Learning to Breathe

Disclaimer: I own Andi. Nuff said.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Punishment

"Do I have to?" Andi groaned. It was now Sunday, and the young blond had just been informed that she would attend school the next morning. "What happens if someone brushes up against me?"

"And what if a meteor strikes Bayville and wipes out the entire town?" Mystique quipped. "You can't hide behind 'what ifs', Andrea. You are going to school: that is final. Especially since you brought some of your books with you."

Andi swore softly and crossed her arms. "What about my shifting? I still haven't got it controlled."

"Because you don't pay attention or practice. I know it's hard and the exercises seem pointless, but trust me, you will learn from them."

"How the hell is becoming grass helping me control my shifting?"

"If you would stop arguing, you might actually learn something!" Raven growled. Andi glared, but held her tongue. "Thank you. Now, the reason I had you practicing with blades of grass is that they are a simple surface. Smooth, uniform, and alive. Since your ability is touch- related, I felt you stood a better chance working with a simple substance. Once you have that down, you may move on to actually becoming other beings."

Andi stared. "You mean I can actually turn into other people now?"

"Yes." The redhead nodded. "You can. I'm not going to teach you now because you haven't grasped the concept of basic camouflage."

"How do I get past that?"

"First of all, relax. Focusing only ebbs your control further away." Raven answered. "I know it sounds backwards but hear me out. The more you focus on what your touching, the harder it is to turn back. You have to stay calm and relaxed or you won't get this down for a long time."

Andi sighed. Mom, as usual, had a point. Didn't mean she was about to let her know she'd won. "And relaxation and concentration work so well together."

"It's not like relaxing hasn't helped you before." Mom glared. "As I recall, you couldn't do anything with your hydrokinesis until you tired yourself out and gave up on forcing your will onto the water."

"Now you sound like my boss." Andi rolled her eyes.

"Good, then he's on to something." Mom stared back. "We have time for one session tonight, and I intend to make the most of it. Grab you're things, we're…"

knock, knock, knock.

"Mystique! Open this door!" A deep male voice growled. Raven jumped and ran over to the door. Sabertooth pushed his way past her. "Where is she, Raven?"

"I'm right here, Dad." Andi groaned. "God, don't you know how to look?"

"Save the attitude, kid, ye'r comin' with me." Sabertooth growled. "Mags is on his way here now."

Raven sighed. She didn't like this at all. "Fine, but while you're gone, have her work on her shifting. She's gotten a bit rusty and needs to brush up before school."

"I don't want to go to school." Andi glared.

"You're going. That's final." Raven replied. "Besides, I thought you wanted to spend more time with your brother."

"Not inside jail." Andi quipped.

"Goodbye." Sabertooth said, grabbing the girl by the arm and dragging her out the door. The pair had just gotten to the elevator when Raven felt the room come alive.

"Why have you been hiding here, Mystique." Magneto asked as he hovered by her window. She growled.

"If you spent twenty-four hours every day with those boys, you'd want a break too." She hissed. "What do you want, Magnus?"

"What, or should I say who have you been hiding from me, Mystique?" He thundered.

"No one." She lied.

"Who was at the door?"

"Victor was just picking up something he asked me to finish. Probably a gift for one of his flavor-of-the-month waitresses."

"You know what my penalty is for disobedience."

"And you know I wouldn't cross you."

"Really? Like you didn't go against my orders by contacting the Wagner boy."

"He's my son, Magneto. I should think you of all people would understand that! Then again, after what you did to your boy's sister..."

"Don't you talk to me that way, Mystique!" He roared, using his magnetic powers to pin her to the wall.

"Don't feed me your shit about doing it 'for the good of mutantkind'! Especially after what you did to my son! If I'd known then what I've seen in you now, you would have never come near him!" She screamed, a metal pipe digging into her throat.

"And what about your little Rogue, Raven." Magneto leered. "I could make things very difficult for her."

"Leave my daughter alone, you bastard!" She hissed. He tightened the pressure.

"She is mine too, and I will do to her as I wish."

"Over my dead body." She growled.

"Need I remind you the purpose of the experiment?"

"Need I bring up the fact that she cannot control her abilities? Nothing you can give her will change that."

"Are you so sure? I can advance her mutation to its highest potential."

"And what of the side effects? Oh, aren't there any? I thought by tapping into something as powerful as the Cytorak gems, you would incur some form of ill effect."

"Keep a reign on your tongue, Raven." Magneto warned. "I would rather not kill you so soon."

"You wouldn't yet anyway." Mystique glared defiantly, despite her metal restraints. "Your preparations are incomplete. Someone must watch the boys, and Victor would kill the lot for annoying him. You know that. I don't think you want to see you son's mutilated body on the six o'clock news."

"I will do as I see fit." The helmet-wearing man hissed.

"Then go ahead and do it already! I'm tired of beating around the bush!"

"Perhaps another time." He sneered. "But just so you don't forget your place..."

Metal cutlery, door handles, and loose hardware floated about, hitting Mystique at high velocity. A metal-lined umbrella became a club, pounding her repeatedly over her back. If anybody heard her groans of agony, no one did a thing to help. When the master of magnetism finally departed, Raven Darkholme summoned merely enough strength to trudge to the couch and collapse.