Chapter 12
Robin sat alone in a metal room strapped to a chair. She didn't struggle, nor did she move. She simply waited on Magneto to enter the room. When he did come in he had an old lady with him that fit the exact description her uncle always spoke of. This was the witch that ruined her childhood.
"It is her." The old woman said when she saw Robin.
"After all these years, I finally have her." Magneto smiled, "It took longer than I thought that dumb uncle of hers would to put her out. To think he went through all the trouble of having her adopted. Why didn't he just rid himself of you, my dear?" he now spoke to Robin.
Robin held back her hurt and anger. One day, she would release it on him but for now, it would be smart to simmer and let him feel as if she was on his side. One day she would have revenge on him for ruining her childhood.
"Let's get you a new identity. Robin is such a plain and unimaginative name and your appearance is rather blasé for your extraordinary power. We must re-invent you."
Robin admitted that the outfit Master Magneto was putting her into was rather sexy. She wondered if it was a strategy to distract their enemies. She liked it though.
The costume was shiny bluish-silver and tightly fitting. It consisted of a dress with a hole at her bosom and her navel connected to a little cut off above her mid thigh with boots that went up to her knees with a long cape in a bluish colour which is what her outfit shone. She wore a warrior looking silver helmet which came down the sides of her face and allowed one to only see her face while a bang was swept over her left eye and coloured the bluish-silver the rest of her costume was.
"Your new name is Sparks and only Sparks. Your one duty and mission in life is to serve me and your one aim is whatever my aim is at the moment. Is that clear, Sparks?"
"Crystal." said Sparks who knelt before him.
"Good." He smiled, "Now it is time to meet your partner."
There was a quick flash of silver and Pietro soon stood by his father's side. His eyes widened at Robin who knelt before his father. His eyes nearly fell out of his head when she stood and he could see her entire ensemble. He was speechless. She was gorgeous. They were both shocked.
"Son, meet Sparks, your new partner. As you both control the Brotherhood house, I can expect your relationship to become intimate but if you should be a couple, if there is any show of weakness, I will snuff it out. I'm your Master and my word is law. No hesitation if I should tell either of you to kill the other. Make the Brotherhood into something." Magneto instructed, "Perhaps they will be of use to us during the war."
War? What war? Robin wondered to herself.
"Won't the X-Men try to take me back if I attend Bayville High?" Sparks asked.
"They will but you are mine now and so they are your enemies. Treat them as such." He said.
Sparks bowed one more time and headed towards the door. Magneto asked Quicksilver to stay back with him.
"I'm sure that Xavier will want her back but he won't force her so just make sure she stays in love with you and stays with the Brotherhood. If it becomes exceedingly difficult for her, this will solve the problem." Magneto pulled a bluish-silver choker out of his pocket and gave it to Quicksilver, "It will help her feel more comfortable with her new identity."
Pietro eyed the device suspiciously. He hoped it wouldn't hurt her. Magneto dismissed him and so he was gone in a moment.
Sparks made herself at home in Mystique's former room. It was large, spacious but occupied.
"Who are you?" she asked the blonde.
"I'd ask the same thing."
"Out of my room," Sparks told her with a serious expression on her face.
"Your room?"
Sparks sent a bolt of lightning right at her and she grabbed her things and started heading out of the house, "I know when I'm no longer welcome." She left and Fred was asking where she was going.
"Bye Fred." She said pinching his cheek.
"Bye Tabitha." Fred replied.
As Sparks lay on her bed, she stared up into the dark thinking about all her friends at the X-Mansion. She loved them, that's why she had to stay with Magneto. She knew they could possibly manage Magneto if they all worked together but they would no doubt get hurt in the process. It was best they just forgot her. She would be happy once she had Pietro… she hoped. Another thing that scared her was the thought of killing him. How on earth could Magneto expect her to do that? She had to act completely faithful and maybe even forget her friends to make her act completely believable. So one by one she thought of her friends.
Scott. Rogue. Evan. Storm. Jamie. Beast. Amara. Kitty. Ray. Kurt…and one by one, she let them go. She had to.
There was a knock on the door. She wiped the tears she hadn't noticed were there, away. She took a look in the mirror before announcing that whoever it was could enter.
She found herself sitting on the ground in between Pietro's extended legs with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He moved so fast. The door was closed and they sat in the dark.
"How is it?" he asked.
"What?"
"The change in personality and everything – meeting my father…"
Sparks shook her head and leaned into him, "I hate it; but I have no choice but to do it."
The next day, Sparks felt definitely ready to face all her friends at school. She stepped into class early that morning. She knew that Kurt was the only x-man in her French class and was exceedingly greatful. She was heading for the seat next to him when she caught a glimpse of bluish-silver hair. She was Sparks now.
She sat at the back of the classroom in a corner by herself. How was she going to convince everyone she just looked like Robin?
"Robin!" Kurt said joyously wrapping her into a tight hug.
"Uh – do I know you?"
He laughed – a sound she missed greatly, "You are a silly one, Robin. Did vew tink that new hair colour would fool me? I know vew better zan zat."
Sparks' heart broke as she pushed him away, "Listen, kid, I don't know who you are."
"Robin, it's me – Kurt."
"My name is Sparks." She remembered Magneto's face – he'd kill them if she didn't follow orders. Logan, Storm and the Professor could probably handle him but who could tell if they'd make it in time? Magneto could pop out of no-where and send a sheet of metal flying and end Kurt's life right there if she admitted who she was.
"Robin – is zis some kind of joke?" he smiled quizzically at her.
"You tell me, freak..." she whispered sitting down and burying her head in her bag looking for God knows what.
She took a few deep breaths. She couldn't do this. She knew she couldn't. When she looked up, Kurt was already far from her and their teacher had entered the classroom. She had to wait till class was over.
As they all flooded out of the classroom, she saw Pietro waiting in the distance and knew she couldn't talk to Kurt without him seeing so she whispered, just loud enough for Kurt to hear...
"Help me." Then she turned and walked to Pietro
Had Kurt really heard what he did? He turned to look for her – it was Robin. He had given up hope when she'd called him a freak but it was her. She wanted help. She was already down the hall and beside Pietro.
"Jean!" he called when he saw her up the hall, "I think I've found Robin."
"So?" Kurt asked as he stood over Professor Xavier who was wearing Cerebro and searching for Robin.
"She's alive. I have traced her to the woods but Pietro is there with her. She thinks she's protecting you all from Magneto's wrath." The Professor explained, "She needs our guidance. Jean, you and Scott go rescue her. I think Storm should accompany you in case Magneto chooses to show himself."
"We're on it Professor." Jean said turning away to get Scott and Storm. She paused, "Don't worry Kurt, we'll have her back here in no time."
"So, why take me to the woods?" Sparks asked Pietro.
"It seems like this whole Sparks thing is getting kind of difficult for you."
"You have no idea." Sparks said lowering her eyes.
"Well, I've got something for you that will make it better." Pietro stopped walking and pulled the necklace out of his pocket.
"It's gorgeous but I doubt it'll make the real me anymore comfortable with pretending." Sparks told him. "But it's worth a try."
Pietro latched the necklace on to her neck. Her eyes lit up blue for a moment and she stood up straighter than a soldier. She was dazed for a while and soon her eyes returned to normal but everything else about her seemed to change instantaneously.
"I see now," she said quietly, "Now I see everything."
"Do you feel any better?" Pietro asked with a warm smile as he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.
Sparks slapped his hand away. Her head turned and cold bluish-silver eyes stared back at Pietro. That's when he realized she wasn't the same. There wasn't even a semblance of the warm Robin anywhere. Pietro then realized he'd lost her.
"Robin?"
"My name is Sparks and I expect you to call me nothing different." Sparks said almost robotically.
"Let me just take that off...Sparks." he said cautiously as he reached for the necklace.
Sparks slapped his hand away, "Don't touch me."
"It's Max – remember? All those times we walked together and,"
"You only got involved with me because the Brotherhood urged you to - in order to get me on your side." Sparks said coldly.
"That's true but that was all a mistake. I really do love you, Robin."
Sparks' head slowly turned towards him and her eyes flickered back to brown and he saw the hurt in them and a tear began to form, "Liar." Then her eyes turned back to bluish-silver and she sent a volt of electricity flying at him. "And my name is Sparks."
It missed, of course, but Pietro got the message – they were obviously over. He needed to remove that necklace. She wasn't being rational. She was acting like a robot. His father did this... He was off in a quick flash of silver. The X-Jet landed near Sparks in the clearing her lightening had created.
"What did that necklace do to Robin?" Pietro asked as he flung the door to his father's study open.
"It robotified her." Magneto answered simply.
"What? You said it would make her life easier!"
"And it did. She has no more emotional ties holding her down so she can freely serve me."
"But – now she doesn't love me!"
"And? We have no more use of your services in that department. The necklace will keep her from turning against us. The best minions are either hopeless or robots and since she still felt hope, I removed all her emotions."
"I can't have her around without her being herself Dad..."
"Now that her emotions are gone, she can serve at my right hand! The advantage of my little device is that she holds all her past memories but emotions no longer decide her actions unless its rage or resent. Wait...when did you start caring about anyone other than yourself?"
