Chapter 9: Fighting the Demon Inside

Laura looked at Illyana screamed as a monster with horns that looked half-human yanked her away.

Laura was made by men, demons did not exist, maybe he was a mutant, she thought as she ran after them. The beast was fast and for him climbing rocks and jumping seemed effortless. Laura got mad she felt she wouldn't be able to reach them and she had never failed before she wasn't going to start now. She lounged herself at the beast.

None of her blows affected him so instead he put Illyana down and took Laura by the neck.

"Let me look into your soul," the creatures eyes were horrible, but all Laura could think was she had to get the girl out.

"You're pathetic," he threw Laura to the ground hard, "you have no soul, you are not human, just a pathetic experiment gone wrong."

"Leave her alone!" Wolverine and the rest of the x-men arrived ready to fight.

"Well I'll make you a deal, I'll spare this creature," he pointed to Laura, "and I get to take the girl."

Piotr held Illyana on tight, she cried, "or third option is I kill you all and take the girl."

"How about you leave and leave them both alone bub, if you haven't notice there is more of us and one of you."

"Oh you pathetic human, how ignorant you are, I am Belasco, mighty and powerful, and there can be thousands of you and I still win."

"What do you want from me," Illyana yelled, "leave me alone!"

"Never, I can give you everything, you'll be my queen, and together we will take over Limbo, and control the universe."

"Limbo, bub you really must be on something."

"Look around you, were do you think you are?"

"Grrr, enough!" wolverine slashed at Belasco but it was almost pointless.

The other man except for Laura and Illyana all attacked Belasco but it was pointless.

"Stop, stop I'll do it I'll stay, let everyone go."

"No, Illyana I will not leave you."

"petite you too small to make decisions on ya' own."

"Please leave them alone." Illyana went towards Belasco, and held his hand.

"I'll be ok Piotr." Everyone just watched as they disappeared.

"Illyana, Illyana, we have to find her!" Piotr looked around for possible places they could have gone or be but nothing.

"Oh no time is running out," Kurt looks at his watch, "everyone hold hands."

"No I must find Illyana," Piotr tried to leave but Cyclops held on to him, "What are you doing let me go."

"No she is gone, we could try again but first we have to get back, some of us are hurt."

Piotr went to them and they returned. When the professor did not see Illyana he did not bother to ask more, but wolverine told him everything.

"She is gone Chuck and what's worst is we all watched as he took her."

"He was right though it would have been her or all of them."

"But she is just a child, Chuck, a child and he took her there in Limbo, for who knows what."

"I'm afraid there is not much we can do, we should get everyone ready to search for Jean and let us hope that this time we can have some luck."

"Better 'cus kids ain't gana be too happy if we don't."

XxXxX

Laura walked in her room, she was angry with herself, she had failed in her mission, the one time she decided to save someone on her own, and she failed.

Rogue and Kitty came in silently no one wanted to discuss what had happened.

"Poor Pete, if I like had a sister I would die if anything happened to her."

"Yeah, poo' guy he must be beating himself over it."

"We need to go back and save her." Kitty and Rogue stared at Laura amazed at what she said.

"I agree wit you sugah but if we keep doing dat then we make rips in the walls and more of them scary beast come out like last time."

"But we failed, we need to complete our mission," this was upsetting Laura that they were refusing to go.

She left the room; Jaime was in the hallway with Bobby, Jubilee and Sam.

"Oh hey Laura, you wana go do something." Jaime turned away he was so shy around her, but Laura was in no mood for anything so she shook her head and left.

Jaime went after her, "hey wait up."

"I do not feel like doing anything Jaime."

"I know, but it must have been hard for you, what happened and when things get bad sometimes you just need a time-out."

"Time-out?" Laura had never heard anyone tell her that before.

"Yeah a break, just to relax and have fun, like play or something."

"I do not think playing is something we should be doing at this moment."

"C'mon, just for a while, it will be great I promise." Jaime took Laura's hand and dragged her outside.

Some of the other students were there, Charles did not want them to freak out so he had sent Hank to give them a lesson, in other words to play.

The rest of the other members were sent to train, this time Warren and Betsy joined them as well as Bobby.

Wolverine put on the hardest lesson Forge had designed. Piotr was the first to fight and he and Logan were the last that remained.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Sarah watched her family from a computer as she prepared her speech. She knew Laura would see her and come looking for them but what she did not know was if her family would be ok.

She failed she was not able to protect Laura or her family and all for her ambition in genetics, now a little girl who knew no kindness would die or would spend a lifetime killing being hurt and traumatized.

"Are you ready you're up in five minutes," Kimura said with a smile on her face.

"You are a monster Kimura."

"Aw you're hurting my feelings ha ha ha ha, do you know what I am going to do to that little runt when I get my hands on her?"

"Nothing bad, remembers we want her alive so we can fix her," Rice said as he came from behind Sarah, "you're up."

Sarah looked at her speech, she remembered when she first began to work for H.Y.D.R.A. she was so young and ambitious but now, the one person she could call her own she would bring her more harm than she ever did.

She had tried so hard to protect Laura and in the end, she failed. She stared at the cameras and the people as cameras flashed, before this was all she could dream of.

Her speech was on cloning, she mentioned many of the things she worked on. Her heart ached as she spoke.

That's all Laura is to them, an animal, an object for the use of others.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

The students went to go eat, although many were not hungry especially the staff and older students Charles ordered food sating that they had to eat for their own sake.

Logan turned the TV on hoping the students would get distracted, he decided to put on channel they would like but the news channel caught his attention.

"And now we go live with Dr. Risman, scientist who after several years has been able to successfully clone a person."

"Yes thank you, the process of cloning is very complicated, but after several failed attempts, we were able to succeed."

"Tell us about the experiment, is it a complete human or is it partial or what," the news reporter asked.

"It is a complete human, sh-there is actually several we had one successful and it is still in progress, but have started on more in hopes of finding new ways to clone human tissue of different sorts." Sarah sighed, she wanted the ground to eat her alive, but she turned and saw the men in H.Y.D.R.A. and realized she was already in hell.

Logan watched in disgust, how could they have gone public, and why was Sarah back with H.Y.D.R.A.? He looked at Laura who watched emotionless at the TV.

The students all turned to Laura, she got up and left, Logan followed her.

"Ain't nothing you can do 'bout it, it was her decision."

"No, I don't think she would go back to them, she went through so much trouble for me to get away as well as her."

"If you go, you'll walk into a trap."

"I have to she is my mother." Laura sat on her bed and started to cry, she never cared if she did not get to see Sarah again but knowing she existed was good enough for her.

Logan went to her side, "life's full of choices we have to make, she made some bad ones and in the end she tried to fix them, she wanted you to have a normal life, if you go for her all that would be a waste."

"And let her die, do you have any idea what they will do with her! I have to go for her, I have to find her!" she cried harder.

"Look I tell you what, you stay here go to school help look for Jean and I will look for Sarah."

"If you look for her than they will capture you, and then I will be alone."

"No I'm not gana literally go search for her, I'm sending someone else."

"Who?"

"Nick Fury, the man who was supposed to be watching her,"

"Why would you send someone who has already failed you?"

"Because in life everyone gets second chances, this is his."

"Fine I will stay but if he fails I leave."

"It's a deal kid." Logan took his hand out and Laura shook it. They went down stairs to eat.

"I am glad you have come to an agreement, and Laura thank you for choosing to stay," Charles said, Laura nodded and went to sit next to Jaime and Tabitha as they talked about their lesson with Mr. McCoy.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Julian sat on the rooftop, he was so angry and confused, Sofia was right it was wrong of him to bug Laura but he could not help it something just made him do it.

"Great, just great," he used his power to pick a rock and then threw it as far as he could.

"You know if Miss Frost catches you up here you will get grounded." Cessily stood behind him, her silver skin shined from the sun.

"Oh hey, Cess, I kind of want to be alone right now."

"Right, of course I just thought we could talk about your little crush."

"Crush? I don't have a crush and that clone freak."

"I was talking about Nori, but seeing on how you mentioned her let's keep going."

"Ahhhhh Nori, are you crazy!" Cessily looked at Julian and laughed, he got mad but then laughed too.

"Well do you want to tell me what is wrong?"

"Sofia, she's mad at me again, I can never do anything right, and we failed."

"Well about us failing, first of all there was more of them, second of all none of us got hurt, third as soon as you could you took us out and that is what a team leader does, he looks out for others.

"Thanks."

"As for Sofia, well I can't tell you much, I'm not good with relationships, but I will tell you something, every girl wants to feel special, and going on messing with other girls is not the way."

"Thanks Cess what would I be without you."

"Nothing, be the same jerk as always," Cess began to laugh.

"Hey that is not cool." And they started to push each other around as they went back inside.

XxXxX

Sofia laid on her bed, she watched the ceiling, she was mad but Emma was right, she had to control her anger issues, besides it's not like that freak had a chance with Julian. Someone knocked on her door and she got up to open it.

"Hey, Sofia, can I come in," Julian stood there not looking at her.

"Fine but if Miss Frost finds out I'm blaming you."

"Sure, look I wanted to say I'm sorry, Sofia I love you, and that girl and what happen don't matter you do, please I'm sorry let's just put it behind is."

"Julian, I can't just turn the other way for you all the time, if you want to be with me and if you love it then prove it because each time I keep thinking you just don't care."

"I'll do anything please I love you Sofia."

"Alright but this is your last chance," Sofia got close to Julian and hugged him, "I love you." They kissed, Julian loved Sofia he wouldn't screw this chance.