Title: My Powers, My Life
Summary: Sequel to "Generation X". Abby deals with her parents, her powers, life as a mutant, and just life in general. All the trials and tribulations of life through her eyes.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-Men characters, yadda, yadda, yadda.
~Chapter 10~
"Scott, I understand your urgency in the matter," Professor X stated, folding his hands gently on his lap, "but we mustn't rush into anything."
"I know Professor," Scott replied pacing nervously. "It's just that my nerves are wearing thin. Every second she's out there, alone…it just kills me."
"I know how you feel, but we must look thoroughly into every possible option." The Professor sat with an icy calm exterior watching one of his first students in such a state of anxiety. "How is Jean?" he asked, deciding that maybe taking Cyclops's mind off the matter at hand was best.
"She's awake, finally. Hank's brought her up to our room." As he talked, Scott dropped into a chair that sat opposite the Professor's grand desk.
"You should be with her," the older man suggested. "She needs you now. The others and I will continue to work on the matter at hand. We'll alert you when we've found any solid evidence."
"Thank you Professor." With a nod, Scott pulled himself from his chair and left the Professor's office.
"When will you learn, Eric?" Xavier whispered before setting to work.
~X~
Scott wandered the halls of the Institute in a dream-like aura. Everything seemed wrong; out of place somehow. A group of students rushed passed him on their way to the dining room. Checking his watch, Scott was astonished to find that it was nearly half past seven.
'I've been up all night and I'm not even tired,' he mused. Running his hand along his face, Scott noticed a fresh growth of facial hair. 'I could use a shave,' he thought idly, 'but there's no time for that.'
Turning the brass doorknob carefully, Scott pushed his bedroom door open. Light from the hallway was thrown through the crack and landed across the solemn face of Jean. Stepping over the threshold and closing the door softly behind him, Scott took in the subtle differences of the room; the curtains had been pulled shut over the balcony door. 'Hank must have done that so Jean wouldn't be disturbed by the morning sun.'
Everything seemed darker today, gloomier in some way. The shadows drifted around the room running their ghostly fingers over every surface. The air seemed cooler, like the icy breath of death. He knew it was only his imagination hard at work, probably edged on by his lack of sleep, but Scott could swear that the world seemed different.
"Jean? Are you awake?" Scott asked in a whisper.
"I should have known," came her answer.
Scott sighed heavily. "Jean there was no way you could have known. No one knew what was happening." He closed the gap between them as he spoke.
"But I'm telepathic," she argued, "I should have been able to hear her. She must have screamed, if not audibly then in her mind. She must have cried out when they—they—".
Lowering himself onto the bed next to his wife, Scott wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body against his. Jean hid her face against his shirt and immediately the sobs started.
"Jean you have to believe that she's okay. And you have to stop blaming yourself; there's nothing anyone could have done." Scott rubbed her shoulders tenderly.
"If you want me to believe it," Jean said sitting back in the bed, "you should start by believing it yourself." Scott was taken back by the underlying harshness in her tone. Although he tried to tell himself it was no one's fault, deep in his subconscious Scott blamed himself. He was the father, the patriarch; it was his responsibility to look out for his family.
'She's in so much pain and I can't do anything to help her,' he thought angrily.
"Promise me something Scott," Jean whispered. Her voice was meek, but it sounded loud in the silent room.
"Anything," Scott answered.
"Promise me that we'll find her."
"I promise, Jean. We'll find her—somehow."
~X~
Abby was feeling so many emotions she was confused with them all. She was tired, hungry, scared, and angry—just to name a few. The man who had visited her hadn't been back since, neither had anyone else. Pulling her legs to her chest, Abby hugged them close and rested her chin on the top. The metal cuffs around her wrists clanked together. After the first time Magneto had visited her, the chain connecting the cuffs had fallen to the floor, but the bracelets themselves stayed intact.
'I just have to stay calm,' she told herself mentally. 'The X-Men will be here soon. Everything's going to be okay.' Try as she may, Abby couldn't stop the creeping feeling this place gave her. Burying her head in against her raised legs, she fought the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. The feel of the dress material against her cheeks felt wonderful. 'I wish I never would have followed Adam. I wish I were back at home, with mom and dad and the Professor.' A single tear slid its way down Abby's cheek and dripped onto the soft fabric of her dress.
"Now, now. There'll be no crying. What would your father say?"
Abby's head shot up at the sound. "What do you want?" she asked, voice shaking.
"I think it's time that we begin your training," Magneto smiled.
"Training?" Abby wondered aloud.
"You'll need to change into these," he suggested, tossing a gray bundle at the girl. Turning on his heel, Eric left the small room without another word.
Wiping her eyes, Abby held the gray mass away from her as if it were a bomb. 'What is he talking about training?' she wondered. Unrolling the bundle, she discovered it to be a plain gray jump suit with a zipper down the front. "I hafta wear this?" Abby asked aloud.
"Would you rather have it in green?" a female voice asked.
Abby looked to the doorway and the anger inside her flared. There stood the woman that was responsible for all of this. Her entire body covered with blue scales, and her eyes shone a brilliant yellow. She reminded Abby of a fish she'd once seen on a science video.
"You," Abby cried. In pure anger she leaped off the cot and rushed the door. She didn't even make it through the doorway before she was stopped, as if caught in some type of net. The little girl looked around the room confused at why she wasn't moving.
"It's the cuffs," Mystique told her. "Magneto put a magnetic field around this door. You'll only leave this room when he wants you to."
Abby looked down at her cuffs in disbelief. 'This guy must be really strong,' she thought.
"Get dressed," Mystique ordered. "I'm supposed to bring you to him for some training."
"What kind of training?" Abby asked. She was too scared to move, and too scared to take an eye off of the blue lady.
"Get dressed and you'll find out."
~X~
The X-Men were gathered in the common room, suited for battle, and awaiting instructions. Everyone had been on edge since Abby had gone missing. Classes continued as usual, so as not to alert the children to anything. Rogue covered both of Jean's classes; she used the excuse that Mrs. Summers had come down with the flu. Scott fought his way through his classes, trying desperately to focus on the subject at hand.
The Professor had been using Cerebro more often than not. He thought he'd found a lead with a mutant marking that resembled one of Eric's associates. The mutant was in a small town outside of Cincinnati. Xavier had told the team to assemble and was now meeting with them in the common room.
"I've found a lead on a mutant in Ohio," he told the group. "The team will go. Storm, I'm going to ask you to stay with Jean. She'd still very fragile and I think you would be good for her."
"Sure thing Professor," Ororo nodded.
"The rest of you will continue to the coordinates I've given you. Do not exude great force on the mutant. Contain him and bring him back to the mansion. I will do the interrogating. Good Luck."
"Bobby, Rogue, ready the jet. Hank, Kurt check the computers and input the coordinates." Scott, being the leader, gave everyone their orders and the team dispatched.
"Logan, can I talk to you?" Scott asked pulling the other man to the side.
Wolverine was puzzled by the request. Very rarely did Cyke treat him as anything more than a member of the team—his team.
"What d'ya need?" Logan asked.
"Look, I know we've never been the greatest of friends. But I have to tell you that I respect you as a member of the X-Men and I want to ask you something."
Scott actually looked nervous; that was something Logan had never seen before. "Anything."
"It's my little girl we're looking for. Find her." Without waiting for an answer, Scott turned and followed the direction in which the rest of the X-Men had disappeared.
There you have it. That's my next chapter. Took a me a while but I finally got it done. You know the drill, but just in case you forgot I'll remind you: Review=more chapters!!