"Hey Rogue, the girls and I are hanging out. Wanna join?" Kitty checked with her while she was engrossed in a book.
"No." Rogue responded sharply.
"Come on, Rogue. Where's your sense of fun?" She sat beside the goth and smiled at her. Rogue sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright. But you owe me." Kitty nodded.
The girls had congregated at Kitty and Rogue's room when the gossip began. Rogue tried hard not to talk, but when the conversation turned to boys, her interest was piqued.
"So, Jean, what's the deal with you and Duncan?" Amara asked. Jean gave her a sad smile. "I'm planning on breaking up with him. It was fun, but..." She was unable to finish her thoughts. "You had to use too many small words?" Rogue chimed in, earning Jean a glare and a burst of laughter from the other girls.
"Girls, we're completely missing the point here. Who is Warren dating?" Tabitha inquired obsessively. Kitty shrugged as Rogue retreated into her shell. "Can't you peek into his mind, Jean?" Jubilee requested sweetly.
"It would be unethical." Jean protested.
'Hasn't stopped you before.' Rogue crossed her arms and thought to herself.
"Not if it was on accident. Say you were scanning the mansion for safety and peeked into Warren's mind." Tabitha persuaded. Jean regarded the others with trepidation.
"Absolutely not! It is a complete invasion of privacy." Rogue uttered.
"Fine! You x-geeks are boring." Tabitha shot back.
"If you're feeling brave, Tabby, I dare you to sneak into Warren's room and steal a feather." Jubilee challenged.
"Deal." Tabitha grinned wickedly, causing Rogue to be worried. "Rogue, come on. It's just harmless fun. "Light up." Rogue gave Kitty a glare. The girls giggled as they approached Warren's door.
"The door is locked. I'll need your help, Kitty." Tabitha whispered while as Jean looked around from the outside. Kitty, Tabitha, and Jubilee phased through the door. They glanced at the blonde man sprawled on his bed, surrounded by tiny bottles of liquor. Their eyes widened in surprise.
"Busted!" Tabitha muttered under her breath before tiptoeing across the room to pick a feather. She decided to snap a picture with the intent of blackmail.
"Wanna sweeten the deal?" With a smirk, Jubilee asked Tabitha. Tabitha nodded and smiled. "Hell yeah."
"I dare you to go into Scott's room and take something out of his closet."
"I have no wish to die." Tabitha let out a snort.
"Chicken!" Jubilee taunted as the three girls entered Scott's room, only to find it empty. They noticed that the window was open and that a chair had fallen to the floor, but there was no sign of their leader.
"What happened here?" Kitty inquired, pretty worried.
"It seems that someone has broken in!" Tabitha exclaimed. The girls exchanged worried glances. Kitty bolted from the room. "Jean, Rogue! Scott isn't in his room!" She yelled as the other girls ran in panic to his room.
Rogue was the first to enter and looked for signs of struggle. Though there wasn't much clutter, the room didn't look as tidy as Scott usually kept it. "Perhaps he's just around the mansion?" Jubilee suggested.
"Jean, inform the Professor and the adults and see if you can sense Scott's presence. Kitty, Amara, and Rahne accompany Logan and Ororo to examine the grounds. Check the mansion, Tabs, and Jubilee." Rogue gave orders. "I'll wake Warren up and tell the guys. Stay together." The girls bolted to do as they were told, just as the security protocol was activated.
"I can't seem to get a read on Scott. Something is blocking me!" Jean was struggling. She dashed downstairs towards the Professor, sweat beaded her pale forehead.
"Warren, wake up!" Rogue yelled and yanked his covers off.
"Wha-? What's going on?" Warren questioned as he sprung to his feet. "Is everything alright?"
Rogue trembled and spoke, "Scott has gone missing!"
"What? Have you looked everywhere?" Warren demanded, his voice imbued with concern and fear.
"We're searching for him!" Rogue informed Warren of how they found Scott was missing, as well as the instructions she had provided to the girls. "He's not at the lower levels," Kurt said as he teleported into Warren's room.
"Dammit!" Rogue let out a growl.
"The Professor and Jean are using the Cerebro to look for Scott. Logan has called us downstairs." He took their hands in his and teleported them to the mansion's residents, who were dressed in their uniforms.
"We couldn't locate him on the grounds" Rahne spoke up.
"Jubilee?" Rogue approached. Her stomach churned with dread. He's not at the Mansion, either." She answered.
"As you are all aware, Scott has gone missing. A search team will be dispatched shortly. The Cerebro is where the Professor and Jean are. Angel and I will circle the area in the air. On the ground, Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, Marvel Girl, and Nightcrawler will track him. To keep the new mutants safe, Kitty and Spyke will take them to the lower levels' safe house. Now get moving!" Ororo was in charge, and everyone followed her instructions.
"It's my fault." Warren lamented as he and Ororo flew around the mansion. His heart was pounding furiously, and fear was weighing heavily on him.
"Warren, why do you say that?" Ororo questioned as they discussed the matter.
"If I wasn't asleep, I might have been able to save him. I could have protected him if we hadn't broken up because I'd have been sleeping next to him and none of this would have happened." Warren was in tears.
"Whoever took him, Warren, they knew how to get into the mansion. There was no evidence of struggle whatsoever. The alarms were not triggered. They would have either taken you or disposed of you." Warren was being consoled by Ororo.
"What if they couldn't?" He probed.
"You'll never be able to do anything if you get fixated on 'What ifs.'" She advised. "It's Sinister. Isn't it?" Warren remarked as he flapped his wings and flew across the air, searching for any signs of Scott's whereabouts. Ororo's silence spoke volumes.
Logan walked into Scott's room and sniffed the surroundings for any traces of scent. He sensed an unfamiliar odor and followed it to a blind spot outside the mansion. "This is where the smell ends. I'm sorry, Charles, but I don't get it. "How could he have vanished?". He spoke via his communicator.
"I'm not sure, Logan. It's possible they have a teleporter or some kind of device." the Professor's voice rang.
"The fleet of vehicles are still sitting in the garage." Rogue and Kurt teleported to the location where Logan was.
"Got any ideas, Chuck?" Logan wanted to know. "Did you come across anything, Ro?"
"No, we're heading back" Ororo responded.
After their unsuccessful search, the mutants regrouped at the mansion. "We've been looking for him for five hours and still haven't found him!" Logan snarled and rammed his fist into the wall.
"How is his signature not registering on Cerebro?" Ororo mused.
"I'm not sure. But I wouldn't be surprised if Sinister made sure we couldn't find Scott unless he wanted us to." The Professor added his honest opinion.
"Do you think you can find Sinister or any of the marauders?" Warren was the one who inquired.
"Through the Cerebro, we've attempted to reach their mental signatures. They aren't visible." Charles scowled and shook his head.
Rogue called out after Warren as he began walking towards the door. "Where are you going, Warren?"
"I'm going to look for Scott" Warren stated.
"We've already looked everywhere for him." Jean interrupted.
"We're talking about Scott here! He's always three steps ahead of everyone. I'm sure he left a clue behind. We'll have to keep our eyes peeled." Warren wasn't going to give up looking for Scott.
"Flyboy is right. And we have to trust that Cyke will be able to free himself from wherever Sinister has locked him. He's been doing this since he was a kid. This is the guy who has been trained to break free from lock-up ever since he was a kid." Wolverine reassured the team, trying to assuage their fears.
Warren flew over the institute, searching for any indications of the incident. When he turned his attention to the bushes, he noticed a piece of fabric stuck to the branches. He quickly landed and discovered it was a piece of Scott's t-shirt.
"Hey, guys! Take a look at what I found! He yelled as the others hurried to the garden.
"This belongs to Cyke." Logan sniffed the torn fabric. "Good Job, Worthington." He tracked Scott's scent and raced towards a clearing near the lake, followed by Warren and the others.
"Look!" Rogue directed the team's attention to a gleaming object beneath the door. "Scott's Visor!" Warren looked at the door that opened on its own while Jean lifted the visor in the air to examine it.
"Zhis is like something out of a creepy horror film!" Kurt commented when he noticed the door open, his fur standing up. Rogue elbowed him and scowled at him while the rest of the team ignored his remark.
Logan intervened just as Warren was ready to step in. He warned, "This could be a trap." Logan followed Warren's eyes and spotted the same long scratch mark and traces of blood on the edge of the door. Something didn't feel right.
Logan sniffed the air and slashed his claws open. He snarled at the figure that approached them.
"Sabretooth!" Logan growled and sprang forward, ready to strike.
"We have some business to take care of, Jimmy." Sabretooth flashed a malicious sneer.
"What did you do to Scott?" He demanded.
"He's fine for now. Sinister paid me well. The kid put up a good fight." Sabertooth flashed his fangs and smirked.
"Where's the kid?" Logan hissed and leapt at Sabretooth with a roar.
"What would be the fun in that?" Sabretooth smiled viciously and stepped forward to attack Logan when Warren swooped in with one powerful wing stroke and dragged him up. He tried climbing up Angel to reach his neck, surprised by Angel's onslaught.
"If you don't tell me where he is, I'll drop you." Warren made a threat.
"Kiddie, give it your all." Warren was pounced on by Sabretooth, who clawed at the edges of his wings. Warren's grasp on the feral guy slipped as he hurtled downwards and fell hard on the ground. Sabretooth growled and went to attack Warren when Logan pounced on him.
The Professor intervened and entered Sabretooth's mind while the two fought. The feral man collapsed on the floor and curled into a ball, letting out a howl of agony. Xavier prodded his mind till he came up with a clue as to where Scott was.
"Can I have some candy, Logan?" Sabretooth, sitting on the floor and plucking petals from the flowers, asked Logan in a childlike, high-pitched voice. "He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me-"
"What did you do to him, Charles?" Logan asked while the others snickered and Kurt snapped a photo of the man in a compromised situation.
"Mind alteration for the time being. I'm very sure I know where Scott is." The professor instructed as the team hurried towards the mansion.
Warren dashed inside at breakneck speed, trailed by his teammate
"Where is he?" Warren was the first to inquire about the location with the professor.
"Nebraska. Somewhere close to the orphanage Scott used to stay at. Sinister seems to have taken up residence there, yet again. I can't reach past their defenses. He is blocking me."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Warren yelled at the others and started to fly.
"Wait a minute, Warren. His hideaway is safe. He has a team of powerful mutants on his side. We'll have to assume there are many more if Sabretooth is working for him. We require a strategic plan." The Professor spoke in an authoritative tone.
"The longer we stay here, the higher is the risk for Scott's life!" Rogue piped up.
"Rogue, we need a plan. I can't afford to lose any more X-Men. We don't know all Sinister is capable of. He's a true genius. Nevertheless, with our abilities combined, we could be powerful. We must think critically. We'll be able to save Scott if we can figure out where the traps are." The Professor spoke.
"Does anyone have a plan?" Warren questioned, agitated at having to wait. His wings quivering with impatience.
"Scott is the strategist," Jean retorted, distressed. "I think Warren is right; we must move."
"Listen, we've got to get to him. We'll come up with a plan when we are in air" Logan addressed them.
"Alright. Remember, Logan. This is a team mission. Not a solo mission. " The Professor reminded him.
"Got it" Logan responded. "Suit up everyone. We leave in five." He said and walked away.
"Hello there, my dear Scott," Scott's consciousness was assaulted with Sinister's voice. "Hasn't it been an achingly long time? I've really missed you." He cackled and transformed into Dr. Milbury, his alter ego. "Would it make you feel better if you saw me like this?" He inquired eagerly, practically giddy at the prospect of regaining control over Scott.
"Where am I - What do you want from me?" Scott hesitated and bowed his head, unsure of himself.
"We've arrived at my base. Given that you spent the majority of your childhood here, I'm amazed you don't remember. Of course, I've been looking for you, waiting patiently. I've had the pleasure of testing my theories on you." Sinister talked, enthusiastically.
"You're a nasty scumbag." Scott yelled angrily, clenching his teeth, unable to escape from the bounds.
"Tsk. Tsk. You'll be in trouble if you use that kind of language." Sinister cautioned, before electrocuting him. Scott's back arched in pain. He screamed at the feeling of electric shock passing through his body. "Now, where did we leave off? Yes, indeed. You see, Scott, you have tremendous power. It isn't the optic blasts that I am referring to, albeit they are impressive in and of themselves. It's a combination of your genetics and tactical skill. I've been examining genetics for a while, and I believe that by combining your genes with those of another mutant, we may produce the most powerful being on the planet." Sinister revealed the facts and traced Scott's cheek with his pointy fingers.
Scott growled and flinched at Sinister's touch. "Fuck You!"
" Aaah, such perfection. It would be a shame if I fucked you because it would yield no fruitful results for me. It would be a lot of fun for me. However, I'd prefer to watch you mate with your potential partner. I must say, your relationship prospects are rather awful. While I have no objections to sex with people of the same gender, I believe you would be better off having sex with someone you could impregnate. Someone like Jean, for instance. Your kids would wield such unbridled power. I'll never understand why you let that spoiled brat into your life."
"Don't you dare utter their names" Scott spat angrily. "Is this what it's all about? You want what? My child? So you can rule the world?" Scott asked.
"You are correct! Oh, my goodness. It's as though we're finishing one other's sentences." Sinister chuckled and slapped Scott who let out a strangled gasp. "That was for asking me too many questions. Scott, I genuinely care about you. Perhaps a little too much." He made a mournful face.
"Your care could use a little work." Scott made a crack.
"Well, you're not going to agree with my decisions, are you? No, Xavier has indoctrinated you into believing that humans and mutants can peacefully coexist. Why would we want something like that? Mutants are the next evolutionary leap. Human lives have become fundamentally insignificant." He remarked as the lights turned on, revealing a series of cots packed with unconscious children and adults. Scott's stomach dropped. "What did you do to them?"
No, Scott. The main question here is, what will I do to them?" Sinister went on, pressing a button on the remote in his hand. The unconscious bodies began convulsing and bleeding profusely.
Put a stop to it!" Scott broke down in tears, horrified by the sight of people suffering.
Sinister whacked Scott in the face with an angry scowl. "Humanity is a flaw. You're weeping for these insignificant mortals? These cretins have to perish. Their lives will be futile. Mutants will take reign soon."
"Let them go! Please!" Scott begged. He attempted to move, but the metal cuffs that were holding him back were too strong.
"Now you've resorted to begging? It's a pity, to be honest. It pains me to see you in such a state. Scalphunter, make him shut up." Sinister gave the order and walked away. Scott's consciousness drifted away when Scalphunter injected him with a green serum.
"What are we gonna do with him, boss?" Scalphunter asked.
"Why, make him my solider, ofcourse." Sinister stated as if it were that simple. "Get my equipment ready." He ordered.
Scalphunter nodded. "Yes, sir."