A/N- I do not own any of the characters that are used in this story. 'The Tale of Elizabeth Braddock' is set after the battle on Alcatraz Island where Wolverine killed Jean. The main character is Elizabeth Braddock, who in the film died on the Island but to suit my purposes kept her alive. I don't know her age so I've put her at a healthy 22 years old. I may not update this regularly because of other commitments but I'll try my best. I hope you like this story. Please leave a review (only if you'd like.) P.S. I got the inspiration from and wrote this story/chapter to Nickelback – 'Hero'.

Chapter One – An Introduction to My Complicated Life

No-one knows how powerful I am, how strong I can be. When they look at me they just see someone with the mentality of a naïve child, incapable of complex thought and meaningful interactions. Time and time again I've saved them all, and they'll never know. My mission, my destiny is one I must do in secret, forever alone.

I'll be unable to love, to commit to any lover if the time comes around. My heart has to be in saving everyone. I can't let one person distract me. It wouldn't be fair on the people I'm meant to be saving, no-matter how much I'd want it. But that's my life. Full of sacrifices. No-one will ever know.

I'm Elizabeth Braddock, but you can call me Betsy, everybody else does. My mutant name is Psylocke. I have the mutant abilities of telepathy and telekinesis. I followed Magneto for a while but joined Xavier's Academy after the battle on Alcatraz Island. Fighting humans was no longer important to me.

Since then, I have been told, Ororo (Storm) and Logan (Wolverine) haven't been the same. Ororo is headmistress of the academy and Logan is a teacher. They're good at their jobs, I must admit, but they seem to be constantly miserable.

I haven't got many friends. Maybe it's because everyone knows what I used to fight for and along side. John Allerdyce (Pyro) is my best friend. We've really stuck together these past few months. His old friends, Bobby Drake (Iceman), Marie (Rogue) and Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), haven't quite welcomed him back yet, well at all really. I know John hurts a little every time Bobby passes by without saying a word or looking over.

My other, and only, gorgeous friend is Piotr Rasputin (Colossus). Oh my, he's beautiful. But it'll never go more than friendship. I can't let it happen. However it doesn't stop me from thinking about what could happen between us, in another reality of course.

I suppose I best tell you why I can't have a lover, why my life is doused in secrecy. I know this'll sound so cheesy but believe me, it's all true. I'm part of a secret order called the Guardians of Artemis. We serve the goddess in many ways, the most important being to help those who are in need of it, prevent a full-on war between the humans and mutants and finally prevent the impending apocalypse (yes you did read that right). I am named Guardian Elisabet. I was called to serve Artemis when I was in Finland so my name was converted to Finnish (please don't ask me why the order does this; they have yet to tell me). Members of the order will not call me by any other name. We're all mutants. We use our abilities to help complete our missions. I don't know how people are selected to join the order. You don't apply. They come to find you and you can't refuse.

You may say "I don't see why you can't have a boyfriend" but trust me, I can't. When you join the order, you have to take a vow that you will never match yourself to another because if you do then your attentions are not fully focused on your mission. I'm destined to be alone till the end of my days.

I came to the academy to complete my studies. I've traveled most of my 22 years of life and education hadn't always been my top priority. So now, here I am in the seat of learning. With no current mission from the order I am free to go about as I please.

XxX

One rather glorious sunny afternoon I was sitting in my Italian Language class. I knew a fair few words (I spent some time in Rome 3 years back) but stringing a sentence together? I had no chance. Ororo was handing out example mock test questions, prepping us for our mid-term test. Piotr sat next to me in that class. He passed over my sheets and as he did our hands briefly touched. It felt like someone had set off the fire-alarm of my heart (yes, I'm super cheesy). I felt something rush through me and it was clear that he had felt it to. And then nothing. We turned back to our own papers, concentration on the task given to us.

Piotr and I have had a few moments like that. We've never acted upon them or even talked about it. He's never even tried asking me out on a date. It's like he knows he shouldn't try because I'd turn him down. Don't get me wrong, he's hot, completely handsome, but I wouldn't be able to commit myself to him. I wouldn't even be able to be honest about why I would be disappearing for weeks upon end.

After that Italian class I went to my room, intending on having a shockingly cold shower to wash away all thoughts of the mighty Colossus. I entered my room and found a thick cream-colored envelope, with a red wax seal bearing the mark of the goddess, on my bed. It was a call, a call to a new mission…