this guy, his eyes didn't reflect his soul.

I instantly knew that Rogue didn't like Sean. I know I hadn't seen her in a very long time but I could still read her somewhat. Although never a social person, there were only a few people Rogue didn't like. Her words although soft and full of warmth couldn't hide what she was feeling at the moment. She only wanted me to be happy.

* * *

><p>I knew she wasn't comfortable in his presence and she and Gambit both needed to rest for sometime in peace. "Sean I think we should hurry if we need to get to the Capital building in time." I said to Sean while I stood besides rogue holding her close with my arm around her.<p>

He simply nodded took his suit sheath from the sofa and headed to the bedroom, when he was out of sight I stood facing Rogue and held my hand towards her or should I say the finger tip of my index finger. She understood the gesture and raised her own hand, which I was shocked to see was bare.

She smiled when she saw the shock on my face and before I could say anything I felt as If I had touched a live wire, I felt as if every nerve in my body had just been mildly tasered followed by a dip in ice cold water but just as the feeling had come it had gone quickly.

When I opened my eyes; Rogue was standing before me, her face blank. She knew that I knew what was going on in her mind but then she sent my way a reassuring smile. The one she always gave me to tell me that whatever I did she was right behind me.

* * *

><p>We were getting late. I knew this detour would put us behind on our schedule but it had completely thrown us off our schedule. I looked at the two girls, yes, girls. At the end of the day I had realised no matter how many years had passed they were still girls.<p>

Rogue had taken quickly to the harsh living conditions that our job had forced her to live in. I mean the life of a spy/agent wasn't exactly comfortable. Can't stay at the same place for a long period of time, can't live without looking over your shoulder. Become too complacent and that's equivalent to inviting an assassination. No, life hadn't been easy but if there was something that had come out of it, it was their relationship.

He had never thought of himself as someone who could commit himself without being selfish but that's what had exactly happened he would give his life for Rogue and he knew she would do the same. She could have gone anywhere when she ran from Xavier's but she chose to come to him and live life with him. She knew he'd make her happy and so did he but he had never realised that it'd become difficult for him to be separated from her.

He looked at them with a genuine smile, his crimson eyes sparkling with an inner fire. "Yo Swamp rat. Ah think it's time we make a move." She said with that smile on her face that I'd fallen in love with.

I was glad that she was the one to bring it up. I was getting worried. The guy we were working for was an ex-SHIELD agent or that's what I had managed to find out and we were carrying sensitive information for him or should I say Rogue was carrying that information.

"Wait." Kitty said with her eyebrow arched and her arms folded, she looked pissed for some reason. "You are going" she asked, definitely pissed. Rogue sighed and walked up to her. She put her hands on her shoulders trying to calm her but Kitty was pissed, "I thought you'd stay" she said while moving away from Rogue. "You disappear in the middle of the night, Fine. You show up Five years later, Good but going off again to God knows where. NO." She said through her teeth. "This time you aren't disappearing or going off anywhere on your own" the petite valley girl said with her finger pointing at Rogue.

"Kit" Rogue said softly as Kitty walked to her room to get ready and before closing the door she turned and said with a threatening look, "And this time if you leave behind my back, I'm going to hunt you down and kick your ass." And I just couldn't help myself, I tried to reel myself in but I ended up laughing trying to masquerade it as a cough. I continued to laugh and snort at the valley girl's threat and not before long Rogue's tinkling laughter joined in and we both fell on the couch.

We knew she was serious but for some reason it just didn't seem right, a petite valley girl kicking my ass the imagery had made me laugh no matter how lame it seemed. "That's a fiery belle you have for a friend mon cherie." I said in between laughs. She just smiled thinking over the fact of how lucky she was to have such a friend even after such a long time.

When the laughing bout passed I decided to speak to Kitty to try and convince her that it was important for us to leave and I was about to move to her when my cellular rang. Shit! I cursed knowing that it was probably the contact calling to tell us that we could kiss half our fee good bye.

I took out my cell and looked at the caller ID, Jacob Blanc. Why in the world was he calling? Maybe the contact had informed him that we hadn't reached at the reconnaissance point as yet. After all Jacob was the one who brought in the customers and jobs for us. Rogue looked at me questioningly, "Jacob" was all that I said and I proceeded to the balcony to attend the call.

With the balcony doors closed behind me I took the call but before I could say anything, "_You are running behind schedule._" was what greeted me. Busted, this was the last time I ever took a detour that had plans involving a reunion between two best friends. "Jacob. Long time..." I said trying to sound enthusiastic but even before I could take off he shot me down, "_Never mind and now listen carefully. You no longer need to come to Boston. Instead head for Manhattan. Once you reach there. Give me a call and I'll tell you the time and place for the drop."_ I didn't know what to say; rarely did the rendezvous point change. "Uhn, Sure. We will be there with the information. "_Keep it. Your previous customer was killed in his bed. No use for that information, sell it to an information broker and get some money. Know what...I'll see you in about a week."_ And with that he hung up.

Jacob was The Man, he was a middle man but foremost he was an information broker. The reason he asked me to sell this information to someone else was because he knew he'd get the info from me anyways. He had just given us a chance to earn money as well as set us up with a new assignment as well as given us some time off.

He was like Colossus, hard on the outside and soft on the inside but if there was one thing you needed to take care of, it was the work you did. I went in to join rogue in the living room she had been waiting for me, she wanted to know why Jacob had called.

"So what did Jake say?" she asked. I sat down beside her and she kept her head in my lap. I ran my hand through her hair, I got lost in my thoughts as I continued to stare at her. She snapped her fingers before my eyes.

"Out with it Swamp Rat." She got up and sat cross legged beside me, "Well he said that our last contact has died and we are free to sell the info to anyone. Also he's asked us to meet up with him in Manhattan in a couple of days. So guess what?" but before I could complete the sentence.

"Oh my Gosh! You guys are staying then. Awesome." Kitty shouted happily from her doorway fully dressed in her black business suit, her hair up in an elegant knot and her coat hugging her curves at the right places. "Mon Dieu" and before I knew Rogue punched me on the shoulder. "It's not my fault if petite looks so good." I said with a smile playing on my lips, "Mon amour est magnifique." I said with adoration but this time I looked at the vision of simplicity in front of me.

Large brown eyes warm like melted milk chocolate. Had it not been for her, I would have always been a swamp rat I guess. Lost in a daze I was brought back to reality with a voice from behind me, "I guess you can come with us to Boston then." Sean said as he buttoned his coat.

I didn't like the guy. For one I couldn't make anything out of his emotions being a telepath he could hide his emotions well around an empath like me however mild my secondary mutation was; it was pretty useful when it came to judging and trusting people but a telepath was always risky business as they knew how to control their emotions around an empath.

I looked at Rogue for an answer and all she did was squeeze my hand. I looked at him with a passive face, nodded and gently smile in return. I just hope it ended well.

* * *

><p>The drive to Boston took us a little over an hour and a half. I had slept of for the better part of an hour and I'm sure Remy had taken a nap as well; we were both very tired I guess. When I woke up we had already exited the Toll bridge and were nearing the city itself. Kitty and Sean were supposed to attend a meeting with the Head of Public Relations and a Research Scientist who worked for Biocorp, a company with its foundation deep in the fields of Bio-technology, Bacteriology and Genetics. If the rumours were to be believed, they had come up with a chemical that made the X-Gene dormant and a bio weapon that only infected mutants and killed them instantly.<p>

If any one of the rumours was true then the company was prone to attack from not one but several mutant factions and the consequences might be worse than the Turtle Bay massacre. They didn't realise it yet but they could be the reason for an impending war.

We drove through the suburbs to the heart of the Financial District, the Prudential centre. Kitty seemed on the edge, she had the file in her hands tightly gripped and her lips were pursed in a thin line. She looked out of the window to distract herself, quietly taking in the sights not uttering a single word.

I had never seen her like this before. The kitty I knew was confident like hell and couldn't keep her mouth shut even in the tensest situations. She was a fighter and she still was but from what I could make out she had become more composed and not to mention quieter.

Sean pulled up in the parking lot of the Prudential centre from here on we were supposed to wait while they went for their meeting. Sean was the first to get out; he seemed pretty much the opposite of what Kitty was right now. He seemed at ease, not even a hint of nervousness.

Gambit put on his shades to hide his crimson on onyx eyes. Such precautions were mandatory now days, especially in public areas. We didn't want to spook them and cause a stampede that would end up killing people and then before you know it, we'd be blamed for it. Then one thing would lead to another and before you know it there's a full blown war that has broken out. No, precautions on our side were compulsory.

I followed him out and opened the door for Kit, who for some reason was still sitting in, lost in her thoughts.

"Come on Kit." I said trying to reassure her that everything was going to be fine. May be she just needed to be brought out of her thoughts, like a snap she was out of her trance. As she took in her surroundings she looked confounded as if she hadn't been there the entire journey.

"When did we reach here?" I looked at her stunned, "Kit we have been in the city for almost half an hour." "What?" she asked me, surprise written in bold across her face.

"Come on Kitty, we need to meet up with Hayden in about five minutes and you know how important punctuality is to him but Kitty couldn't make sense of anything. "I couldn't have spaced out." She said shaking her head trying to think everything over. "Not for that long." She looked pretty spaced out to me as if she had been absent throughout the journey.

"Kitty, come on." Sean said urgently as he came and stood beside her. He looked at her with what I could tell was worry, maybe he did care for her or maybe he was just worried about the fact that he'd be the only mutant attending the meeting. Either which way, he seemed worried.

"Come on Kitty." He said in a slightly deeper voice and his body going stiff, I could feel Kitty going rigid a well. What the hell was happening?

"What did you just do?" I asked Sean, my voice quivering I didn't know why. His voice changed back, "It's a telepathic technique that helps clear the mind." And the effect was immediate. Before my very own eyes I saw Kitty gain her composure and stand straight with a will to take anything head on.

"He draped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, "You all right babe?" he asked her softly she took a moment too think before she nodded and then looked towards me trying to assure me that everything was fine.

"We'll meet you at the Starbucks down the street when we are free, probably in about an hour and a half but meetings like these do tend to take more time than anticipated." He sent one last smile towards us and steered her away to the Tower.

As Cajun came and stood beside me I watched them go, the tall man steering his petite companion down the busy street.

"Come on Cherie," said Remy a smile plastered across his face. "Let's take in the sights of this Up Town Street." And with that he kept a arm around my shoulders and I just couldn't help smiling as I walked down the street with King of Aces by my side.

* * *

><p>As the two couples went their separate ways another figure hidden from sight previously, a girl probably in her late teens got out of her car. She wore a black business suit, her dark brown hair cut short with a flick above the right eye.<p>

She walked with an air of confidence and followed Sean and Katherine to the Prudential Tower reception. She took out her cell phone and put it up to her ear to leave a quick voice message, "_He's in sight and there are more with him._"

She followed them into the grand foyer of the Tower and she headed to the reception desk of Biocorp, She tapped on the desk, "Excuse me." She said in a soft and pleasant voice. "Good Afternoon Ma'am. How may I help you?" asked the Receptionist.

"I'm here with Mr. Sean Shaw and Ms. Katherine Pryde who have an appointment with Mr. Hayden Matthews." The Receptionist checked her computer to prove the authenticity of my words and business.

She looked up at me with a smile, "Yes they were personally escorted a few minutes back by Mr. Matthews himself. Are you Ms. Isis Shaw" she asked me referring to her computer once again.

The girl nodded and slid her U.I.D. across the desk to prove authenticity, "Well then please wait her Ms. Shaw while I arrange for an escort." The receptionist said with a smile.

As she walked down the hall there was something about her that was different. She walked with confidence but her eyes were a different story. To put it simply she seemed lost, as if she wasn't there in person.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

I would like to apologise for the delay in posting. Again I'm posting this without getting it checked first by my Beta, but I'd get this across to her as well and then replace this chapter with the edited one. Thank you for bearing with me.

This chapter was kind of slow but I promise the next one is going to be worth it. Thank you for reading and please review.

OC's used.

Sean Shaw by me

Isis Shaw by deathbycupcakes

Jacob T. Blanc by Anonymous


	4. Boston Ablaze

**Shattered, Boston Ablaze**

**Kitty's POV  
><strong>

I could feel it. Something just wasn't right.

There was a chill that seemed to have gotten a hold of me, digging its way in through the pores of my skin all the way downs to my bones. I could feel goose bumps erupting all over my body. Never before had I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin and although I knew Sean was trying to calm me down using his powers, yes I could feel his calm presence in my mind trying to soothe the anxiety but it just wasn't working.

I hadn't been an X-Man for a long time but I knew one thing, something that I had learnt during my training. Trust your instincts, especially after innumerable missions with Logan, the only way you come out alive after being on a mission with him is by trusting your senses and instincts. That's what all those Danger Room sessions, Missions and Battles I had been on and in had taught me, to give into my instincts. To listen to what my mind and body were telling me, as it were my natural instincts that kept me safe and if need be alive.

I looked at Sean, walking right beside me his arm around me protectively. I just couldn't help but notice that he looked pre-occupied with something as if he wasn't there at all and I was walking with an empty shell. The warmth that he exuded, the shine in his eyes it was missing and as if he had read my mind he looked down upon me and smiled innocently as if to encourage me that everything was going to be all right.

He had been in my head; I knew he could read each and every one of my thoughts. Maybe he was tense because of my thoughts because I wasn't my usual confident self. I wanted to tell him what I was feeling, what I knew was correct. Something just wasn't right. I stopped in my tracks and he along with me, snapped from his thoughts he looked at me, "What is it" he asked me his voice lined with concern. He looked into my eyes, the piercing gaze of his ice blue eyes bore into mine trying to find answers in the depths of mind.

But before he could swim through the immensity of my thoughts to search for the current that had caused a stir in my mind we were broken apart by the sound of clearing of throat. He closed his eyes and withdrew his arm which till now he had protectively kept around me and I moved away from him and a step behind.

I stood straight and masked my face with a passive expression that had taken me a lot of time to school my face to express but in the end it had paid off. I gave away nothing except for an overly calm and confident demure.

As I took in my surroundings I noticed a tall man in his mid thirties greet us. He had salt pepper hair and pale wheatish skin; his eyes however were a warm chocolate brown with a soft smile that played on his lips. Hayden Matthews, the human liaison and representative of the MGRA.

I didn't know him personally nor had I ever met him before but Sean always spoke very highly of him. He was one of the few human sympathisers who believed in our cause and tried to help us whenever he could or was able too.

Sean went ahead to shake hands with. The way they greeted and looked at each other made me feel as if their association went far back and wasn't merely a professional acquaintance. I looked at Matthews, trying to read him. I wasn't a telepath but I believed myself to be a good judge of character just by observing how a person behaved and carried himself, courtesy Logan.

He seemed to be a man of strong will exuding an aura of confidence, as he walk past Sean towards me he raised his right hand which I took and introduced himself, "Hayden Matthews, BioCorp public relations." "Katherine Pryde, MGRA Rights Activist and Legal Advisor" I said introducing myself to the experienced middle man dealer.

Something about his voice washed a sense of calmness over me, a strong weapon for a PR person but I didn't let it get to me. I knew how important it was to be confident and hold your ground in front of such a person like Matthews, if you aren't careful you'd be eating out of their hand sooner than you think.

"I think we should make a move. We are getting late." said Sean. I could make out the slight anxiety that lined his voice maybe he just wanted to be done with this.

Hayden just nodded at him and led the way. Across the atrium and down a maze of corridors we soon found ourselves in an elevator that was taking us to 46th floor and home of the administration division of BioCorp. I could feel the anxiety crawl back under my skin. True I was nervous but it wasn't because of the meeting, I had attended many such meetings before and they didn't scare me at all. No, I was nervous because I wasn't listening to my instincts and do what they were telling me to.

I was making a mistake not listening to them and I couldn't get it out of my head. I just couldn't think straight, I wanted to... "We're here." I heard Matthews whisper to me. He had been standing with me and I'm sure he noticed that I had spaced out again...It had never happened to me before. I was worried for myself, if I couldn't keep a track of what was going on around me how was I suppose to work and more over protect myself.

Never before had I spaced out for such a long time. I tried to run my memory for all that that had happened throughout the day but how much ever I tried I couldn't re collect anything of our journey here, not a single thing. I kept on working my head as I walked down the empty corridor with reflecting glass walls on both sides, carpeted in white and low palms along the corridor.

It felt more like walking down a Hospital than the Administration wing of an Industrial corporation. Matthews walked ahead of us and after a few metres he came to stand outside an opaque glass door and knocked. I heard a faint, 'come in' and he opened the door to show us in.

When I entered the first thing I noticed was wall high windows lining one side of the cabin allowing the sunlight to flood in and illuminate every surface .The decor of the cabin matched that of the corridor outside. Walls painted in white, a glass top table with cream coloured rotating chairs and stainless steel instruments.

Even the paintings that lined the walls were mostly sketches in glass frames and with every second that I spent standing in the room I felt a sense of mourning well inside of me. So lost in my thoughts was I that I failed to notice the other occupants of the room standing in the corner.

A young woman of South Asian descent, probably Indian with wheatish skin and black hair pulled up in tight bun. She wore a white dress with her lab coat and an I.D. that hung around her neck, Dr. Smita Rao it said. Standing next to her was a man wearing a crisp pinstriped business suit; he looked old for his age which I was guessing to be around mid forties.

The crinkles at the corners of his eyes and the grey hair mixed with blonde reminded me of my grandfather. He even smiled like him, the same warm smile that made me feel comfortable in an instant. "Mr John Stoll I would like to introduce you to Mr. Sean Shaw, chairman of the MGRA and Ms. Katherine Pryde, MGRA's Legal Advisor." Matthews said gesturing towards us.

Stoll nodded at the mention of our names and came forward to shake hands with the both of us followed by the young doctor, "As I have already been introduced, I'm John Stoll, Head of Public Relations of BioCorp and this" he said raising his hands towards his colleague, "is Dr. Smita Rao, she heads the research in relation with the study of the X-gene and I must say she is highly proficient at her work."

The doctor slightly blushed at his words, shook hands with me and offered me a seat. As we seated ourselves along the oval glass top table I couldn't help but think that this wasn't going the way I thought it might. I expected these people to be cold and hostile but till now they had only been cordial and if I might add...warm.

* * *

><p><strong>Sean's POV<strong>

Just as I planned or at least for the most part, pathetic Homo sapiens thinking that they can out smart us, home superiors, That they can come up with a weapon to use against us. I knew they were stupid but stupid enough to let the weapon out in to the public. No, that was a big mistake on their part and an opportunity for us to eliminate all advances' that were made to threaten us, so why this facade you may ask.

Well quite frankly, the MGRA's sole purpose is to fight for Mutant rights peacefully. Well that logic applies to only people like Kitty; I look towards the petite beauty sitting next to me. Her confidence and rational approach make her so desirable, that it pains me to lie to her. That the person she's in love with is not real but a false identity, the real picture...how may I say it? The real picture is quite different.

I keep my free hand on her arm, an act of support. Trust me with that storm swirling in her mind; she needed this assurance...wait now I sound like a lover boy. I smirked to myself and then turned my gaze to those sitting opposite me.

John Stoll, one of the best men in the business however few people knew that he was a Scientist himself. He was one of the first among his contemporaries to have discovered the X-gene in the human DNA strain. If the rumour mill was to be believed, or should I say my Information Broker, he was an Ex-SHIELD Agent as well forced into early retirement. I scanned his thoughts and there was nothing there for me to pry on, he was reciting "The Rocky Road to Dublin" over and over in his mind. Surely somebody had tipped him of; I couldn't help but think who as my gaze trailed towards Hayden. Yes, my dear old college counsellor. Matthews had done well for himself, he finished top of the year from his Batch at Harvard and then went on to become one of the top notch lawyers.

If there was a down side to him, it was greed. The poor Bastard would do anything for money which I had no dearth of and for a few insignificant numbers on a piece of paper I had bought myself well to put it in the vernacular, a Death Dealer...or would that be me as I was the one who killed everyone. Note to self, think upon the title of Death Dealer, Is it Hayden or I?

"Mr. Stoll" Kitty began in a calm and respectful voice, "I'm sure you are aware why we are here." Stoll exchanged a glance with Rao and then nodded, "Well then I'm sure you know how worried we are about the fact 'if the details of your research are made public'" Kitty said trying to sound concerned yet maintaining the firmness of her voice.

Her confidence and optimism knew no bounds and I knew why. It was she had been in more life and death situations, especially those in which she had escaped from by the skin of her teeth. Yes, I knew about her complete past. For the last few months I had made it my business to get to know as much about her as I could and what better way would be there to get to know her than date her.

A smile came to my face as I thought about our 'time' together, as Kitty squirmed in her throes of passion. I swam through each and every memory of hers and by know I knew each and every X-Man as if I had been a part of them for a long time and fought along their side, which in reality would never happen. No, there wasn't even the slightest chance that I'd ally myself with Xavier. I would maybe, probably when hell froze...

And that's where my train of thought ended with a sharp pain searing though my mind and although I tried my best not to, I winced in pain drawing attention to myself. Within a fraction of a second four pairs of eyes turned to look in my direction with curiosity, only Kitty's showed concern.

"Are you feeling all right Sean?" She asked me looking worried her hand wiping the sweat from my forehead. Obviously I wasn't fine. Never before had someone shunned my telepathic control with so much force, however she had been unable to break out of it, Stupid child.

"Yes, I'm fine." I said trying to sound convincing and relaxed. I looked to the others in front of me, "Just an anxiety attack I believe. Its an important meeting after all." I said lying through my teeth. It was important all right but for a purpose unknown to his hosts. "So where were we?" I asked looking at Kitty, conveying with my eyes to help me out her.

Luckily she got the message and smiled at me. She then looked towards Doctor Rao and said, "Dr. Rao was telling us about the vaccination that makes the X-gene passive. Right, Doctor?" She asked looking towards the young woman.

"Absolutely" She said and in one swift move she got up from her seat and walked to the screen at the far end of the room. The lights were dimmed and the shades brought up to cover the wall length windows and so started the presentation, "PROJECT DORMANCY" it read. Well let's see how successful it is, I said to myself.

"As you all know, the Mutant or as we call it the X-gene is carried by Human Men only. It might be active or passive in them." She said without even looking at the presentation sounding uninterested, probably after repeating the same thing to a lot of people you learn it by heart. "When the Male passes on the gene to the off-spring it has been noticed that in 70% of the cases, the child is born with an active or a semi passive mutant gene." She continued in a matter of fact way.

And then a sudden gleam came to her eye and she continued with a slight smile on her face, "Through our research we have observed that the gene however is inherently in a passive state, needing an external catalyst to change its state of existence. Another thing that we observed was the relation between hormones and the X-gene. When I talk about hormones here I refer to Adrenaline, Testosterone and Oestrogen. Out of these it's the Adrenaline that actually helps in activating the mutant gene, followed by testosterone and oestrogen and I believe that is the reason that most mutations are activated during puberty." She looked contended with herself, anyone would be with the amount of research she had done. So if puberty led to activation of the X-gene then...but my trains of thought was broken once again but this time by Kitty...

"Have you tested this Dr. Rao?" She asked sceptically. "Yes." Dr. Rao nodded to affirm her stand and with satisfactory results and the slide changed to show a group of children all in their early teens smiling at the camera.

"They are our test subjects and the base for our research." She said proudly. Beside me Kitty whirled and got up from her seat so quick that it fell down. "Test Subjects!" she shouted hitting her fists on the table. I got up and put my hands on her shoulders to calm her down but it was too late. A group of armed guards burst through the doors their weapons, hoisted, cocked and pointing towards us.

Through the corner of my eye I saw Stoll nod at them asking them to lower their weapons which they did hesitantly. I heard a few clicking the safety locks on their weapons and another few powering down their sonic blasts. They seemed to be prepared for anything but the world was a different place now and corporations took no risks when it came to Security and they weren't taking any now as most of the guards filed out leaving behind four to keep an eye on us. Fools, I could take them out with a single thought but there were more pressing matters at hand right now.

I straightened the chair and put a hand on kitty's shoulder, forcing her to sit down. If she carried on like this it'd put an end to my plans. I needed her to calm down; I needed her to buy time for me so that I could execute my plan. "I apologise on Katherine's behalf" I said trying to neutralise the situation, Kitty glared daggers at me while my apology was followed by a long and agonizing stretch of silence.

"Its understandable." said Stoll in an uncompromising and cold voice. Till now he had been nothing but warm but I could feel the temperature drop by a few degrees all of a sudden, "continue Dr. Rao" he said his eyes down on the desk going through some paper work. Dr. Rao only nodded, "The subjects" she said through her teeth, clearly annoyed by Kitty's outburst "have been studied and taken care of since their birth. Their fathers were all passive gene carriers ensuring the transmission of a passive gene to any progeny." She then turned to the screen and continued, "All we had to do was administer the hormone that suppresses the activation of the passive gene by any of the previously mentioned hormones. What the vaccination does is destroys the chemical messengers released by the X-gene to complete the mutation after activation is initiated. Like a shield around the chromosome, it prevents any interaction between the M-Chromosome and the hormones thus suppressing the M-gene not indefinitely but for a long enough of period of time."

As the presentation ended, the lights were brought back to their original intensity and the shades were retracted allowing the sunlight to filter in through the windows and illuminate each and every surface in a radiant gleam.

I had known what to expect when I walked into the tower and I had known almost every piece of information that Dr. Rao had conveyed to us except for the mutant children that they were holding in their research facility as test subjects. They couldn't have been doing it... "I'm sure you know what you are doing is illegal." Kitty cut in but instead of stirring the hornet's nest all she did was make them smile.

"We have permission from the children's parents. They wanted their children to be a part of such a noble endeavour. After all it is for the good of mankind." Stoll said trying to sound innocent but yet again he had shot Kitty down without losing a nerve and something told me that even though Kitty wasn't doing it intentionally she was trying to instigate him to take a rash step.

All of a sudden Kitty got up from her seat so fast that she knocked her chair over again, "Then you shouldn't have any problem proving that in court." She said each word laced with venom. I got up from my own chair so did Matthews but Stoll and Rao sat in their chairs not even looking slightly perturbed, I tell you if looks could kill people in the room would be dropping dead one after the other.

And if that wasn't enough my little Ms. Sunshine spat a threat at them, "I promise you I'll destroy you and your company." And that was it, the last straw and bang on the moment. The guards raised their sonic weapons ready to fire at us but not so quick, Kitty whirled on the spot and back flipped to the far wall where the guards were standing.

She kicked one on the groin and knocked another one out with a perfectly aimed punch on the chin, K.O. before they even realise what hit them. It was time; I looked at Kitty who was bent down looking at the guards that she had just knocked out. Such purity and compassion, before she knew it I had her join those guards on the floor unconscious, sleeping like a baby. I had obviously under estimated her thinking that her abilities as an X-Man were limited to Covert operations, I stood proven wrong my mouth agape but at that very moment I felt a familiar presence.

An animalistic rage, tearing and clawing its way through flesh and bone, a rage coupled with a strategic intent but no emotion. It could be only one person and my lips curved into a twisted smile as I heard gunfire rage outside in the corridor, the floor on which I stood shook with such ferocity that it almost knocked me over, Isis.

I could hear their cries, as they fell through the caving floor that they stood on. The occupants of the room were...well let's say scared would be an understatement. They were petrified; "You arranged for this?" asked Hayden shocked beyond belief as I turned my smiling face towards him. I bowed in front of him and then when I rose, I could see that he was already choking on his words. He and Rao were at a loss of words as they ran out of the door, shaking and then I heard them scream as they fell through the open floor.

"I admire your courage." I said with my back turned towards Stoll as I looked out of the window. I heard the familiar click of a gun being corked, "You believe that you can kill me." I say softly, knowing that every word that I say would be echoing in his mind. "You think you can stop me...stop us?" I telepathically magnify my voice in his heads forcing him to shudder with pain and drop his gun, to drive my message clear I show him what I knew o be brutality but one of my finest works... The Turtle Bay massacre...Never before have I seen a person scream in agony before me like Stoll did, his blood curdling shrieks evidence of the pain he was experiencing not physically but mentally.

Oh yes, I played for him the Turtle Bay Massacre over and over again till a large canine broke into the room and tore the head apart from the body putting an end to his misery. I looked into the amber eyes of the magnificent creature in front of me.

Her dark brown fur matted with blood from her kills, her claws showing evidence of the flesh they had torn apart, the stench of blood on the breath. Yes, she was the perfect killing machine, faster and nearly invulnerable in her beast form with the ability to cause seismic explosions with a single growl.

I looked into her eyes asking her to change into her human form and before my eyes I saw the beast morph into the girl I had known for so long. Her nude body a pale white, in sharp contrast with dark brown of the beast and her short brunette hair matted with blood. She looked at me tired with those beautiful amber eyes and then passed out in my arms from sheer exhaustion. Her powers had taken a toll of her once again.

I laid her beside Kitty and then walked towards the window to look down on the busiest street in the city. Yes, now was the perfect time to strike fear once and for all in the heart of every human living in America and without wasting another second I expand my telepathic awareness to sense the minds of those waiting for their orders.

The first mind that I come across is that of my youngest comrade, a seventeen year old Asian exchange student, codenamed Helia. "Its time Helia" I say in his head and then continue to expand my awareness as I come across the minds of my other comrades ordering them to execute their commands. Those who I was unable to reach in time would get the message by now...and as soon as I completed the thought a blinding flash of light rose from the street below and illuminated the sky above.

"Had your fun?" A familiar deep voice asks from behind me sarcastically. I turn and find Azazel crouched beside Kitty and Isis. "I'd be a hypocrite if I said that I didn't." And I flashed a mile at him which he reciprocated with that devilish grin of his. "Come now." He said to me urgently "before we fall victim to your plan." I laughed at the thought of it and picked up Isis in my arms.

"What about her?" Azazel asked as I looked at Kitty. "We'll take her with us obviously. She is one of us." Azazel smiled as he picked her up, "and I thought you were going to leave her here." He said sounding amused. "I care for mine, Azazel" I said the seriousness returning to my voice.

I didn't like it when anyone questioned my feelings for her. It was true that at first she was just a commodity to me but she had grown above that and had become of the lack of a better term, necessary.

With Kitty nestled in Azazel's arms I walked up to him and he snaked his tail around my arm and without another moment to waste we disappeared into nothingness with a loud _BAMF _and scarlet foul smelling smoke.

* * *

><p><strong>Rogue's POV<strong>

After walking down the bus street for a while Remy and I found a comfortable and quaint looking cafe on the corner of the street. We went in and took a seat by the window. As Remy snaked his arm around my shoulders and nestled his head in my air whispering things into my ear. I just couldn't help but think about what had happened earlier in the afternoon. Worried wouldn't be an understatement but I felt scared about something and I just couldn't help but think why...

Lost in my thoughts with Remy right beside me, I was brought back to reality by a shouting match between an Asian kid and the Cafe Manager, "Here's your fu*king money human. Now get out of my sight." The kid spat at the old manager who stood their shocked.

Our eyes followed him as he walked out the door and went and stood in the middle of the street. He spread his arms and stood motionless as his body began to glow with a faint luminescence, overcome by curiosity I rose from my seat but before I could move a muscle a blinding flash of light forced me to close my eyes.

I could hear people screaming all around me in panic and fear. Remy took me by hand and pushed me to the floor and then rolled on top of me in order to protect me in case of a blast but that was it, a flash of light. With Remy still over me and a dull throbbing in my head I tried to open my eyes still blinded but now only veiled with a haziness which I tried to rub off.

Remy had rolled off me and was already getting up when the floor beneath us shook. "Oh fuck!" he shouted and pushed me back on the ground and under the table using his body to cover me.

I could hear people scream and I could hear large explosions going off around me but nothing could dull the sound of agonized and blood curdling screams. I knew it then, why I had been so anxious. I had lost her; tears welled in my eyes at the thought of losing her when I had just found her. I couldn't help myself and I sobbed into Remy's shoulder as he held me protectively.

* * *

><p><strong><em>BOSTON ABLAZE<em>**

_...What is being seen as a strategic move by the mutants to terrorise the public and force the government into meeting their demands Senator Kelly of US HOME DEFENCE says, "We cannot bow down to them if we do it'll be the end of humanity. No, we cannot let them conquer us with fear. We'll fight till our last breath. We as the citizens of the United States will stand as one against this act of Terrorism."... According to reports received from Boston Police Department, the Serial Blasts of the Prudential plaza and the other Financial District was carried out by the same Mutant organization that caused the Turtle Bay Massacre, Commissioner Jessica Andrews was quoted saying, "A flash of light preceded the explosions... a trademark that was seen before Turtle Bay was destroyed by the grand Tsunami..." She was however unavailable for further comment._

On the veranda of an ancient manor house looking over at the ocean with the sun setting in the backdrop sat a man in his late forties. Dressed in a lounge suit he folded the evening edition of the daily newspaper he subscribed to and kept it beside the tea tray on the small glass top coffee table.

None of this was happening as he wanted it to. Now only if...and as if he was reading his mind, a figure walked out on to the veranda through the large glass doors and greeted the man sitting on a lounge chair and admiring nature's beauty before him.

"Sean, you have created quite a mess" Said the old man his back towards the tall blonde man with piercing blue eyes.


	5. Emptiness, Pain and Lost Memories

**Sean's POV**

"_You have created quite a mess Sean" Said the old man, his back towards the blonde man with piercing blue eyes._

I smirked, this was just the beginning. Many such disasters equivalent to the magnitude of The Turtle Bay Massacre and Blazing Boston shall soon follow ... but only if I got the opportunity to carry out my plans... _"No",_ a booming voice echoed in my head.

I steered my gaze at the man sitting before me.

It was foolish of me to forget that the man sitting before me, _**Wilhelm Andros,**_ was one of the most powerful Psychokinetics known to the world, or should I say only to those who knew of his existence amongst us.

As he made a move to stand I quickly took a few steps back myself. He got up and walked to the railing that separated him from the ocean he so loved.

"Yes, it's one of the most beautiful things that nature has to offer." This time he spoke aloud. I have to learn to keep my thoughts under control, they might just get me into trouble some day.

"You know you would only get in trouble if you betray me or think about it." Wilhelm said turning towards me his lips curved in a smirk. His pale blond hair neatly styled and his light brown eyes shining like embers. Dressed in his Custom Tailored Lounge Suit, he looked nothing less than a well groomed business Tycoon, which he was. In the eyes of the masses he was a rich Philanthropist and in those of his competitors, Wilhelm was someone to be wary off, but for the mutants he was a beacon of hope.

"I see you have trouble controlling your thoughts. If victories make you lose control over yourself then I dare say that you have no business to work with or for me in the future", he said with a smirk and glint in his eyes. Till this date i had never been able to make out if he was speaking in jest or was actually serious about it.

"Do you have something to say?"He asked me with his brow arched questioningly. I sighed bringing myself to speak my mind but from where to begin if he thought I was causing a mess then surely I should... _"Speak your mind."_ His deep voice boomed in my head with emphasis on each and every word.

"I'm sorry if I have displeased you but I believe what I did was right." I spoke with conviction in my voice, I had his attention now. He stared at me leaning slightly on the exquisitely designed wrought iron balustrade. "I know what I have done has brought too much attention to our activities however if you wish I'm ready to take full responsibility of my actions but I shall let you know, that I feel what I have done is right." There was an unpleasant silence that followed my rant and I wondered if I should say something to break the ice however before I could do or say anything, Wilhelm broke into a smile.

"I knew from the very beginning that you were nothing like your father." He said to me. "But there is much to discuss, take a seat." He gestured to the arm chair and without wasting a moment I took the offered seat.

"Now where to begin from?" he asked pacing back and forth before me. "Yes, first off I want you to move out of Massachusetts. I want you to discard your role as a mutant petitioner and devote yourself to my missions' full time. Do you understand me?" I knew I had to say yes and so just like a knee jerk reaction I nodded softly. Maybe he already knew my answer so he continued to rant, "Secondly, I want you to do away with your sister." He said his eyes boring into mine.

Do away with Isis? What did he mean? Didn't he already know how much she meant to me? He couldn't possible suggest... "No, whatever thoughts you are having nip them in the bud now. I'd never suggest a thing." He said cutting in and I breathed I sigh of relief.

"What I meant was that you must restore her memories and send her back to London?" I stared at him befuddled. He knew why I had brought her here why I had altered her memories... "But so far you have been unable to exhibit proper control." He completed my thoughts.

I was deep in thought. I didn't want to let her go not after I had just found her. Found the only person I could call family. Wilhelm took the chair across from me and spoke in a soft tone, "I know what she means to you and I also know that you are very protective of her. You fear that your father would take her away from you if she ever returns to the Halberdiers. What you don't realise is that they would do anything to protect her and protect her with a ferocity."

I couldn't disagree with what he had just said. It was true that the Halberdiers were still looking for her. They had never given up on her but I had hidden my trail so well that they actually had no hope of finding... "Actually that is the very reason that I want you to send her back." He was annoying me now with his constant mindreading; I was so pissed that I could... "Tear my head off" he said with a smile and suddenly a wave of calm engulfed me, it numbed my senses. Put my thoughts to rest and my mind to serenity.

Never before had I felt such a... Pain. I could hear agonizing screams of millions of people. Feel their pain as they got burned alive, slashed open, crushed under rocks and falling debris. I could hear another agonizing scream but it was far too dull to those in my head, I fell to the ground and hit my head on the corner of the table, I could feel the cut the glass had inflicted on my forehead and the blood oozing out slowly, flowing down the bridge of my nose, my lips and... My mouth.

The dull scream came from my mouth. I tasted metallic liquid flow into my mouth, unable to soothe the ache in my throat caused due to shouting myself hoarse. It felt like hours and I knew it wouldn't end so quickly but I was wrong... as quickly as the pain had come, it had taken its time to relieve me of my anguish and pain. The memories of those i had killed or seen dying had left a permanent imprint on my mind and conscious. Never would i be rid of it and it was Wilhelm's strength to bring those memories to my foremind and amplify them. The memories as if they were my own stimulate pain throughout the body causing agony beyond belief.

"I didn't wish for you to bear the brunt of my powers. However your insolence left me no choice." Wilhelm spat at me. He then helped me into the chair and handed me a glass of water.

"Try an understand." he said crouching beside my chair, "I know it is going to be hard for you to let go but this... this is for her own good." He stood up and looked down at me, "and if you still feel that this is not how you wish it to be. I'd help you in hiding her. I'd help you to keep her away from Sebastian." He said reassuringly.

I knew I could trust him, "You are right." I said in a broken voice, hoarse from the screaming. "I'd arrange for her to be taken to London at the earliest." He squeezed my shoulder and gave me a tight smile. He then turned his back to me and walked towards the stone manor.

I sighed and then turned my gaze to the ocean... the sun had set leaving the ocean a mix of cerulean blue and dark auric but I continued to sit, it wasn't my father I was keeping Isis safe from it was Selene, The Black Queen of the Hellfire Club and my father's consort. How I hated her. If death were to have a new name it would surely be Selene. I knew if she found out about Isis she would kill her to become the centre of my father's attention.

Never would I take the risk again to leave her with my father. She had never been and would never be safe with him... or till he was a part of the Hellfire club. I sighed again...pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger.

It had been far too long, the memory rub and shields weren't working. She was too strong psychologically and mentally, I always knew somewhere deep in the recesses of my heart that I wouldn't be able to keep her with me... that she didn't belong here...with me.

I looked to the setting sun... and it reminded me of what I had lost in life. I wish you were here with me; the words escaped my lips, silent as the wind as I squeezed her ring in my hand.

* * *

><p>I felt void of life.<p>

Drained of energy and cut off from my senses. It was as if I was in limbo. A state of free suspension in the void where all senses are cut off and the person fades into oblivion. Was this what abyss felt like? Was I dead?

No, definitely not dead. I felt alive, but then what did I know what death felt like. Maybe this is how it was supposed to be, after all the conscious never dies, at least that's what the professor said... The Professor... Who? Who was this professor? All my memories centralized around him... his teachings... his lectures in literature, physics, biology ... his values... the importance of protecting humans... only if Rogue would understand... Rogue... a friend I'm sure.

But why couldn't I remember anything. My memories my mind, it felt as though my memories had been cut... there were chunks missing out of what I remembered... my memories were incomplete...as though someone had slashed and hacked them. I wonder... _Kitty_...the sound echoed throughout the depths of the abyss. Kitty, it... sounds familiar. I wonder what it is. The voice, it sounds familiar as well.

_Kitty Pryde_... the voice echoed again...this time sending a shiver down my spine. I could feel the tips of my fingers and toes going cold. I felt disoriented, my head began to spin. Thoughts, events, memories... my life came back to me, as I grew aware of my conscious and my being. My senses kicked into action as each memory came back to me, The Professor... bald and paraplegic... his wisdom guiding or life and shaping us in his image, Piotr... the warmth of his arms... Kurt and his goofy smirk and Rogue, her white bangs framing her face, her enigmatic eyes heavily kohled an image to be replaced by one, that of a tall lithe woman...her chestnut long hair blowing in the wind and her white bangs neatly tucked behind her ears... the eyes were no longer dark and kohled, but a warmth inducing chocolate brown.

It all flooded back to me... My name is Katherine Pryde and I was a former X-Man. I worked as a lawyer for the MGRA, a petitioner to be clear. I had recently met Rogue and Remy and we had headed to Boston for a meeting and... that's where my mind went blank. I couldn't remember anything from that point onwards to this moment.

I could now feel that I was lying on a soft bed, the room I was in smelled of polished metal surfaces and there was a heavy stench of a surfactant in the air. It smelled of lemon and ethanol.

My back was stiff and my head hurt... who the hell am I kidding, my entire body hurt. Now I wish I had remained in limbo forever.

"I'm sure you the pain will pass Kitty, we have already administered another dose of painkillers which would be taking effect anytime now." I knew that voice. That fatherly tone lined with compassion... I breathed deeply and sighed, "Professor?" "Yes Kitty, I'm here with you. Everything's going to be just fine" he said holding my hand in his and squeezing it gently.

I didn't have the strength or the energy to open my eyes but I knew there were other people in the infirmary and I knew who. With a faint smile on my lips, I slipped back into a dreamless peaceful sleep and I had a feeling I had earned it.

* * *

><p><strong>Isis's POV<strong>

It was cold, the wind didn't help and on top of that, it was raining. Maybe it was one of those days when things weren't just supposed to go right. I tugged at my overcoat, fastening the buttons knowing that it might not help but a desperate attempt to keep myself warm.

Autumn and Winter were my favourite seasons and I loved the way the cold winds blew around me but it felt as if my body was no longer used to it, for hell's sake I had a tan and I didn't know how but then I couldn't remember the majority of what had happened these past months and it pained me to not know.

I am a self confessed control freak and not knowing what had happened to and with me the past few months drove me up the wall but then I had to keep my wits about myself. I couldn't just panic and throw away my life in a mess.

No, if I didn't know what had happened with me, fine, I'd just have to find out about it. I couldn't just sit in a corner and cry myself to death over the fact that I had missed out on a couple of months. No, I would get through this but first I needed to get back home and I was almost there.

I stood in the queue for the payphones outside the airport. I had to wait for a couple of minutes for my turn and it came when I thought I was going to freeze to death. I wasn't dressed properly and I didn't know why.

I closed the door of the booth behind me and dialled the number, if I was lucky Slater took the call then I wouldn't freeze to death but if... "Hello, Watson Manor, May I know who's calling?" just my luck, Alice Longwood, if I don't die of hypothermia I'd die of answering her questions. "Alice, Its Isis..." I hadn't even completed the sentence when she squealed and with what I heard cry..."Now don't cry. Don't cry. Shut up!" the sniffling immediately stopped. "I'm fine and safe. Send someone to Heathrow to pick me up. I'll be at Starbucks." "We're coming right now, Stay there" she said sniffling "Where am I going to go? Come quick and bring some woollens." And I kept the phone down

I made my way to Starbucks which was thankfully centrally heated and sat at a table close to the window with a cup of hot coffee in hand. Now if only Alice heard everything, she was a nice girl but she got too driven by her emotions at time.

I smiled to myself, but then I had gone missing in action. It was only natural for her to react in such a way. She was a friend but right now I needed a warm bed, lots of sleep and after that a telepath to look into my mind and tell me who had played with it.

And soon I was lost in thought. As I gazed outside the window, it had begun to snow and for some reason it brought a smile to my face. I no longer felt cold. I was home, almost.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

First of all I'd like to apologise to everyone that I haven't updated in a long time. I don't know why but I just didn't feel like writing. I had lost direction but now I feel that I'm over what was blocking me.

I was concentrating too hard on writing long chapters, focussing on the length made me lazy and I just didn't feel like writing.

But now with renewed vigour I have started again. Flames, constructive criticism, simple thoughts... they'll all help me improve my style of writing and grammar. So,** Please Review**.

**Lastly, OC's introduced are:**

**Wilhelm Andros by TheEmpress**

**Alice Longwood by Alice in Paramore**

**Now i know that few of the OC's are a little out of character and i take responsibility for it, Alice isn't supposed to be emotional and Isis is supposed to be a little more compassionate and easy going, definitely not much of a control freak but that's how i'm envisioning them. Just can't help it. They do retain their original personalities, just with a few more add details and a little change of character.  
><strong>

Also, the story arc is now shifting from USA to London and the British Isles for the coming chapters. The way I have planned out, the Halberdiers are going to feature for the next couple of chapters. It gives all the OC enough limelight before the finale.


	6. Two Faces

**Two Faces**

* * *

><p>The last thing I remember is a void in my head, an emptiness created by the absence of a presence. This presence, it seemed familiar somehow. I didn't know why, but this presence, the man to be exact seemed familiar to me. Normally I'd be wary of such things but for some weird reason I felt strangely comfortable, at ease even. Had I been spiritual I'd have considered such a thing to be ominous but fortunately I didn't share the faith of my fellow comrades. I wished I could but I didn't.<p>

It seemed hypocritical to me to put my faith in a higher being that had life altering supernatural powers, a being that we could neither touch nor see. No, I would rather put my faith in a mutant who could manipulate probability to alter life than a being whose existence wasn't supported by any facts.

And that was my last moment in isolation.

There was a knock on the door followed by a voice seeking permission to enter. Sighing, I got out of my bed and pulled on a dressing gown. I pulled up my long hair and tied them loosely at the nape of my neck. Fastening the gown around my waist, I headed to the door to open it.

Inhaling deeply, I tried to relax myself rather I tried to calm the storm swirling within me. Forcing a slight smile, I opened the door but I didn't have to force myself any longer. Seeing the person in front of me instantly brought a smile to my face and I couldn't help but fling myself in his waiting arms. Throwing myself at him, he quickly closed his arms around me while I buried my face in his chest, tears streaming down my eyes. I sobbed silently into his chest, this wasn't like me but I didn't remember what I was like anymore. It seemed that I had changed and right now all I knew was that I wanted to let myself out and the only person who I could cry in front of was the man who held me tight in his arms, Samson Moorder. He knew that I needed the comfort.

I didn't know how long we stood there, it felt like hours but it probably wasn't because the corridor we stood in was used regularly enough and it wouldn't be long before…. "Hem hem" someone cleared their throat loudly and in between my sobs, I started to smile. I knew exactly who that was. I kept my hands on Samson's chest, gently pushing him away. Taking the signal, he gently released me from his grasp but only to snake his arm around my waist as we both turned to see the person who had ruined the moment for us.

Before us stood the prat and the emotional fool of the team, Alice Longwood. Smirking, she relished in the fact that she had interrupted our moment.

"You couldn't pick a better time could you?" Samson asked from beside me. He tried to sound pissed off but couldn't keep the humour quotient out completely. That did it and Alice burst into laughter. Laughing rambunctiously she spun on the spot and made her way to her own room. I now realised that she was on her way to catch up on me but seeing that I was with Samson she decided to leave us alone, gloating at the fact that she had interrupted us.

As she disappeared in to the hallway, Samson quickly pulled my close and kissed me. Gentle, as always he didn't intrude. He was always gentle with me and I guess that's why I liked him, he made me feel human. He helped me keep the animal within me at bay.

After what felt like pure bliss, I came crashing back to reality when he pulled away from me with a jerk. Removing his arm and looking away from me, his hand held to his head and with his other arm he pushed me away from him and pinning me to the wall, none to gently either. This wasn't like him. Not like him at all. Had it been the first time this had happened I'd have felt hurt, however I knew why he had done so.

He wanted me to keep a distance from him and I couldn't do anything else but oblige. It was during such a situation that Samson was most vulnerable and dangerous; there was always a chance that he could kill everyone in a mile's radius with a single thought. Drawing on life as a source of energy, it so happened to be that Samson could also manipulate it as if it was play-dough. He could heal a disease and seal open wounds. Hell! He could even cure cancer but only in the early stages. Terminal cases, although had a very low rate of survival as the number of healthy cells in their body were extremely low, thus he couldn't manipulate them to heal the body.

Killing however was extremely simple. All he had to do was clot all the RBCs and the person would die of a heart attack. Yes, Samson was dangerous that way but it seemed his power to kill could only be used during one of his convulsions, which to be honest was neither good nor safe. Nevertheless, we had had no accidents so far and it seemed that Samson was much in control of his powers.

It was after several minutes that he removed his hand from his face and lowered the arm that had pinned me to the wall, freeing me to tend to him. With his convulsion over, he fell to the floor on his knees, looking tired as if he had returned from a battle. It was the same over and over again, what was different was the blood seeping from his nose. That was new and extremely shocking; I quickly tore off a piece of cloth from my gown to clean the blood.

After a few minutes of complete silence when I had staunched the blood flow, I asked him, "Since when has it gotten worse?" My words were met with complete silence and a vacant look, "Fine" I said springing up from beside him, anger written over my face. I turned to walk away and that's when his hand grasped mine, forcing me to stay.

Holding his hand in mine, I took a seat beside him, "What's wrong?" I asked him looking into his vacant eyes.

He inhaled deeply, "It's my brother. He's trying to take over my body." He said, tightening his grip on my hand. My heart sank, not because of the shock but because we both knew that there might come a time when we might have to battle with the person in Samson's mind. I inhaled sharply, "Since when?" I asked.

He looked at me and I could see the answer in his eyes, me or rather since I had left. Was this all my fault? Is that, what he was trying to say?

Maybe, it was possible that the way he kept my demon at bay, the same way I kept his. If that was so, then it was her fault and now that she was back she'd make sure that she helped him fight it. She couldn't allow him to give into a menacing after presence. No, there had to be a way to fight and not only fight, but a way to win as well.

She looked at Samson, who had closed his eyes and by the looks of it fast asleep. His grip on her hand had loosened as well but she continued to hold his hand and didn't let go. Gazing at his sleeping form, she smiled at his innocent face. No, he was too good a person and she wouldn't allow him to be taken away from her like this.

_It was as if she had silently resolved to protect him from himself as he was his own enemy. They might share the same body but they were two completely different people. They were poles apart and at that moment, there were three people in the room. Isis Shaw, who held her fiancé Samson Moorder's hand in her hand and not far away was the conscious of the third person, a far menacing presence that resided within the deep chasm's of Samson's mind, Slater Moorder. As of now, he was chained by his host, to be kept at bay at all costs but it won't be so for long._

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><p>It was early in the wee hours of the morning when Samson woke up. It hadn't been a pleasant night. Throughout the night had brother had tried to fight against the restraints that Samson had placed on him. For years now Slater had been trying to break the chains that incarcerated him to the back of Samson's mind far away from his conscious.<p>

Sitting up, he saw Isis sleeping beside him. A smile caressed his lips; she was truly one of a kind. Always feisty, battle ready, honest and most of all compassionate. Yes, she'd never admit it but he knew that she was compassionate, in her own small way that is. Admiring her beauty, he reminisced about all those times that they had spent together. Lost in his thoughts about his time with Isis, he didn't realise that his brother's conscious was trying to weaken him so that he could take over. It was in the nick of time that he realised Slater's plot and again shoved him to the back of his mind.

Samson sighed; Slater was getting stronger with each passing moment. He was trying to claw his way to control the mind, so he could establish control over his body. Burying his hands, in his face he knew what he had to do. There was no point, in endangering those around him. The risks were far too great now. Every time he used his powers, Slater got a chance to break through. There was a time when Samson could use his as well as Slater's powers without Slater trying to break through his binds.

Now, it was a completely different scenario. In recent times, he had observed that he was unable to use Slater's powers without his consent and giving consent to Slater meant handing over the control of his mind to him. Although Slater was only allowed restricted access, it was too far great a risk to allow him even marginal control of the mind and once he took over his mind he knew that it'd spell chaos for the world. He couldn't allow that… but before he could complete that thought his eyes rolled back into his head and his eye lids closed shut. He lost his conscious and fell back on to the bed, which gently shook under the weight of the fall.

The gentle quake however was enough to wake the other person sleeping on the bed; Isis sat up on her bed, startled. Her eyes turned to see the other sleeping form on the bed and her eyes widened with joy when she saw the innocent smile on Samson's face, the smile that she had fallen in love with. Sweeping in, she gently kissed his fore head before she got out of the bed heading over to her own room.

She was oblivious of the fact that the person she had gone to sleep with and the one she woke up with were completely different but then it wasn't her fault is she couldn't hear Samson's agonized screams at being bound to the confines where he had earlier bound his brother.

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><p><strong>AN: I guess i'm back on the road. Just the other day i was feeling proud of the fact that i had completed the first ever Percy Jackson SYOC story and already started work on its sequel but in the back of my head i felt guilty. Why? Well, because i knew i hadn't done Extinction justice. So, here i am making an attempt. Let's hope its not in vain. How can you help?**

**By providing loads of feedback and review. Enjoy!  
><strong>


	7. Battle Plan

**Battle Plan**

I wasn't in the best of moods when I walked into the overcrowded conference room at Halberdiers' Manor. It was literally packed with initiate and fledgling mutants who had been given sanctuary at the manor. Some of them had even joined our efforts to stop rogue mutants from spreading anarchy and harming humans. One of them was **Longshadow**, a well-built Irish teenager. Longshadow had the rare ability to magnify his physical form, this literally meant that he could rapidly generate and degenerate his growth spurt. According to what I had read till now, he could grow to about twenty five feet in height without exerting himself.

Longshadow was truly an asset. Young in age, Longshadow was still an amateur when it came to following a plan and keeping up with the team but it seemed that all recruits weren't like that. It so happened that two of our newest recruits played extremely well with the team. A brother-sister duo, codenamed, **Sonic **and **Wave,** while the former could emit sound waves in a varying spectrum of frequencies the latter was efficient in converting energy from any form into a wave of pure energy.

Looking around the oval shaped room, I walked through the rows of chairs and the assembled mutants to the front of the conference table. Taking my seat I nodded to the seated members, not meeting the eye of the person who sat at the head of the table, Alain Magnan, Leader of the Halberdiers. He and I hadn't spoken about my absence as yet and every time he looked at me it was with suspicion. As if I wasn't the same person that he knew. Sighing, I turned to look at Samson. He looked different, happier but his smile wasn't the same. It was genuine but not innocent.

I was about to ask him if he was all right but before I could ask him anything, I was brought to attention by Natasha.

Natasha, was a Russian mutant who had joined around the same time as I. She was our infiltration expert and intelligence broker. With long dark hair, flawless pale skin and almond shaped cerulean blue eyes; Natasha was the prime example for an intelligence agent. An agent the world's top intelligence agencies had refused to recruit based on the fact that she was a mutant and couldn't be trusted.

Sharing a glance with me, she began with her report, "According to recent report from my _sources_", she said emphasising on the last word, "It has come to my notice that the Rytsari have extended an alliance to the Lancers and Cavaliers." A collective gasp was heard around the conference room which broke into whispering, "Silence", Magnan said in a calm but fairly audible voice.

He then looked to Natasha to continue, "My sources suggest that a majority of the Lancers don't want to associate themselves with the Rytsari, especially the leaders. Reason being that the Rytsari have kept a condition that they first want to overtake Russia and once Russia is under their thumb they'll assist the Lancers to spread their influence across the European Union, something which the Lancers are apprehensive off. They aren't seeking world domination but an independent country for the mutants." Natasha said finishing her report and taking her seat.

Alain then opened the bench to questions, "What should be our P.O.A.?" Jose asked. Jose was in command of our defences. It was his responsibility to keep us safe and a P.O.A was indubitably necessary if he was to keep us alive.

"We don't have one." Natasha said, a little edgy.

"What about the Petrov siblings?" Markus asked. Markus was an Italian man in his mid-thirties with the ability to manipulate probability. Taking in view all the cases that might be available to us he devised the best plan but his best plans didn't always ensure the survival of our members only the success of the mission. That was one reason why only a few mutants signed up to become a part of our team. They felt that they'd stay alive for longer if they weren't a part of the team.

Natasha inhaled sharply, her nostrils flaring at the mention of the names.

Markus on the other hand remained indifferent and continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer.

Eyes narrowed, Natasha glared at Markus, "None whatsoever. If there had been anything to report I'd have." She said, seething.

Natasha looked visibly pissed and it was right of her to react like that, the Petrov Siblings were her siblings. Her full name was Natasha Petrov.

About five years ago Alain had brought Natasha to our manor in a heavily wounded state. He had told us that he had found her during the attack on the international convention of mutants in Geneva. The Rytsari had attacked the convention to prevent the several mutant factions to sign treaties of peace with various national governments. It was during the last hour that the Rytsari had attacked.

The attack didn't come as a surprise to anyone. The mutant factions had been expecting it and that's why they had setup security. However, the security wasn't enough to hold of the army of mutants, that the Rytsari had brought along with them. An army which consisted of over a hundred mutants, most of them Russian, brought in from Asia to fight a war not their own.

"Do we have any information on the Rytsari's current strength?" Markus asked, his question again pointed to Natasha.

Sighing, she took out a notepad, "Four years ago, after the attack on the Geneva convention their numbers rather the number of their army was highly reduced. From a hundred and eighty two mutants the strength of the army fell to seventy six. They lost over a hundred mutants. Since then they have been on a recruiting spree. My contact in Belarus, around six months ago informed me that they had recruited close to two hundred mutants from Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. So I'm assuming that their current strength should be about a thousand mutants." She said, exhaling deeply.

"A thousand mutants" Isis asked, taken aback by the figure. Such a figure was considered astronomical when it came to mutants. If the Rytsari had an army that was thousand mutants strong, it meant they just needed that extra push to topple the Russian government and bring it under their control.

"That's why they need the Lancers to join them. Besides us, the Lancers are the only other mutant faction that has numbers over a hundred." Magnan supplied.

"Yes, but if they already have an army of about a thousand mutants then what's stopping them from taking over?" Alice piped in.

"Natasha based on your experience what class would most of the mutants fall in." Markus asked his eyebrow arched in question.

Natasha was prepared this time, "A great majority of the mutants are delta and epsilon class mutants. The next lot is made up by the Beta and Gamma Class mutants. Leaders as you can assume are Alpha Class mutants but there are very-very few of those. Most Alpha, Beta and Gamma mutants join the Rytsari. Only a few Beta and the remaining delta and epsilon mutants make up the army. " She said, without even batting an eye.

"So you mean to say that when you were with them, then there were about a hundred odd delta and epsilon level mutants." Markus asked, confirming the number.

"Close to it, I don't remember the exact figures but I'm sure there were less than forty beta and gamma class mutants. The Alpha class mutants were in single digits." Natasha said, reinstating her fact.

"That means we have a war not a battle up our alley" said Markus getting up from his chair and addressing the entire room full of mutants.

"Our duty is to protect what's left of us not to save countries from coups, especially coups that are led by mutants." Jose said, scribbling something on the notepad lying before him.

"How can you say that?" Alice asked, her voice echoed the shock of several in the room.

"Do you not care of what will become of the people of Russia if the Rytsari take over?" I said, for I was in full favour of Alice's concerns.

Jose sighed, "It's my job to protect and keep our kind safe from their kind. It's been so since the last eight years." He then turned his head to look both of us in the eye, his eyes were glowing a bright crimson, "Forgive me, if I don't want to protect humans. You can count me out of this mission." He spat, before he got off the table, knocked the chair he was sitting on out of the way and rushed out of the room followed by a few of the members on his team.

Silence followed Jose's rebuttal, a long and uncomfortable silence.

"We have to make sure that the Lancers don't make the deal with the Rytsari." Alain said, his voice slightly more than a whisper.

"How may we do that?" Markus asked, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair.

Another round of silence fell upon the room before Natasha spoke up, "I think I might know what to do." She said, her eyes falling on the person sitting opposite me.

A wicked smile found its way on her lips. A smile the meaning of which everyone but I knew.

Markus smirked, a smile lighting his eyes, "It seems we have got ourselves a deal breaker." He said, patting Samson on the back.

My eyes met Samson and boy he didn't look happy with what Natasha and Markus were planning.

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><p><strong>AN: Those who want this story to continue please do leave a Review. I'd like to thank 13souls, this chapter is dedicated to you and your patience. **

**Looking forward to feedback.  
><strong>


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