Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. We've gotten that by now. The -- uh -- whore line is from the musical "Les Miserables"
A/N: the following is a list of everything I could think of that required altering for this ending to work. It's a list of things to keep in mind are very different from the original ending.
List of Discrepancies:
-The whole Amanda being German thing? Nope. American, she's in Bayville with her cousin to go to the best public school within driving distance
-SOME of Jean not liking her. Jean really doesn't like her, but in the original, part of the reason (a very small part; most of it was her) she didn't like 'Manda was b/c she sensed the illusion and didn't know what it was. She still doesn't like that she can't read Amanda's mind
-Remember the first ending? Throw it out, and all the hints that Amanda isn't who she seems to be. My namesake will not be making an appearance in this ending and, thankfully, neither will her mother. Yup, meet an Amanda Sefton, who is entirely normal. I do, on a level, agree with everyone who's been bitching to me about that, I just happen to have comic prejudices (not against humans, but to keep characters the same. We're soooo not going to go into evoGambit)
-Yes, there are some humans who are naturally shielded from telepathy. It's rare but it happens, so don't grouch that it just came from her magic (although that was the explanation in the first ending)
A/NII: This is mostly the same as 'Rats', but with lots of editing. So if it looks familiar, I apologize, but it had to be done in this one too. You know what, if you don't want to re-read stuff, just scroll down till something new happens! *argh!*
Dedication: To DarkFire for the new fic "This is the way I look, deal with it" - I love it! It's Kurnda to the core (I think I'm starting to have an influence. That's a scary thought!), well-written, and adorable! Check it out!
Here we go again!
Chapter XIV
"What's this one do? Besides the obvious, I mean," Amanda was peering through a barred window into a cage that would disgust the staff of any zoo.
The creature in the cell looked up as a shadow crossed his window, blocking out a little of the only light he ever got. Not that he had been a being of the light before, but at least the sewers were bigger. Mottled, bumpy green skin, blank pink eyes and one too little fingers marked the boy as a mutant.
"Calls himself 'Leech'. Sucks the powers right out of any mutie nearby."
Amanda shot a shocked look at Graydon, and whistled. "Nice."
"You bet. That's why he's in the middle of this place, near the computers. If the X-Men ever discovered this place, they couldn't get into the main control room with their powers," Graydon was actually having fun. This girl was smart, and although she'd been working on her own for the two years since her brother had been killed, she'd readily joined the Friends of Humanity once she'd been assured they would allow her to continue as a plant in the Xavier mansion. So she was two years younger than him -- she was also anti-mutant, intelligent, pretty, and the only real downside to the girl was that she was black. Oh, well. Can't have everything, I suppose.
"Hmm. So, any ideas on what I'm supposed to tell the X-Men on why I spent the last two hours with the Friends of Humanity? Telling Xavier that I've decided Nightcrawler really is a demon and deserves to be destroyed won't go over well, I don't think."
Graydon laughed aloud. "No, plus, that would burst FOH's cover. We're still a peaceful, help-out-your-neighbors group on the surface, remember?"
"And I'm still a shy little thing. So. What, you and Duncan dragged me to some sort of party and I kept getting waylaid on my way out? Ended up spending half an hour convincing you to drive me home?"
"That might work. So, you'll be back with the freaks tomorrow?"
"I'll have to be, won't I? Yeach. After the hospitality of real humans, going back in there is going to be irritating."
"You can handle it," Graydon's voice purred from behind her. He ran a hand through her hair, and Amanda stiffened when she felt him kiss her jaw. She whirled. "Graydon!"
He held his hands out and shrugged innocently. "I figured you'd want something to balance the time spent with the mutie cur."
"Kurt's not--"
"So it's back to Kurt again?" Graydon's eyes narrowed. He was beginning to suspect they'd been tricked. At the sudden fear in Amanda's eyes, he knew. "You really are a good actress, aren't you? And to think, I almost let you walk out of here," Graydon pushed a call button installed next to Leech's cage, in case he escaped. "Bogie on level four, emergency containment needed."
As FOH members started coming out of the woodworks, Graydon turned back to Amanda, who was neatly trapped. "Mutie whore!" he spat.
"Even a whore won't be had by a rat!"
Her statement of defiance was the last thing she got out before someone behind her knocked her out.
*
Several hours crawling through enemy ventilation was taking it's toll on Nightcrawler -- especially his fur. It was tangled on the elbows and knees from the tight squeeze, and matted everywhere from sweat. His tail was the only part of him not starting to cramp because of the close fit, as it could still move comfortably.
It hadn't helped that he had caught up with Amanda just as a FOH member snuck up behind her and pressed a few key pressure points, knocking her out cold. The only reason he'd been able to find the cell they were holding her in was because Graydon had gone in when she woke up. He heard Graydon in there, snarling at her, and grimaced. He had to get her out of there.
*
*Scott, Rahne! What's going on? Where's Kurt?*
"Elf hitched a ride on Duncan's car when they kidnapped her, Professor. We have to find them!" Rahne burst into the lounge. Xavier, Logan, Ororo, and Jean were inside, all with nearly identical expressions of shock on their face.
"Call to arms, Xavier. Let's move," Logan growled.
*X-Men, to Cerebro, ready to move!* Xavier shouted, and the mansion came alive.
"I'm coming, Professor."
Xavier studied the werewolf, whose hands-on-hips attitude left no room for doubt. "Alright, Rahne. Better hurry then."
Rahne was the first into Cerebro, Rogue a step behind her and Scott after that. "Right. Professor, you have everything?"
"I'll explain it all, yes," Xavier looked over the group of mutants, making sure they were all there. And of course, the obligatory eavesdropping New Mutants. "Now, Amanda's been kidnapped by Graydon Brent --"
"Creed." Logan growled from the back of the room, and Ororo put a calming hand on his shoulder.
"-- Graydon Creed and Duncan Matthews." Rogue and Evan shot Jean looks that could kill surer that Cyclops'. "Kurt managed to stow away in Duncan's trunk, but we have no idea where they are or what's going on. However, I should be able to use Cerebro to find Kurt, and locate Amanda from his directions."
"Why can't you just find Amanda?" Kitty asked.
Xavier sighed. "I can't read her mind, let alone communicate telepathically with her." with that, Xavier turned back to the computer powerful enough to be granted it's own room, and searched mentally for his wayward student.
Nothing.
*
Why isn't this working?! Nightcrawler was more than frustrated; he was scared. His whole plan hinged on being able to teleport in and untie Amanda, and he couldn't teleport. For the first time since getting his power, he was frightened that he might not have it.
He had moved so he could hear everything Graydon said to Amanda, and her rebuttals, of course.
". . . for your mutie friends to come rescue you? Even if they find this place, they won't be able to get you."
Amanda swore under her breath as she realized what Graydon was saying. "You put me next to Leech, didn't you? So Xavier can't find me, and Kurt can't teleport in."
"We know his power works on line-of-sight, and anywhere that he's close enough to see you, he's too close to Leech," Graydon smirked. "I suppose your mutie friends told you everything? Or at least, you'd think they told you everything. One would have to wonder why we're going through the bother to capture a full human, mutie whore or no."
Amanda watched Graydon warily. She had a feeling this was important. "Are you going to tell me something, or are you going to sit there pacing like a caged animal? Oh, that's right, I forgot. I'm the caged one."
Unaffected, Graydon resumed his circling. "Think of me as a vulture circling dying prey. As I was saying . . . You're not here because you're dating the mutie cur."
"Do you have a list of insults for Kurt in your pocket that you keep referring to? Because I'm sure I've heard that one before."
Graydon ignored her, much to her frustration. "You're here because the mutie cur you're so found of is the son of the leader of mutant rebels. We've discovered her only soft spot is her son."
"Then why not ransom yourself, mein bruder?! GET AWAY FROM HER!!" Nightcrawler screeched and shot out from the vent on the back wall, barreling at Graydon. Out of purest instinct the senior jumped aside and backhanded Nightcrawler, who didn't have the time to roll with the blow. He flew into the metal door and Amanda shrieked as she heard the wet crack of his skull when he hit.
No, Kurt! Oh, Kurt, why couldn't you just stay away? This way they win! She struggled against her binding again but as before, it was no use. Nightcrawler lay unconscious on the floor. Amanda hung her head.
Graydon himself was rather astonished. "Well," he said after he shook off his paralysis. "That was easy."
*
"WHAT DO YAH MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND THEM?!" Rogue roared. "THEY CAN'T JUST HAVE DISAPPEARED!"
Xavier shook his head, his eyes tired. "No, Rogue, I feel I must agree with you there, but the fact remains that Kurt is not within my range, which stretches throughout most of the state."
"They can't be outta your range so fast, Chuck, not unless they're working with another speedster like Pietro. I say they're here, hiding," Logan growled.
"That . . . may well be, Logan, but I'm afraid . . ." Xavier covered his eyes with one hand while he rolled out of the Cerebro room and down the hall. "That I will be of no help until I rest."
"Jean?" Ororo turned to the younger telepath, who shook her head.
"I can't use Cerebro, Storm, not with any kind of accuracy. If Kurt is even within my limited range, the likelihood that I'd find him is million to one, simply because I can't maneuver Cerebro as delicately as the Professor can. I have to know where to look, and without that, it would be much worse than looking for a needle in a haystack. If I tried, I end up as burnt out as the Professor is now in less than half the time."
"So we're just going to go to bed? Go to sleep and try to forget that one of our own has been captured?! Along with an innocent who didn't even have a stake in how this turned out?" Scott demanded.
"You have a point, Scott, but 'Manda volunteered for this because she does have a stake in the outcome, a stake in the form of our furry blue misfit. As much as I don't like this," Logan glared at the elevator that had taken Xavier up and out of sight. "We have to live with it. If we don't sleep our reaction time drops, and that could not only hurt one of our own, it could cost us the life of an innocent." he pointed out. Scott scowled, but accepted it.
Ororo took control. "Alright then. Everyone to bed. And that includes," she turned on Logan, finger jabbing his chest. "you, sir dulled reaction time." Logan rolled his eyes. Kitty giggled.
"Oh, yeah, like I'll be able to sleep after that adrenaline rush," Evan muttered.
"I can," Rahne argued. "My pads are killing me. Do you have any idea how hard concrete is on sensitive paws?"
