© Autumn Raine

A/N:Wow! Reviews! :D Happiness! *giggle* Any who...On with the ficcie

DISCLAIMER: No. Still don't own X-Men. Marvel and their people do. I own Veronica! D

About this chapter: Hmm. Sorta based on this thing that happened to someone I know because they were like, a different race in my pure white town. I was really upset so it sorta got brought into it. Oops. x.x

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Liar....


...."...It's a miracle she survived such an attack."

"Seems to be a mutant attack."

"Really? I don't think...."

"You don't think? Notice the marks she had. Are you tellin' me a bear got to her? A bear with metal claws in the middle of Bayville, John!" The voice said sarcastically.

"No no no"...The other voice said lowly, "But what do we say to the media, Frank? They seem to be flooding to this event.....Mutant Monsters. You've got to be kidding..."

"But we know it's true."

"Doctors.."..A young voice chimed in after a moment of silence, "Excuse me but, I went to change her wrappings earlier today and the weirdest thing..."

"What happened?"

"Well..." She began, closing the door of Veronica's room so that those in the hallway couldn't hear. "..The wounds...they aren't there..."

"Impossible. She's wrapped in bandage now." Frank, the elder voice, interjected with a bit of shock.

"Look for yourself, Doctor." The nurse motioned to Veronica who was laying on the bed. White bandage was wrapped about her stomach, and about her arms. Few strips of white butterfly bandages were placed on her face. I.V. tubes and other monitor cables were lined about on her arms and chest.

Both Doctors went over to the bed, each on one side.

"Frank. Unwrap the bandages from her forearms and wrists."

He nodded, and gently picked up her right wrist. Large fingertips unraveled the white gauze that laid on her skin. Once again, he gently held her bare wrist in his hands as he placed the finished gauze back on the bedside. "...John...Look at this..."

"Look at what? It needs to back in a bandage or a hard cast."

"No...Look, John...Look!" He cried, three metal peeks sticking out from between her knuckles. Blood dribbled down the sides of the peeks as they slowly extended outward.

"My God..." John muttered, in all his medical career never had he seen something like this. "...You don't suppose she did this to herself, do you Frank?"

Frank dropped the hand in disgust, a bit of her crimson blood on his hands. "I don't know, John...I don't know..."

John went to her stomach, and grabbed a pair of medical scissors from the small endtable near Veronica's bed. Nervous fingers held the cold metal pair of scissors as he cut at the snow white gauze, his face going pale. Not an ounce of blood was on the dressing. Pulling away the scissors, he placed them at her bed side. "...The wounds..they're...they're gone..."

"Frank, out of all my years of learning about medicine...never...never..have I-"

"Mutant! Nurse! Mutant! Get her away! Out of this hospital! Another room! Something!" Frank blurted outwards towards the young nurse in the room. Storming over to the window, he peeked his eyes through the shades. "The media...the media...What do we say, John? Attempted Suicide by a mutant? Mutant attacks? Mutant gang violence? What do we say..."

"Calm down..." John watched as three young, male nurses came into the room; all detaching IV tubes and monitors from the still sleeping girl. They began to wheel her out of the room. "Excuse me, she's going to the psychiatric ward. Immediately. Solitude, boys."

"Another loony." One of the boys rolled his eyes, and wheeled the girl out of the room and down the hall.

"Frank, all we have to say is she's been released. No one will think anything of it."

"Don't you understand! They want answers! What or who attacked the girl?" Frank turned to John, a hand shoving into his lab coat's pocket and the other rubbing his forehead forcefully.

"Would you be happy if we said suicide, Frank? Would that make you happy? Would it? Would it?!"

"Yes! It would!" He snapped.

"Fine, Frank. In your old age you should accept the growing population of..the mutants. You know they've always been out there. You know, Frank." John said lowly and with a bit of coldness in his tone.

"Mutants..."...Frank cringed, eyes looking to the window. "..You just don't understand, John. We can't let them live everywhere. We have to control them."

"Them...Them. My God, Frank! They are humans like you and me!" John said loudly.

"They are not humans! Barbarians! They are Barbarians! Look what they do to one another!" Frank snapped. "You understand, don't you John? Don't you?"

"...No I don't, Frank. She was only a girl who was hurt by something, or someone...We're here to help everyone Frank. I understand my duty...." John looked up to Frank coldly, loosing respect for the older doctor.."..Do you?"

Frank stared at John coldly, gray hair on his head a complete tousled mess from the five minutes of stress. Soft blue eyes turned cold, and lifeless. Shifting his weight from foot to foot, he quickly left the room; slamming the door firmly after him.

"I guess not..." John growled, slamming a fist on the radiator.



....Veronica awoke laying on the floor of a cold, musty room upon her stomach, cheek to the ground; a bright light bulb hanging down from the ceiling with a long, straggly cord. Hands scraped along the floor as she brought them to her face and rubbed her eyes. Her hands...they were fine! She could feel them! And man, did they hurt.

Taking her hands form her face, she opened her eyes. Slate-grey pools, clouded a bit from being a bit tired, glanced about the room. A chair was against the far wall, as well as a bed with a stripped mattress and a single blanket and pillow. A small, window about a foot in area lined with metal bars was in her room against the wall near her chair; few streams of sunlight seeping through. She got up to her feet, and ran her hand over her stomach.

"What the?" She felt her fresh new skin that was now in place over her stomach. Blinking rapidly to take away the cloudy vision, she looked to her stomach. "They're gone! I'm fine!" She grinned, rubbing her stomach rather happily.

A sudden knock at the thick metal door behind her made every hair on her body erect, and she turned quickly; eyes narrowing as she looked to the door. A voice called from the other side, "Veronica? You awake in there?"

"Who's there?" Veronica cried out to the door, eyes still narrowed.

She could hear the knob turning, but on her side there was no knob. Only a flat surface. Where exactly was she? The metal door clanked as it opened, and a tall figure stepped into the room; the light behind him casting his shadow over the floor of Veronica's room. A soft, soothing voice came from the man as his face came into view. "Veronica? I'm Dr. McHarty. But please, call me John." He closed the door behind him.

"Hi..." She looked him over once, then looked straight into his eyes. "Why am I here? How do you know my name?"

"Well...you've been attacked by something or someone. And it said so in your jean's pocket. You had your School I.D. on you. How'd you get here from Buffalo?"

"I came here....Because I'm a new student...at..The Xavier Institute...I think..." She rubbed at the temples of her head.

"You think?" He raised a brow.

"Yea. I left. I met these other people..and I went wit' them. And I was attacked later on that night...but..I don't think it was him who attacked me...It was a woman who could...become over things."

"Hmm..." He rubbed at his chin. "You don't think it was 'him' who attacked you? What do you mean, him?"

"Him..this guy..I know. Who's..well..Why are you askin'? You're not gonna understand anyway." Veronica narrowed her eyes, blades extending from one of her hands.

John realized the possible danger he could be in, so he walked over to the bed side. "Well. I need to know. The woman? Is she a mutant? Shape-shifting abilities, perhaps." He placed his hands into his pockets.

"Mutant? Oh...so I get it. You think ya know everythin'..." Veronica growled. "How do you know about mutants huh? Didn't think they taught that in Medical School now-a-days."

"Well no. It's...I guess a hobby. It's fascinating, you know? A genetic mutation that alters-"

"DNA. Children of the Atom. Yea, yea. I know. I'm a mutant, alright. There. I said it. Write that down in your little pad." Veronica snapped, bare feet pounding over to the door.

"Where-Where do you think you're going? Talk to me, Veronica. Talk!" John shouted out to her.

"No! No! I'm gonna look for what happened, how, and who. It's my problem. Not yours." Veronica growled, blades extending on her other hands. Clenching her hands into fist, she swiped furiously at the metal doors. Easily, the metal was sliced and cut. Swerving about her wrist so that there was a circle created, she took back her hands and retracted her blades. She swung her fist at the middle of the metal circle she created, her metal lined bones loudly clanking as she hit the door. The metal piece fell out of the door, and she hopped out of the hole.

Hands tugged at the shirt's collar about her neck. She felt like she was dressed as a prisoner. Eyes darted about the vacant hallway, a few windows lining the hallway. But, they weren't windows to the outside; but to other rooms.

Veronica saw a young boy through one of the windows, huddled in the corner of a room. Stopping in her tracks, she went right up to the glass. She tapped her finger on it, waiting for the boy to respond. She pounded her fist on the window. "Hello! Hello!?"

"He can't hear you, Veronica. He can't." Dr. McHarty approached her slowly.

Veronica spun around, blades extended on her clenched fists. "What the hell is this place? Why is the kid all alone? You can't leave kids all alone!" She growled, she could feel her cold heart actually...softening for the boy in the room. He looked soo alone, soo afraid...just like she felt when she was young....

"All these rooms have mutants in them. Some can destroy the world, others only have small talents." He looked to the window. "That boy. His name is Derek. He's only seven and he can make himself turn into his shadow. Crazy as it sounds, the boy can hide in shadows and move to and from them and back to his....true form."

"Crazy....Crazy?! This doesn't sound crazy to me, mister. If I thought that, would you think I'd hate myself for being a mutant?"

"You do, don't you, Veronica?" The doctor was infront of the window as well, looking at the boy.

Veronica gritted her teeth, then swiped her metal claws at the door of Derek's room. Metal pieces fell to the ground as she tore it to pieces, a shreaded door's frame was left creaking on it's hinges in a matter of moments. "Derek!" She cried. "Derek! Come with me!"

The boy stayed in his corner, barely moving...barely breathing.

Veronica walked into the room, bare feet pattering rather loudly on the ground. "Derek! C'mon!" She retracted her blades, and went to shake the boy's shoulders. When she did, the boy's head rolled off it's shoudlers. His shoulders were soft, and cushiony...like..a pillow. She looked to the boy's head, and grabbed it. Holding it up to her face, she looked to the blank, doll's expression. It's plastic eyes rolled back into it's head as she tossed it back to the ground. "What the hell..." She growled, spinning her head to the doorway.

A woman's figure was taken in the doorway, a gloved hand upon the wooden frame. "Fooled again, I see, Veronica. Such a pitty..."

"What?...Mystique?...Fooled again? What-What do you mean?" Veronica raised a brow.

She pushed a strand of her orangey hair behind her ear. "Oh. You don't remember, Veronica? Lemme help your memory. Logan attacked you, Veronica. He badly hurt you, but you survived from you being able to heal. Lucky, Veronica...Very lucky. And now, the boy....The X-Men are lying to you..."

"X-Men...But.." She glared to her, slate-grey eyes going cold. "You lied to me." She took a step closer to her. "You attacked me. You were the doctor just now. And you planted this boy. YOU'RE THE LIAR!" She growled, a clawwed fist swipping at Mystique's face.

Mystique gasped, and duck her head from the swiping fist. Instantly, she kicked Veronica in the shin. A smirk pulled at her lips as she saw Veronica stummble to the side.

"So you found me out, Veronica. I only wanted to know how good you were. That you'd be loyal."

"Loyal to what? You've done nothing for me, but only hurt me. How could I trust you?" Veronica glared to her as she cruched lowly to the ground on her feet and hands. She grit her teeth, strands of her black and violet hair straying down over the sides of her face.

"Aww. You're so much like your father, Veronica. Always so righteous. Makes me sick.."

"My father?!" Veronica snapped. "What the hell?! Why does everyone think I'm Logan's daughter?!"

"Because you are, Veronica. You know it as well. You knew it from the first time you met with him, that he was your father. You just didn't want to except it. So you left. I found you, and decided to take you in. But I knew you thought of him. That's why I took on his shape and faught with you. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't go soft on Daddy...But I was right....You did. You didn't even fight back, Veronica. How could you ever be in the Brotherhood if you can't fight him..?"

Veronica lowered her eyes. She was right. For some reason, she couldn't fight back with the image of Logan. Was he really her father?

"Since you left me no choice...I came to kill you." Mystique flashed a bit of a grin as she swung her fists out infront of her. She then sent a booted foot under Veronica's chin, sending her tumbling back into the wall.

Veronica growled as she layed against the cold, damp cement floor. Every muscle on her body was tence, with pain, exhaustion and anger. Her body needed a good rest, it needed one badly. But she couldn't stop now...She had to fight her...She had to. She rolled back over to her stomach and pushed her body up with her palms to her feet. Blades gleamed in the light as she brought them readily at her sides, feet shuffling apart for balance to attack.

"Another fight, Veronica....?" Mystique grinned, accepting the challenge. She stood rather straight, and went to the doorway. White glove hands waved, as if she were motioning for someone to enter.

A boy in rather tight fitting tealish-blue spandex entered the room, armor about his lean chest, shoulders, and partically on his arms and legs. White hair glistened neatly upon the top of his head. Pale, creamy complextion showing off his crystal blue eyes and a thin lips that pressed back into a straight, poker face. Slender, rather feminine hands curled to loose fists and went to rest at his waist. Right after him, a pale grey skinned boy hopped into the room; feeble legs cruched to the sides as he came to a stop next to the white-haired boy,lanky arms out infront of him. Dark green spandex clung to his lanky phsyique, a large piece of armor upon his back and scattered on his arms and legs. Dirty blonce hair matted the top of his head, and hung strangly down over his sullen eyes.

Veronica looked to the two, then to Mystique who stood in the doorway. "Why are they here?" She pointed to the two guys infront of her.

"You'll see Veronica...." Mystique hissed lowly, and dissapeared from the doorway.

"We're here to test you, yo." Todd ran part of his green tongue on his crooked, pale yellow teeth.

"Or-humiliate-you.Which-ever-comes-first." Pietro added, glaring to Todd.

Veronica studied the two, they obviously being two of the four she met that day in the park...."..You two are those guys I met in the park...How did you know about me anyway..?" Strands of her hair fell over her slate-grey eyes, lips parting a bit as she stopped talking. She wanted answers, and perhaps they'd give her some.

"Mystique told us somethin' about you bein' Logan's daughter, yo. She had no time to waste and she wanted you on our side, then Baldy got you wit' the X-Geeks. But, she knew you wouldn't stay. So, we met you in the park....it all worked out."

"Surprisingly.." Pietro added quickly, a fist raising up infront of him. "I'm-always-up-for-a-challenge. Why-not-begin?" A brow raised.

Veronica glanced to the two, then to the small window that was in the room. That one was also lined with bars like the one she had in her room moments before. Looking back to the boys, a bit of a glint was in her eye as she brought back her clenched fist in preparing to strike either one. "...Why not.." Lips parted back into a wide grin as she leaped at Pietro, and swiped a bladed fist at the boy.

Pietro simply stepped out of the way, and watched as the girl landed roughly on her hands and knees on the ground. Bewildered, she quickly got up to her feet, "..How?"

"Simple. Speed-Veronica. Speed. It's-either-you-got-it-or-you-don't. Well....-you-don't." Pietro snickered to himself, and quickly did laps about Veronica. Coming to an abrupt stop, he tapped Veronica on the back. "Watch-your-back.." He chucked to himself.

Growling lowly, she clenched a hand into a fist, and spun around quickly to face Pietro. Her hand went immediately to his neck, squeezing with pressure as she lifted him inches off the ground. He was taller than her as it was, but, it was simple for her...all to simple to lift the lean boy.

"Shit! Todd! Do-something-you-ass!" Pietro squealed.

Todd nodded, and flicked out his tongue at Veronica. Green slime coated the long, green tongue as it wrapped itself about her waist and tugged her down to the ground; therefore loosing her grip on Pietro's neck. Veronica fell on the ground as she was tugged; a hand grabbing the sticky and slimy tongue that grabbed her from behind. She tugged forcefully, and watched as the lanky frog-boy went tumbling to the ground and letting go of her waist. Still holding the tongue, she hovered her blades over the togue.

"F-op! No! Don't f-o that!" Todd begged, his voice muffled by the innablity to talk with her hand tightly on his tongue.

"Give me a reason not to..." Veronica growled, inching her blades closer and closer.

"Eee! F-op!" Todd whined.

"Veronica-I-would-stop-that-if-I-were-you..." Pietro waved a finger at her.

Narrowed eyes darted to the white-haired boy. "Why? Are you gonna make me?"

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Duu du duu....Does Pietro make her? Will the media still want answers? What happened to Dr. McHarty? Where the hell are the good-people, the X-Men? Maybe their X-Jet broke donw?! *gasp* Heh. Just kiddin'. *giggle* We'll see! Now...R+R! :D!