The room she was in was dark and cold, yet her skin had a heavy sheen
of sweat covering it. Clammy was the the only word for it. Her head snapped
up as she heard them. Things in the dark, things that slithered, that
squeaked and chatter, their nails clicked on the floor as they scurried
around her. Poking and prodding her, never quieting long enough for her to
think. She knew if she could just gather her thoughts for a second she
could remember how to get out, but that peace never came, the answer to
puzzle hung at the very edge of her memory, and slipped through her fingers
every time she came close to it. Finally she gave in, She screamed, long
and loud. Her eyes jerked open. She felt hands holding her down, felt a
sharp stabbing pain in the fleshy part of her arm. As she drifted off into
the darkness, she heard a familiar voice.
"Soon, Wanda, soon everything will be better."
* * *
Betsy sat in the hall outside the big oak door that lead to the office. Her hands were sweating and she scuffed the toe of her boots against the thick oriental carpet. She hated waiting with a passion. She was just about ready to leave when the door swung open.
"Elisabeth, please come in." Called a voice from within the room. She sighed and walked in.
"Hello." She said as she offered her hand to the man sitting behind the desk, his bald head reflected the afternoon.
"Please, make yourself comfortable." He said as motioned towards the chair across the desk from him.
"Thank you." She said as she sat down.
"Scott tells me you helped them out quite a bit the other night." He said.
"I guess." She replied.
"I thank you." He said.
"No problem." She said.
"Before I ask you for your decision, I'll tell you a little about what we do here." He said.
"Ok." Betsy replied.
"Our goal here, is to educate, both mutants and humans. We teach mutants how to utilize their abilities, as well as educate normal people about mutants, in hopes of curbing an outbreak of prejudice and violence against mutants. In the long run we hope for a future were humans and mutants can live and work together." He said.
"Ok, but what about the X-Men?" She asked.
"The X-Men combat threats that would create a rift between humans and mutants." He said
"Like the brotherhood?" She asked.
"Like the brotherhood." He nodded. The professor wheeled himself out from behind his desk.
"When I first realized I was a mutant who could read and control the minds of others, I was terrified. So I know how you feel Elisabeth." He said.
"Betsy, please, and how do you know what I can do?" She asked
"Cerebro." He replied.
"What's Cerebro?" She asked.
"It's very powerful computer, it detects and identifies new mutants." He said.
"I see." She replied."
"So what do you say? Will you become an X-Man?" He asked her. Betsy looked down at her hands while she chewed on her lower lip. She looked up focusing her violet eyes on the professor.
"Sure, I'll give it a shot."
* * *
Scott looked around the rec-room. Kurt and Evan stood on either side of the ping-pong table, knocking the small plastic ball back and forth between them. Rogue lay across the couch her feet propped up on the arm while she read. Jean and Kitty were sitting in a corner of the room talking and giggling to themselves. The door slid open with a hiss and the professor wheeled into the room.
"X-Men, if I could please have your attention." He said. Everyone in the room looked up.
"I'd like you all to meet your new teammate." He said. The door hissed open again and Betsy walked into the room.
"X-Men, this is Psylocke." He said. Scott walked over to her. He through his arms around her and lifted her off the ground and spun around. As he gently lowered her feet back to the floor he kissed her. The rest of the team gathered around them, welcoming and congratulating her, and for the first time in a very long time Betsy felt like she was home.
"Soon, Wanda, soon everything will be better."
* * *
Betsy sat in the hall outside the big oak door that lead to the office. Her hands were sweating and she scuffed the toe of her boots against the thick oriental carpet. She hated waiting with a passion. She was just about ready to leave when the door swung open.
"Elisabeth, please come in." Called a voice from within the room. She sighed and walked in.
"Hello." She said as she offered her hand to the man sitting behind the desk, his bald head reflected the afternoon.
"Please, make yourself comfortable." He said as motioned towards the chair across the desk from him.
"Thank you." She said as she sat down.
"Scott tells me you helped them out quite a bit the other night." He said.
"I guess." She replied.
"I thank you." He said.
"No problem." She said.
"Before I ask you for your decision, I'll tell you a little about what we do here." He said.
"Ok." Betsy replied.
"Our goal here, is to educate, both mutants and humans. We teach mutants how to utilize their abilities, as well as educate normal people about mutants, in hopes of curbing an outbreak of prejudice and violence against mutants. In the long run we hope for a future were humans and mutants can live and work together." He said.
"Ok, but what about the X-Men?" She asked.
"The X-Men combat threats that would create a rift between humans and mutants." He said
"Like the brotherhood?" She asked.
"Like the brotherhood." He nodded. The professor wheeled himself out from behind his desk.
"When I first realized I was a mutant who could read and control the minds of others, I was terrified. So I know how you feel Elisabeth." He said.
"Betsy, please, and how do you know what I can do?" She asked
"Cerebro." He replied.
"What's Cerebro?" She asked.
"It's very powerful computer, it detects and identifies new mutants." He said.
"I see." She replied."
"So what do you say? Will you become an X-Man?" He asked her. Betsy looked down at her hands while she chewed on her lower lip. She looked up focusing her violet eyes on the professor.
"Sure, I'll give it a shot."
* * *
Scott looked around the rec-room. Kurt and Evan stood on either side of the ping-pong table, knocking the small plastic ball back and forth between them. Rogue lay across the couch her feet propped up on the arm while she read. Jean and Kitty were sitting in a corner of the room talking and giggling to themselves. The door slid open with a hiss and the professor wheeled into the room.
"X-Men, if I could please have your attention." He said. Everyone in the room looked up.
"I'd like you all to meet your new teammate." He said. The door hissed open again and Betsy walked into the room.
"X-Men, this is Psylocke." He said. Scott walked over to her. He through his arms around her and lifted her off the ground and spun around. As he gently lowered her feet back to the floor he kissed her. The rest of the team gathered around them, welcoming and congratulating her, and for the first time in a very long time Betsy felt like she was home.