Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am to a spiritual level beyond material possessions. Therefore, I must borrow everyone else's. Scenes from "Self-Possessed" are included here.

There is a Light that Never Goes Out: Chapter Four – A Player or a Pawn

A jet black cat leapt onto her chest, jolting Wanda into consciousness. "What the hell, Ebony?" she yelled at the cat, who strolled away like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Although she'd never admit it, Wanda took Lance's words that morning to heart: "You need professional help." She pondered them for several hours before getting out of bed, drinking her warm orange juice, and taking that advice. She wasn't going to Xavier's though; she didn't trust the telepath. Instead she went to someone else her father wouldn't approve of.

Her feet took her to a little apartment near downtown Bayville. She tried knocking for several minutes, but no one was home. Instead of making friends with the doo-wap group on the front stoop, Wanda decided to go inside and wait for her mentor. When she hexed open the door, Ebony, Agatha Harkness's familiar, went insane. She was bouncing all over the apartment, always returning to her food dish when she thought she had Wanda's attention. Eventually Wanda ceded and gave the cat a scoop of food. The apprentice witch also took care of Ebony's empty water dish.

There was nothing written for today's date on Agatha's calendar hanging in the kitchen, so Wanda figured she would be home soon. Agatha didn't own a television, so Wanda settled on the couch and pulled the coffee table book into her lap: Clumsiest People in Europe: Or Mrs. Mortimer's Bad-Tempered Guide to the Victorian World (1).

The witch fell asleep on the couch several minutes later. There was something soothing about Agatha Harkness's apartment that made her feel comfortable and safe. Nothing could hurt her there, not even psycho pyromaniacs. Wanda figured it was some spell the old woman put on the place, but she didn't mind.

When Ebony woke her up, it was dark outside and the apartment was still empty. It was nearly midnight. Wanda was worried now. In Florida, she couldn't summon her mentor (2), and now she wasn't at home. She tried to summon her again with no luck.

Back in the kitchen, Wanda studied Agatha's calendar to determine the last few places she was. On Monday night the old witch was supposed to be at "Coven, Winding Way." Agatha had mentioned the Winding Way a few times, but Wanda never understood what it was. At the time, she hadn't cared; all she wanted was to control her powers so she could – a migraine pounded in her head out of nowhere. The lights flickered, and she stumbled to her coat, flung over the couch. She popped her migraine medication and laid back down in the dark. She didn't know how much time had passed before the migraine subsided.

When she felt like she could function again, the first thing that came to her mind was coffee. A cup of coffee would clear her head. She grabbed her coat and hexed the door locks behind her. The doo-wap group on the stoop was long gone, and the witch reached Izzy 39 without any trouble.

The coffee shop was empty aside from a small group of stoners giggling in the balcony and one employee cleaning up behind the counter.

"Magic eight-ball with an extra shot," Wanda said to the person behind the counter.

The coffee girl turned around and screamed. "Oh, my god! Wanda, are you okay?" Ania ran around the counter and grabbed Wanda's shoulders. She squinted into Wanda's icy blues. "You aren't possessed or anything?"

The witch brushed off the barista and raised an eyebrow. "Possessed?"

"Rogue thought you might have been possessed by this psycho bitch Malice to get to her, and she came in a couple times looking for you. So did your brother, but he only came in long enough to piss me off and leave. You should probably call them and let them know you aren't possessed, eh?" Ania reached over the counter to grab the house phone.

Wanda took the receiver. "Why was my brother looking for me?"

Ania moved over to the machines and began making Wanda's coffee. "Everyone was looking for you. I woulda put up flyers if everything I drew didn't end up looking like a pig humping an apple."

"Everyone?"

"Rogue, your brother, a grease-monkey with a mullet, and a smelly short guy that hopped. . . Rogue said she had Remy scouring his neighborhood too, but he couldn't go too far without getting in trouble."

Tracing a finger on the tabletop, Wanda tried to be nonchalant. "What about John?"

With a glitter in her eye, Ania placed a steaming mug on the counter. "I can mention his name now, eh? You won't faint or give me the fifth degree?"

Wanda's eyes narrowed. She wanted a simple yes-or-no answer to see John cared enough to look for her, not teasing about her stupid crush. Silently, Wanda put her money and the phone down while picking up her coffee. She turned and walked to the door.

"No you don't!" Ania leapt over the counter, snatching the phone on her way. She scrambled to get between Wanda and the door. Putting her arms out, she said, "You aren't going anywhere until you- Whoa!"

Waving her left hand, Wanda sent Ania sliding out of the way as if she was on ice. "Out of the way, human."

Outside the coffee shop, Wanda halted and looked both ways. Should she go back to the Brotherhood or return to Agatha's and wait? The Brotherhood was full of a bunch of prying, snot-nosed pricks, while Agatha's apartment felt so safe. She had left the house for days without checking in before. What was their problem now? Besides, when she went back, her brother would bother her until he found out where she went, then he would tell Father, and she'd get in trouble for nothing. If her father was going to find out she went against his wishes to find the elder witch, then she was going to at least talk to her.

Back at Agatha's apartment, Wanda noticed that the locks were no longer tripped, and the smell of tea wafted into the hallway. Excited, Wanda burst into the apartment. She was surprised to find Mystique sitting on the couch with Ebony on her lap and a tea cup in hand.

Wanda's mouth opened as fast as she opened the door. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," said the shapeshifter.

Wanda's free hand glowed. "You want to end up a puddle of blue goo, that's fine with me."

Raven smiled, exposing her fangs. "You may be powerful, Scarlet Witch, but you have much to learn before you can best me."

Wanda blinked and found herself wrapped up in the welcome mat with Mystique's boot pinning her to the floor. Wanda wiggled with no avail. "You made your point, now get off me," she hissed.

Raven didn't move. Ebony gracefully jumped over and sat on Wanda's head to play with her earring. "Why are you here?" Raven asked.

"I needed a cup of sugar."

Raven ground her heel a little deeper into her back; Wanda ignored the pain and bit her tongue. "Why?" she repeated.

"I'm making a cake for my sick grandmother."

"He gave you a grandmother on your trip to Rekall, Inc. (3)?"

Wanda craned her neck to look at the woman's face. "What are you blabbering about now, Mystique?"

Raven's voice was cold and demeaning. "You really are a stupid, trusting daughter."

Resuming her fruitless struggling, Wanda spat, "You're the stupid one." The lights flickered once again, and the appliances in the apartment all turned on.

"Stop acting like a child." The radio turned on full volume. Raven did not let up. She spoke over the late-night Mexican hip-hop music. "If you act like an adult, I might consider telling you what you can't figure out on your own."

The lights became steady, and all the appliances were silenced. Raven stepped off the witch, picked up her cooling tea, and sat on the couch with her legs crossed. Picking herself up off the floor, Wanda crossed her arms and glared.

Raven watched her, then sighed. "I suppose that is as grown up as you get."

"Stop the games, Mystique."

"All life is a game. The question is, are you a player or a pawn?"

"Get to the point."

Raven took a sip of her tea. "Kids today are always in a hurry. Everything must be instant. Great things may happen in an instant, but the players had to move all the right pawns into exactly the right places for it to occur."

The witch impatiently shifted her weight. "Is there a secret, or are you just lonely and want someone to talk to?"

"If that were the case, the cat would make a better companion than you."

"Ouch. I'm so insulted."

Raven frowned. "You deserve to have your world flipped upside down. Again." She finished her tea and set the empty cup on the table. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Of course. It was when my father first hired you to train the Brotherhood. You were shorter and wore white."

She scoffed at the story. "His lack of imagination is -" Raven's cell phone vibrated on the coffee table. She glanced at the caller ID and raised an eyebrow. Ignoring Wanda, the shapeshifter picked up the phone and walked into the back bedroom.

Finding herself along, Wanda surveyed the room. The only interesting thing was Ebony sipping up her spilt coffee. With nothing better to do, Wanda leaned up against the wall outside the bedroom door to hear Raven's conversation.

Raven's voice expressed great annoyance. ". . . I thought you said they were interchangeable. . . She doesn't have the knowledge or the experience. . . Those two cannot comprehend what is happening - . . . Who then?" Instantly, her tone changed; the annoyance was replaced with genuine concern. "Tell me. . . Tomorrow? Fine," she said curtly, hanging up the phone. Raven cocked her ear to the doorway. "It's not polite to eavesdrop."

"You answered your cell phone in the middle of a conversation, Ms. Manners," Wanda retorted.

Raven pushed past the witch and practically sprinted to the kitchen. When Wanda caught up, Raven was scribbling an address on a message pad. She ripped off the paper and handed it to the teenager. "Go here tomorrow. They open at ten." She brushed past Wanda again on her way to the front door.

The witch examined the paper. "This is where Agatha's coven meeting was at. Why -"

Shifting forms to something less conspicuous, Raven turned the doorknob. "It's time you started figuring out things for yourself."

Wanda hexed the door shut. "You can't go building up some huge mystery, then give me an address and run off!"

Unnerved, Raven said, "I can and will." Raven shifted into a bat and flew out the open window in the bathroom.

The address Mystique gave her lead Wanda to a small store on the east side called Winding Way. The windows were dim and cluttered, not letting much afternoon light into the shop. Incense wafted out into the street.

Ebony struggled and leapt from Wanda's arms and ran down the alley. Wanda cursed. She knew she shouldn't have brought the cat, but it looked so sad when she left. "Ebony," the witch called and ran after the black cat. At the back of the building Wanda caught sight of a black tail disappearing through a broken window over a dumpster. "Stupid cat," she grumbled and crawled on top of the brown bin. Peering into the window she hissed, "Ebony." Movement in the building caught her eye, and she ducked out of sight.

"Margali is going to email the Seven to help us with our search," said one woman.

"Normal people would call the cops," said another.

"You know, I might do that as well. It's a good possibility they'd send a young, pre-beer belly one to interview us."

"Do you ever think of anything other than your hormones?"

"My dear sister Lorelei, love is my gift. Just because you don't embrace your inherited talents, doesn't mean the rest of us will live a lie."

"Leena, you run around with candles and mix potions for teenage drama queens."

"My name's not Leena anymore, it's Amora (4). I don't know why you're complaining. They put money in your pocket too."

"I believe in alternative medicine and natural health, not this wicca mumbo-jumbo Mom taught you, Leena."

"You've seen it with your own eyes. Get out of denial, girl!"

There was a loud clatter and swearing. "I thought I told you no cats!" Lorelei shouted.

"It's not mine. I have birds, remember."

"Get Sefton on the phone and have her pick up her cat then."

"Margali doesn't have any familiars. Her close-minded husband's allergic."

"Then I'm catching the flea-bag and taking it to the pound." Lorelei growled.

Now Wanda grew nervous. Agatha would never forgive her if she lost her familiar. If she ever came back, anyway. She twisted to look through the broken window.

A platinum blonde leaned against a stack of boxes and flipped her hair. "The nearest no-kill is in Peekskill," she sang, seemingly to herself.

Another woman appeared from behind a stack of crates, similar looking but not as glamorous as the other. She held Ebony like a new father with his first child. "I don't have time for this!" She bit her lip. "It's going to the Humane Society."

"NO!" Wanda exclaimed. She aimed to hex the woman with the cat, but her foot slipped, and she slipped off the dumpster onto the ground. Groaning, she rolled to her knees.

When the back door open, Wanda was quick to her feet. Her hands glowed and the older women froze. "Drop the cat."

The sister's eyes narrowed. "Or what?" they asked simultaneously, then glared at each other.

Instead of replying, Wanda sent a hex bolt at each of them. The one dropped Ebony and fell backward into the open steal door. The cat hid behind the other woman's legs. The platinum one with the cleavage tossed some dust on the ground and mumbled something before the bolt hit. The blue energy dissipated instead of hitting her.

Wanda's face crinkled. "How did you -"

The smell of honeysuckle filled the air. "I'll ask the questions, sweetheart." The blonde took a step forward and stroked Wanda's cheek. The apprentice witch was mesmerized. "Selene is getting pretty desperate to send a little misfit like you after us. What does she want?"

Wanda could not avoid Leena's eyes. "Who?"

Leena's eyes remained locked with Wanda. "If not for Selene, then why are you here, blue eyes?"

Wanda replied without hesitation. "I was looking for Agatha Harkness. Mystique gave me this address."

"Ah, Mystique. I haven't seen her in a while. Why were you looking for Agatha?"

"I need help."

"With what?" Leena sang.

Wanda struggled not to reply but found the truth falling from her lips. "I. . . lost. . .him again. I need to learn how to get back to the Nexis and fix it."

"Nexis?" she exclaimed. "How do you know about the Nexis?"

"I've been there."

Leena scrutinized the girl. "What's your name?"

"Wanda Maximoff."

Leena broke eye contact and hugged Wanda. "You were Agatha's charge! I thought your father brainwashed you into not practicing witchcraft anymore."

Blinking, Wanda came out of her haze. She pushed Leena away from her and hexed the fire escape ladder to wrap around the leggy witch. "What did you do to me?" she growled.

Although she was angry, Leena's voice was soothing. "Calm down. It was just a little truth charm. Love spells are my specialty, though. They take a little more finesse. Now let me out." Ebony settled on the witch's lap.

"Tell me where Agatha is!"

Leena was able to lock eyes with the red witch for a second time. "Let me out and we'll talk over tea. My clothes are getting dirty."

In a trance, Wanda loosened the rungs, but she snapped out of it before Leena was freed. She tightened the rungs. "Stop it!"

"Okay! Okay! I'll knock off the charms if you'll let me up out of the dirt."

Lorelei groaned and rubbed the back of her head. "Ugh, what did you get us into this time, Leena?"

"It's Amora," she snapped. Losing her patience, Leena glared at Wanda. "Are you going to let me out, or what?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Didn't Agatha teach you anything? Familiars have a sixth sense about these things. Your familiar trusts me. You can too."

Wanda eyed Ebony. The cat blinked in reply. She couldn't believe she was trusting the opinion of an animal that could be amused for hours by six inches of string, but she was desperate. "Fine." Wanda released her hex. "But one wrong move, and I'll hex back your original nose."

Leena huffed, and Lorelei snickered as all three entered the backroom of the Winding Way.

After detention, two people were waiting outside: A tall boy with shaggy brown hair and Kurt Wagner. Kurt stood up and waved. "Hi, Rogue. How was detention?"

Rogue popped a hip and raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a question is that?"

The boy with the long hair came up behind the two. "Your name's Rogue?" She nodded, and his eyes narrowed. "You're a mutant, aren't you?"

Rogue glared. "What's it ta you?"

The boy shoved the Goth into the wall. "You mutants have some nerve! What did you do? Mind control the principal? Is this some sort of new human kid hazing?"

Always the peacemaker, Kurt wedged himself between them. "There's no need to hit each other. I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding."

The boy raised his eyebrow. "A misunderstanding? The principal gave me an in-school suspension today because I supposedly left school for lunch with you yesterday and skipped detention. He said changing my eye color didn't fool him."

"Your name's Taylor?" He nodded, and Rogue sheepishly continued, "Ah may have told Kelley that mah boyfriend was you."

Taylor's face grew red. "I'd never date a mutie!"

"Well, Ah'd never date an asshole," she shot back.

Taylor tried to attack Rogue again, but Kurt stood his ground between them. "She didn't mean to get you in trouble. Rogue. . . ." With his expression, he asked her to apologize.

She swallowed her pride and stepped up. "Honesty, Ah didn't mean ta get ya suspended. Is there somethin' Ah can do ta make it up ta ya?"

"How about you step in front of a moving bus? Are all mutants as stupid as you?"

"You're callin' meh stupid? In government yesterday ya said Arnold Schwarzenegger should run for President."

"He should. He'd win."

Stupefied, Kurt joined the argument. "He's Austrian."

"Oh, so you're a mutie-lover and a bigot."

Rogue pushed Kurt aside and poked Taylor in the chest. "If Ah fight ya, will ya shut ya moronic trap?"

Grabbing her arm, Kurt yanked her back. "No, Rogue. It's not the way."

She took off one glove. "Why not? It's not like they'll be any blood. One tap and he's down."

They looked up and Taylor was charging them. Kurt pulled them into the men's bathroom and teleported them back to the mansion.

Rogue ripped her arm from Kurt's grasp. "What'd ya do that for?" She fanned the sulfur air.

"You were acting crazy. Fighting him wouldn't solve anything, and it would only get you into more trouble."

"So we run away? That'll solve the problem."

"You were really going to absorb that boy because he pissed you off?"

"It'd shut him up."

"He already had one excuse to hate us, and you were going to give him another."

Rogue grew quiet. "Didn't think about it that way." She cocked her head and looked Kurt in the eye. "Will they ever stop hating us?"

Kurt put his hands on Rogue's shoulders. "Only if we keep loving them."

"Mah god. Ya sound like a bad Sunday morning cartoon."

"It almost made me vomit," said an unfamiliar voice. The pair looked around the room. They were in the rec room with Scott, Jean, Kitty, and a guy that looked like a crystal figurine.

"Uh, Rogue, Kurt, this is Armel. Armel, this is Kurt and Rogue."

Armel took Kurt's hand and reached for Rogue's. She jerked it back. "Nothin' personal." Slipping on her glove, she asked, "What's your story?"

Kitty popped in, before he could say a word. "He's, like, Scott's gay friend. He got in some trouble, so he's going to stay with us for awhile."

"Thank ya, Kitty, but Ah was askin' Armel here." She nodded to the new guy.

Kitty shrunk back into the couch. "Sorry."

Armel sat on the couch and patted Kitty's knee. "It was probably more interesting coming from you, anyway. I'm not a good story teller."

Rogue cocked her head and squinted at the new addition. "Do Ah know ya from somewhere?"

Armel snorted. "Do you need your eyes checked? If you can't tell, I kind of have an unforgettable face."

"Right, sorry. What kinda trouble were you in?"

"Nothing I want to talk about." He turned up his nose to the Goth.

Scott nodded at Rogue. "It's okay, Armel. Rogue actually had a similar experience."

Rogue stared at him wide-eyed. "You were in the magazine."

"You read MZ? Than that means you . . ." His cynical demeanor changed, and he launched a hug at her.

Rogue saw it coming and sidestepped him. "What are ya doin'?! Don't touch meh!"

Stepping between a hurt Armel and a defensive Rogue, Scott explained, "It's all right, Rogue. He got tricked into working for Essex, just like you almost did. He was working off his debt in public relations, and Essex tried to get him into the recruitment sector. He had only met Scrambler, Malice, Vertigo, and Wisdom. After he realized what was going on, he tried to quit. He's going to stay with us until it blows over."

Rogue backed away to the door. "And ya trust him?! Did you read his mind?"

"You know we don't work like that, Rogue," Jean exclaimed.

Scott stepped forward. "Wisdom and Scrambler were after him when we found him."

"It coulda been staged."

"Excuse me?" Armel sassed. "I do not get my jollies from being chased around the city by two crazies, thank you very much."

"Why were ya runnin' around Bayville? Why didn't ya stay in the city?"

"I've heard stories." Armel scanned the room to make sure he had everyone's attention. "You can't just runaway from Genesis Medical. You have to get protection. When I tried to recruit Scott he told me all about the school (5). I thought I could have sanctuary for a while. I didn't realize this place was full of uptight homophobes."

"Ah'm not a homophobe. Ah suck the life and memories outta people Ah touch. Pardon meh for preferring ya ta be conscious." Rogue tapped her chin. "Course, then Ah'd know whether ya were tellin' the truth."

Fed up with defending himself, Armel held up his hand. "Do you prefer to kiss my hand or my ass?"

Rogue glared as she pulled her fingers out of her glove. Scott knocked Armel's hand away. "You don't have to do this."

Armel raised his hand again. "Oh, I will, if it'll shut her up."

Scott bowed back. All eyes were on Rogue. She felt exposed, as if everyone considered her the enemy in this. She looked at the talking figurine with his bare hand stretched toward her. His hand looked so delicate. Her eyes wandered up to his face. There was no fear in his eyes, only annoyance. He could be telling the truth. Or he could be a really good actor.

If she touched him, she'd know, but she'd also lose the respect she was trying to win back from her teammates. If she couldn't trust the other's judgment in him, then why should they trust her?

Then she saw the loophole. Hiding her excitement, Rogue pulled her glove back on. "Forget it," she huffed and left the room.

Kitty followed her. "Why didn't you touch him?"

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Ya wanted meh to?"

Hurrying to walk at Rogue's side, Kitty talked out of the side of her mouth. "He kinda gives me the creeps."

"Ah was told Kurt did too when ya first got here."

"That's the thing! I don't know if it was just me being shallow or genuine creepiness. I think Jean is kind of suspicious of him, too."

"Well, Ah'm not gonna touch a possible psycho for ya ta figure out how shallow ya really are."

"But that's totally what friends are for!"

They turned down a carpeted hallway. "How 'bout Ah tell ya what Ah find out from Arclight's memories?"

"You're going to see the Professor?"

They stopped in front of a set of double doors. "Ah'm here, aren't Ah?"

The valley girl squealed. "I'm so proud of you!"

The Goth blushed in spite of herself. "Yeah, yeah." She leaned into the doors. They only opened an inch when they were enveloped in a blue glow, and Rogue flew across the hallway.

"Rogue!" Kitty ran to her friend. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Rogue sat up and rubbed her head. "What was that?"

They both looked at the doors to the Professor's office that looked completely normal now. Soon the Professor's voice rang in their heads. I'm sorry, ladies. I'm with. . . an appointment. I'll be glad to meet with you later this evening.

"Uh, so now what?" Kitty asked.

"Something's up. Try walkin' through the wall," Rogue ordered.

Kitty fiddled with her hands. "I don't know. I don't want to disturb him. He said he'd meet with you later."

"Ya were gettin' the creeps around the livin' chandelier, but the Professor blockin' us out of his office is fine and dandy?"

The brunette took a deep breath. "Okay." She stood and walked toward the wall. Placing her hand on the wood paneling, Kitty pushed. Nothing happened.

"I can't get in."

Suddenly, the doors that had rejected Rogue moments earlier, burst open. Professor Xavier rolled out. "I appreciate your concern, but my appointment requests the utmost privacy."

"But Professor, Ah'm ready ta go inta Arclight's memories."

The Professor's forehead creased. "I hate to say this, but I can't meet with you right now, Rogue. Come back later this evening."

"Ya said anytime."

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I know, but I can't meet right now."

"What's goin' on? Who's in there?" Rogue pushed past the Professor, but before she could look in, her mind shut off. She stood in a trance. The Professor turned to Kitty and did the same to her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

A minute later, Professor Xavier parked inside his office door. With a pained face, he heard two of his students pass by.

"You're going to see the Professor?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah, but not 'til later tonight," answered Rogue.

The valley girl squealed. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Did you hear anything 'bout Wanda yet?"

"Ania called. She said Wanda stopped by during her graveyard shift last night. She didn't think she was, like, possessed or anything, but Wanda wouldn't call anyone. She got really cranky when Ania teased her about John."

"What made her think she could tease her?" Rogue mumbled. "Ah should go ta Izzy's and see if she comes back. Ya mind comin' with meh?"

As their voices faded, the Professor turned to his guest. "I didn't appreciate having to alter their memories. Perhaps now you can tell me why you are here."

Clutching a black cat to her chest, the young witch glared. "Desperation."

A rubber ball bounded back and forth in the basement of Xavier's School for the Gifted. Rogue grunted and smacked the ball back to the wall. Scott ran across the room to hit the ball on the bounce. Rogue pulled a fancy move and ran up the wall to put a good angle on it. Scott tried a fancy move of his own, but instead ended up flat on his stomach.

He tried to make his defeat look a little more graceful by quickly moving to a sitting position. "Whoo, you whooped me good. Thanks for playing with me. I wasn't sure you would after what's happened the last few days."

Rogue smiled and extended a hand to help him up. When Scott had asked her to play racquetball with him she was surprised and excited. She didn't think she would regain Scott's friendship until she broke up with Remy.

"Want a rematch tomorrow night?" she asked. While Rogue and Kitty staked out Izzy's, Remy had called and left a message with Amara: Magneto was putting a lockdown on the boys until the business with Mesmero was finished. He couldn't count on Piotr to cover for him or go with him, so there was no way he could come to the concert tomorrow night.

At least the Wanda stakeout wasn't a bust. The witch popped in for two seconds with a cat, grumbled something about Rogue minding her own business and took off again. She and Kitty drove by the Brotherhood on their way back to the Institute. They had planned on stopping, but seeing Pietro stuck up the neighbor's flag pole by his underwear told them that Wanda had already been there.

Scott walked toward his gear. "Tomorrow? Uh, sorry, it's the concert."

Rogue kept a fake smile on her face to cover up her disappointment: She was going to be all alone Friday night. Maybe Logan would let her try the new danger room program. "Oh, right." She turned and put a lock of hair behind her ear. "So, are ya goin' with anyone?" It wouldn't be as fun to go with Scott, but it would be better than helping Mr. McCoy study for his exams.

As he packed up his gym bag, Scott glanced at Rogue out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, with, um, Jean. How 'bout you? Do you and Gambit have any plans?"

Rogue played with the frame on her racket. "Nah, Remy's hangin' out with the guys, and Ah'm not really a fan of the Descanso Rivets." Rogue left it at that, knowing that mentioning Remy's real situation would only ruin what she was trying to rebuild.

Scott whipped the zipper of his bag closed, and raced to the door. "We'll play next week then?"

Rogue was put off by Scott's hurried departure. The fake smile came out again. "Sure, next week." When Scott was two steps down the hallway, Rogue called, "Storm put ya up ta this, didn't she?"

Scott turned around and set down his bag. "I wouldn't have asked you to play if I didn't want to."

The goth looked at the floor, letting her bangs fall in her face. "Sure."

"You should give Armel a chance."

Rogue looked him in the eye. "Like you're givin' meh a chance?"

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm trying. Please try with Armel too. You have a lot in common. I'm sure he would appreciate talking to someone who knew what he went through."

Rogue looked at the wall. "Maybe."

Satisfied with her response, Scott took off, and Rogue gently closed the door.

It was funny how things work out. She lost the X-Men's trust and had to win it back by befriending a possible psycho. Scott and Jean were back together, and she might as well be single again with Remy under house arrest. Why were she and Remy together again? They couldn't touch like Jean and Scott, and now they couldn't even spend time together. Jealousy crept into Rogue.

Unbidden, memories of Jean and Scott blasted her head. Rogue slid to the floor in pain. Memories had never attacked her like that before. She swallowed hard and breathed deeply. They were gone as quickly as they had come.

This is probably a side-affect from Essex's treatment. Rogue's blood began to boil at the thought of him. How dare he play God with her life? He didn't even think about how the treatments would affect her mind. Rogue growled and grabbed her racket and the ball. She pretended the ball was his little head as she beat it into the wall over and over again, like she brought the table leg down on his body (6). With each strike she felt stronger and stronger.

Instead of the ball bouncing back, it busted through the wall. Rogue was bombarded with another set of memories. This time they were Arclight's, then Freddy's. She threw the racket and it lodged itself next to the ball. It took longer this time for Rogue to push back his memories of Scalphunter and Fred's experience at Area 51.

Rogue opened her eyes one at a time. She was lying on the floor of the racquetball room. "Ah… ah just need some sleep," she said out loud. Rogue gathered up her own gym bag. "It's been a long and crazy day, and a good night's sleep will do meh good. Tomorrow Ah'll suffer through school and spend the night with a good book and everythin' will be fine." She glanced up at the racket sticking out of the wall and ran from the room, completely forgetting about her session with Xavier.

A limo drove through the deteriorating neighborhood next to the old factories. It stopped outside a brick townhouse with a blonde cat sitting out front. The back window rolled down, and the cat ran down the steps and leapt into the backseat of the car. The car drove away.

The cat turned in a circle and sat down next to Irene Adler. Soon the cat was no longer a cat, but the shape-shifter Mystique. "I'm here. Now tell me, Destiny, what is so important?"

The blind woman was not surprised at Raven's hostility, but she was disappointed. Raven blamed her for losing Rogue to the X-Men, and since then their correspondence had been short, cold, and business only. It was true that Irene did nothing to stop Rogue from defecting, but Raven was also responsible for the choices she made. In the big picture, it was for the best, but Raven was too emotional over the matter to listen to reason.

Equally cold, Irene answered, "I've come to warn you, Mystique. I've had disturbing visions about Rogue."

"Explain." Raven's voice was emotionless, but Irene knew she had her undivided attention.

"It's always been clear that she will somehow play a key role in our future. But now, it all goes dim."

"Why?"

"Because she may not live long enough to fulfill it."

Without hesitation, Raven asked, "What do I need to do?"

The limo dropped Irene off at her hotel. She drew out her cane and walked up the steps. There was a shuffle to her left. She froze. Is it starting already? "Hello? Who's there?"

A deep, scratchy voice said "An old friend." The man stepped forward.

Irene raised an eyebrow. "'Friend' is a stretch, Nathaniel."

"Did you speak to Raven?"

"I did." Irene continued up the steps. She heard a doorman push open the outer door for her.

"Will she do it?"

"Oh, you meant to ask me, 'Did you tell her what I wanted you to?' Then no."

Irene sensed that Nathaniel meant to grab her arm, but the doorman stood up straighter. Irene figured he must be a brute.

"Stupid woman," he hissed.

Turning her head over her shoulder, Irene replied, "Perhaps, but can a smart man like you see the future?" Irene turned the rest of her body to him while remaining in the safety of the hotel's entryway. "Although Raven and I are not currently on the best terms, we are still friends. I will not manipulate her for your pet projects. I have my own interests in this." With that, she disappeared into the depths of the hotel, leaving a scowling Dr. Nathaniel Essex on the cold street.

(1)A real book. I've never read it, but it sounded funny on Barnes & Noble. Right now I'm reading Pirates! in an Adventure with the Communists by Defoe, bound to be a literary classic in the pirate adventure genre.

(2)Wanda tried to summon Agatha in November Rain: Chapter 25 to help her get back to the Nexis to "fix things" after John left.

(3)In the movie Total Recall, Rekall, Inc. is a company that gives people memories, usually virtual vacations.

(4)These two characters are based on the Asgardian sisters Lorelei and Amora aka Enchantress from the comics. Leena Moran was one of Amora's aliases.

(5) Armel/Prism tried to recruit Scott in November Rain: Chapter 13.

(6)Rogue, fueled by Arclight's hatred, tried to beat Dr. Essex to death in November Rain: Chapter 28.

Next up: "Self Possessed"