Okay, I have a legitimate reason for not updating in forever…

I deleted the story off my drive by accident…

You see, your favourite author had the entire story typed up on one word document in an unnamed folder in her flash drive. When said author lent it to her I.T teacher to get the second season of The Batman (yes, I'm a geek about that too) she forgot it was on her flash drive and told Mr. I.T teacher that he could delete whatever he liked if he needed more space.

Needless to say when your author found out she felt… stupid.

Then, to make things worse, when your author tried to re-write her story… she got massive writer's block…

Oy vey… I feel dumb… but hopefully this makes up for something at least.

Also as a side note, I'm looking for a Beta for this story. It's not a must for me to continue but it is much appreciated.

~PHANTOM X~

Beep… beep…

Lab lights blinked. Monitors beeped and machines whirred as they kept track of all movements of a young boy suspended in blue liquid.

Beep… beep…

Across the room, two men were discussing something as they watched a young girl suspended in green fluid. The two were too distracted to notice the slight fluctuation in the monitor's beeping… or that his hand had twitched ever so slightly.

Beep-beep… beep… beep…

The monitor screens flickered slightly and the lights in the lab dimmed just one notch. Not enough to be noticed by the men as they watched the green liquid drain out from the chamber.

The hand that had twitched clenched itself tightly now as his eyes began to flicker open.

Beep-beep… beep-beep…

Monitors began to flash but no sound was made. From the corners of the room, thin trails of smoke issued themselves from tiny speakers.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!

As the computers let out their silent warnings, for the first time, the boy's eyes opened.

Beep-beep…beep-beep…

As his heart rate slowed, he began to look around, seeing his surroundings for the first time.

Alex…? Where's Alex?

A dim memory flashed through his mind.

A woman with violet eyes leaning over him, kissing his forehead fondly. Mom…

"Take care of your sister now," she said, smiling. "You know her knack for getting into trouble sometimes."

Take care of… my sister… my sister… where is my sister…?

Beep…beep…

He looked around and his eyes widened as he saw the young girl being helped up by a man leaning on a cane.

Alexis?

She looked scared and her eyes bulged as she saw him. At the same time their eyes locked the taller of the two looked up and realised that the boy was watching them.

Two things happened at the same time. As the man whipped around and smashed his fist on a button just as all the computers in the rows began to crackle and explode, one by one.

Get away from my sister!

Spider web cracks shot up the glass chamber as the lights in the room flickered madly.

The girl stumbled forward, trying to move towards him. The old man pulled her back.

Get away from her!

As the glass shattered completely the effect of the anaesthetic began to sink in and he could feel his body begin to slow down.

No! No!

"No…" he groaned out, trying desperately to reach towards her. In the man's arms, Alexis began struggling until she was knocked out with a strong jab to her neck.

Seeing his sister collapse made something inside him snap.

"ALEXIS!" he screamed just as something behind him exploded and as the darkness finally took him over.

"Alexis!"

Alex shot straight up in bed, chest heaving from the nightmare. Instantly, his thoughts raced to his sister.

Completely forgetting he was at Xavier's institute instead of at home, he frantically searched the bed, letting out an anguished cry when he couldn't find his sister beside him.

All of a sudden, he felt a pair of cool arms wrap around his shoulders and, despite his franticness, his body relaxed into his sister's, shaking slightly. Soon enough, his hand found hers and he squeezed tightly.

"I'm right here," she murmured gently into his ear.

"Thanks for that," he replied weakly. They both jumped as his door flung open and a flash of white light filled the room that temporarily blinded him.

"What's going on here?" Scott demanded, hands already on his shades. Behind him he could see rogue in her pjs and Kurt peering in from the ceiling.

"Nothing," they said at the same time.

Alex received a look from his sister that merited another squeeze.

"It's nothing," he repeated. "Just a nightmare."

"Oh, but you're okay though, right?" Scott asked.

Alex felt another squeeze on his hand. "I will be." Scott didn't look convinced… or too pleased for that matter.

Alexis sighed and walked to the door. "Now that that's taken care of, I'm sorry for having dragged you out of bed now please, go back to sleep. It's 2 am."

"Yeah, you're right," Scott said. "Back to your rooms," he said to Rogue and Kurt. The twins gave them a wave before they disappeared. "Alex, we have an early morning training session at 5. I shouldn't be telling you this but… be prepared."

Alex nodded. "Sure thing boss."

"Alexis," Scott said, turning to her.

"Yes?" she replied.

"You have to go to your room too," he said. "We have rules about girls and guys together in one room."

"But I'm not just a girl," she said. "I'm his sister," and on that note she closed the door on a very disgruntled Scott Summers.

"That wasn't nice," Alex commented.

His sister shrugged. "maybe it wasn't, but I'll apologise tomorrow," she said. "Scoot over," she commanded, and, obediently, Alex moved to one side of the bed as she clambered in beside him and leant against his arm.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked, after sitting in silence for a while. He remained silent.

Alexis sighed and sat up straight. Looking dead ahead, she began to speak.

"The dreams started back again," she began, knitting her fingers together underneath her chin.

"Which ones?" he asked, flipping onto his stomach to look at her.

"The same one as before," she replied. "There are the men and the lab. The men are telling me something, but I can't remember and just as I begin to walk away with them there's an explosion then… nothing."

The twins were quiet for a while until Alex broke the silence.

"It's the lab… and across the room I see two men…" he began. "They're doing something… then… I just feel so angry… then so scared. Then I remember thinking, 'No, something's wrong with Alex!' but before I can do anything… I wake up."

The two lay in silence for a while as each thought of the other's dream.

"Do you think they mean something?" Alex asked, looking at his sister.

She shrugged and ran her hand through his hair, a motion that always soothed him. "Maybe, maybe not," she said. "I'll call dad sometime tomorrow and tell him. Maybe he'll have some ideas this time."

Alex sighed and laid his head on his sister's lap, relaxing more and more as her soothing hands on his head set a rhythm that quickly sent him to sleep.

Alex stayed awake a while longer, thinking… wondering… worrying…

Think too much and you'll hurt yourself.

She could practically hear her brother telling her to sleep but she was too worried. But, no matter how worried a person is, they can only fend off sleep for so long and soon enough Alexis' head began to droop and her eyes began to slide shut. Then she was fast asleep.

~Phantom X~

"Up and at 'em kiddo!" Logan half yelled, as he marched into Alex's room.

The twins jumped out of their sleep, startled at the sudden entry.

"You! Put this on!" Logan commanded, tossing a black jumpsuit at Alex who half caught it as he tumbled out of bed.

"Wha?" he muttered, trying to disentangled himself from his sheets.

"What's going on?" Alexis asked, stretching much more gracefully than her brother did.

Logan raised an eyebrow at the two sharing the same bed but decided to comment at a later date.

"Training session," he said.

"Right now?" gaped Alex.

"Yep, and just cuz you're new I'll give you an extra 2 minutes to prepare," he said, stalking out. "Now hurry up and meet us outside. First set is an obstacle course," and he slammed the door shut.

"You're kidding me right?" Alex muttered, rubbing his head and staring at the jumpsuit.

Alexis shrugged. "Something tells me that you better hurry or else we'll be seeing the badside of Master Logan this bright and early morning."

"bright and early? The sun isn't even out!"

"all the more reason for you to hurry up."

"KID!" Logan roared.

"And that sounds like you really need to hurry up," Alexis said.

"I hate you."

"I love you too brother dearest."

~PHANTOM X~

"I don't know about you, but I prefer less spandex and more originality," Alex said, tugging at his plain black jumpsuit. The only form of embellishment was the large 'X' across his chest.

"I know exactly what you mean bucko," Tabitha said, resting an elbow on his shoulder. "This lame design's totally cramping my style."

"All right, get in line!" Wolverine ordered. In an instant the new recruits had formed one neat line, including Tabitha. Alex hurried to the end of the line just as Wolverine appeared.

"Good," he said, examining the line. "Today we'll be doing a level 7 drill." The new recruits groaned.

"Not again," Bobby complained.

"Yeah yeah, quit your whining," Logan said. "We're not moving from this level until someone makes it to the other end in less than three minutes."

"But- but!"

"Now who's first?" Logan asked.

Everyone took a step back leaving an unsuspecting Alex, who had been picking at his uniform, standing in front of everyone else in the line.

"New kid huh?" Logan said, looking Alex up and down. "Got any experience with obstacle courses?"

"A-a little bit," Alex said, remembering his summers with his grandparents.

"How about obstacle courses with flame throwers, missiles and lasers?" Logan asked.

"I've had experience with those too sir," Alex replied.

"Oh really?" Logan asked, surprised. The new recruits looked at Alex curiously.

"My grandparents were really weird," was all he offered as an explanation.

"Well let's see how well you do in ours," Logan smirked. He took out a stopwatch and drew a line in the sand with his claws.

"On your mark…"

Alex crouched down slightly, one foot back with most of his body weight leaning forward.

"Get set…"

He made a quick survey of the land before him, taking note of the slight bumps, the position of the rocks and the trees that dotted the grounds.

"GO!"

The word had barely left Logan's lips when Alex, as quick as a flash, darted off, sprinting down the track.

Logan grinned. "Nice speed, but speed ain't everything," he said, pulling out a remote.

~PHANTOM X~

Alexis leaned against the balcony facing the training session and watched with interest as Logan lined the new recruits up.

She laughed when she saw the way her brother picked at the uniform.

"Glad I don't have to wear it," she said outloud, giggling slightly.

"Ze uniforms aren't dat bad," Kurt said, scaring Alexis as he swung down from the overhead veranda.

Alexis sagged against the rail, holding her chest. "Dude, I think you scared me half dead. And that's saying something!" she exclaimed.

He laughed. "Sorry," he said as he jumped down and balanced himself on the rail.

"It's all right," she replied, moving next to him to watch the training. She stepped up in time to see the entire group step back leaving Alex standing in front of everyone.

"Ouch, firsties," she muttered as Logan drew something in the ground.

"Yeah, those always suck," Kurt agreed.

"Should I be scared for my brother?" she asked, looking at Wolverine as he interrogated her twin.

"Nah, Logan vud never do something that vud hurt the students," Kurt said. "At least I think so."

"That's comforting," she said, biting her lip as Logan yelled 'GO'.

~PHANTOM X~

Alex dashed off as soon as he heard the go leave Logan's lips, summers of doing courses like this surged to his memory as his grandmother's words floated to the surface of his thoughts.

Slow down hotshot, speed'll get you into major trouble if you don't learn how to watch where you're going.

Alex ducked and slid on his knees as two long sticks appeared from nowhere.

"Okay, need to slow down," he muttered. Just as he approached the first marker something off to his side clinked as three machines rose from the ground.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," he said as three blades shot out from the machines, all aimed at him.

"All right then," he muttered. "You've got your tricks, I've got mine."

He put his hands together and rubbed them as quickly as he could and soon enough his hands began to spark with lightning.

"And here we go," with a quick flick of his wrist he sent the sparks flying at the blades and knocked them out of the air.

"Yeah! Go Alex!" he heard someone yell. Looking around he saw Kurt and Alexis cheering him on.

Grinning, he pumped a fist indicating that he had heard them.

"Brother, watch out!" Alexis yelled, pointing behind him. He turned just in time to duck a flamethrower and roll out of the way past the third marker.

One more to go, he thought, already seeing the finish line.

~PHANTOM X~

"Come on, come on," Alexis chanted, biting her nails worriedly.

"Wow, look at him go!" Kurt commented. "He's like a ninja!" Then he fell over a trip wire.

"So much for ninja," Alexis mumbled as fireballs threw themselves at her brother.

"I can't watch!" she exclaimed, turning away only to turn back a few seconds later after Alex had managed to get back on his feet.

"Either vatch or don't vatch," Kurt said. "It's gonna end soon either way."

Alexis whined and gave a sigh of relief as she watched Alex cross the finish line and collapsed, panting.

"Yeah, the end," she muttered, staring at her brother.

~PHANTOM X~

"Woah, dude that was awesome!" Tabitha said.

"You were so cool!" Bobby exclaimed, helping him up.

"You were alright," Wolverine said, walking up to them. "Four minutes, 37 seconds."

"Way to go bro!" Alexis said, hugging him.

"Weren't you over there three seconds ago?" Alex asked, confused.

"Kurt ported us over," she explained. "Good job by the way."

Alex smiled as he looked at his sister grinning at him, his new friends congratulating him and smirked at Kurt.

"Yeah, thanks."

~PHANTOM X~

And there we go. Thanks to those who left reviews and added me to their fave stories lists and alerts list.

Review please, they make me feel good. (plus they make faster chappies)