Rating: PG-13 for language and violence
Disclaimer: All Marvel characters belong to Marvel. All non-Marvel characters belong to the authors of this story. No money is being made off of this story.
Jonas held onto Sammi for dear life... hoping to protect her and their unborn children. What happened, who did this and why? Jonas lifted his head up, knowing that this could be the last moment... knowing that there was no way to fight this...
Looking into Sammi's eyes, he said, "Sammi, I love you. Whatever happens, remember that."
Then they both felt it; it was as if someone had started to tear Jonas out of Sammi's mind. They both screamed... Jonas grabbed her hand and held onto it like a lifeline. There was a snap and everything went black... and for a moment Jonas remembered the void from when he died... but soon he found that he was far from being that lucky.
"Hello little Dragon... want to feel pain?"
The next second, the nightmarish people started their sadistic game... and Jonas was their toy.
"Where is he, Foul Creature?" Thor screamed as he hauled the small nightmarish creature up from the ground. He positioned his hammer under its jaw. "Tell me where I can find Sinister... or thou shall know my wrath up on thee."
The creature was shaking... never had a human been able to handle him like that.
"TELL ME!" Thor yelled, and then he threw the small creature away into a wall.
He had been hunting Sinister ever since he killed Jonas... he had hunted him across hundreds of dimensions, but he would never stop. Sinister was afraid of him, and here he had been able to find allies.
The nightmare realm creature saw a moment of hesitation in the big man and used it. He threw his magic spear at Thor.
"Foolish being." Thor said and waved it away. "You are no match for the god of thunder."
He hurled his hammer against the creature and the wall behind him. It smashed threw them both.
"By Odin!?" Thor gasped.
On the other side, in a magical circle, lay the man he had long tried to avenge... Jonas. Thor rushed to his side.
"Easy... I would never have dared to hope..." Thor said as he removed Jonas restraints... Jonas was badly hurt.
Jonas grabbed onto Thor's shoulder. "My life don't... matter." Jonas gasped for air as he felt himself slip away from the protective magical circle... it had kept him alive through the nightmare creatures torture. "Promise me that you'll save Sammi and... Our children... promise me!" Jonas fell back and rested his head on the ground. "I failed them... but maybe you..." the earth around Jonas enveloped him, and he was gone...
"I promised thou I would avenge thy death... but I have now a greater task." Thor stood up...
"SINISTER! PRAY TO THY GOD THAT THE CHILDREN HAVE NOT BEEN HARMED!" Thor screamed, and made his way through the nightmare realm. Nothing was going to stand in his way.
Admiral
Jamar lay in his bed, barely breathing as he sleeps, drifting within his own mind. The sounds around him are nothing compared with what's going on within.
/Things are bad./ He witnesses the attack on Hope. /They're getting outta hand real quick./ The police car explodes, shrapnel going everywhere. /I thought I was the only hothead of the group. Amanda, what are you thinking?/
~SCORE~
/Hmmmmm!? I know that voice./
"Witch, what are you doing?"
"Having a bit of fun. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you. I have something special in store for you."
Several images appear in a semicircle before him. One was clad in armor resembling Magneto's; the second wearing a black hooded shroud, holding a scythe; and the final image was of a shadow with red eyes.
"What's wrong, Jamar. Don't recognize some friends of yours?"
"What kinda game are you playing? I've never..."
The shroud drops from the man's face, revealing someone he thought never to see again.
"Kyle? It can't be. He's...."
"Dead? Far from it. He never merged with you... well, not completely. The side that my father liked stayed with me. Father liked him so much, he decided to add him to the group."
Kyle sends out a blast, ripping into Jamar's chest. "I'm gonna have lots of fun with little Sammi and Dragon Boy. Unpleasant dreams, brother."
The images dissolve.
Jamar awakes, gasping for air. /AMANDA!!!!/
/What is it Jamar?/ she asks, having a hard time maintaining contact with Jamar through the waves of anger and hatred.
He doesn't answer. He just downloads the entire dream into her mind. Her breath comes in rigid gasps.
/AMANDA, I CAN FEEL SAMMI, AND SHE'S IN PAIN./
Chaos
Cara watched through the window of her apartment in silence. She and Jamie had helped Jamar to his bed, then Jamie had gone back to the loft to see what he could do to help. Cara was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, so she stayed in her apartment.
So many were hurting, and she didn't know how to help them. Just as she helplessly watched her friends be attacked mercilessly in their minds the eve of the last battle with Sinister, so she helplessly watched them now.
She thought of Sammi and Jonas. Instead of them spending time together in Paris as they should, they were spending their honeymoon as prey to Sinister and his evil plans in an unknown realm.
Hope had been attacked by the one man who would do anything to protect her. Cara's own husband was in extreme pain, and in order to protect Cara, he had shut her out of his mind. Cara didn't know what she could do to help him... to help any of them.
/So many have been hurt... too many. How long will this go on before there is an end?/ Cara thought.
~Longer than you can go on, little one.~ a silvery voice filled Cara's head.
/Anon, what are you up to now?/ Cara thought with fear.
A sudden burst of extreme anger, hatred and pain crashed down on Cara... it came from the direction of her and Jamar's bedroom. Cara tried to go to the bedroom, but she was frozen in place. She couldn't move, couldn't speak... she could do nothing.
/Anon, why are you doing this? There is no reason to cause them pain. Why are you doing this?/ Cara pleaded with Anon.
~No reason, little one? Oh, there is a reason... or have you forgotten? All those years ago, you felt what I felt. You knew what happened to me, what I once was, and what I am now. You know WHY I do this! For survival. Don't play self righteous with me. If you had gone through what I went through, you would do the same, and you know it. But it would seem that you need a reminder.~ Anon said into Cara's mind.
/What do you mean, a reminder? What are you going to do?/ Cara thought fearfully.
In answer, Cara felt an extreme earth-shattering pain as her essence was ripped from her body and thrust out onto the psychic plane, face to face with the cloaked figure of her worst nightmare... Anon.
"Centuries ago, I was the guardian of all things pure. All emotions, including love and hope. I was never happier than when others were happy, but that all changed."
"How did it change, Anon?" Cara asked.
"My son was captured by Sinister. I went to rescue him, but failed and was weakened in my attempt. Sinister captured me, changed me. I could no longer feel what I once felt. I could only feel negative emotions and pain. I need them to survive!"
As Anon spoke of her son, Cara noticed her tone of voice soften and become almost human. But with the last sentence, her voice once again became hard and angry. Cara jerked in surprise and shock as Anon suddenly threw off her dark cloak, and Cara saw her. She gasped in shock at what stood before her... a five foot eleven inch cat-like creature with distorted facial features, and covering her was a layer of fine silverish fur.
"Look at me, little one... LOOK AT WHAT I'VE BECOME!" Anon shouted as she advanced towards Cara.
Cara tried to move, but couldn't. Just as her body had been frozen in place, so it was with her essence. She watched helplessly as Anon came to stand face to face with her... then gasped in pain as Anon brought her hands up to Cara's face. Anon's fur was sharp, sharper than diamonds or adamantium, and could shred at the slightest touch. Tears and blood ran down Cara's cheeks as Anon's fur cut into her face.
"Does it hurt, little one?" Anon mocked Cara, "You've no idea what pain is... but you will. Feel what I feel, little one. Feel what I feel..." Anon said, as she began to infuse Cara with the centuries of pain and hatred which she had had to feed off of.
While her essence was on the psychic plane, Cara's body had remained standing, frozen into place by Anon. When Anon began to infuse Cara's essence with her pain, Cara's body let out a long terrible scream, which shattered everything glass in her apartment with its intensity. Cara's body slumped down to the ground unconscious, blood dripping from her nose and mouth onto the carpet.
~SCORE~ Anon sent a message to Amanda.
Rainfall
Ryan and Tina had talked for hours catching up on old times. They had missed so much of each other's lives and wanted to make up for it. Ryan told Tina about her ex boyfriends, and how she had gotten in trouble with the law a while back. Tina laughed and told her that she couldn't do anything like that anymore.
"I think I am going to bed now." Ryan said to Tina. "Good night Sis!" Ryan and Tina hugged, and then Ryan headed upstairs to go to bed.
Tina headed to the kitchen to get herself something to drink. When she got there, Logan was making a cup of coffee. Oh great just what I need, Tina thought.
"What the hell do you want?" Logan asked, eyeing the girl. Great, he thought, I finally find some peace and quiet and she's here to bug me.
"Look, fur ball, I am in no mood to deal with you right now." Tina said. "I am worried about Sammi "
"Me too... but that don't give you the right to go around arresting someone with no cause." Logan responded.
"No cause!" Tina exclaimed. "You have got to be kidding me. They guy was caught in the act. And you stop trying to tell me how to do my job, buddy. I know what I'm doing."
"Yeah, you know exactly what you're doing. You're causing problems for my friends!"
As both Tina and Logan raised their voices, a sleepy little Kat walked into the room.
"Uncle Logan, could you please stop shouting? I think we have had enough of that today." Kat then turned around and walked back out of the kitchen.
"We will continue this later," Logan said, eyeing Tina.
"No we won't. I don't have to justify my actions to you." Tina turned and left the room.
Le Fae
Anon laughed as she watched Cara suffer in pain. She already had Sammi and Jonas where she wanted them, and had made sure that none of the others could find them. All she had to do was finish these two, and everything else would fall apart. The X-men would fall by the hands of her new son, and the rest of Vision X would fall to their own petty differences.
Suddenly Cara and Jamar's essences faded from the plane. Anon screamed in disbelief and tried to find them. Suddenly she realized that she could not locate any of Vision X or the X-men. It was as if they had disappeared.
"You know, witch, that it is not a good idea to gloat over people... especially when you have finished what you were doing." sneered Amanda who appeared before her.
"But how could you?" demanded Anon furiously.
"You're not the only powerful telepath here. Thanks for the tip about Sammi and Jonas. Now that I know we have to defeat you first, I won't waste my time searching for them. Besides, I think you have seriously underestimated them, but that is a mistake you'll live to see." stated Amanda as she drew forth a psychic sword.
"Have we not danced this dance before, my dear? Must I remind you that you will not have your good witch or your dragon freak to help you? This time when I send your essence all over the plane, no one will be able to save you. In fact, this time I will do it myself." Anon stated as she created her own sword.
"I've learned a lot since the last time... and I can assure you, Anon, that I'm not going to let you use my team or my fears to distract me. This time it's just you and me."
As the two telepaths locked swords, Amanda sent out a message to Jamar.
/Stay out of this, and keep the others safe./
She prayed that the Jedi would listen for a change.
A.C.
Ryan woke in the middle of the night. Ever since she and Victor had separated, she had problems sleeping. She couldn't get used to not having his large warm body lying next to her. She got up from bed and walked to Kat's room; she was fast asleep. Ryan walked back up to the roof. She stopped when she saw Victor and Amanda.
She walked to the other side of the roof and sat down. Ryan was so confused. She wanted to be with Victor and have him hold her close and tell her it was all going to be ok.
Victor saw Ryan walk to the other side of the roof and felt his heart beat a little faster. He wanted to run over to her and tell her how sorry he was and how much he loved her. Something kept him back, maybe it was pride or maybe he was just stubborn.
Maggie walked up to the roof for a cigarette, and then wished she hadn't. She looked to her left and then to her right, the nut cases surrounded her. Great, she thought, just what I needed... I'm right in the middle of them again. She saw Ryan taking little peeks in Victor's direction when he wasn't looking, and saw Victor doing the same. These two are nauseating, Maggie thought.
Maggie fished around in her pocket for a light, but couldn't find one. She saw Ryan smoking, so she decided to brave the nutcase and ask her for a light.
Ryan glared at Maggie, but let the look fall. She was too tired to do this now. "Sure no problem." Ryan said and handed her a lighter.
Maggie knew she might regret it, but she asked anyway, "So I heard the problem behind you and… Victor. I would think you guys would be all kissing and making up right now. What's the problem?"
"It's complicated. "
"What's so complicated? The guy has his memories stolen so he doesn't remember you and does some dumb stuff. So get your butt in gear and just go talk to the guy. Before you have some competition for his affections."
Ryan's eyes widened and she nearly started to yell at Maggie. That was until she saw Maggie smile and arch her eyebrow. She knew what she was doing. She was giving Ryan the kick in the butt she needed to go over and talk to Victor. "Thank you," Ryan said and smiled at Maggie. Maybe she's not so bad after all. Maggie stubbed out her cigarette and walked back inside.
As Ryan approached Victor, he visibly stiffened. He didn't want to get into another fight with her. When Ryan got close to him, she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him passionately. "We can work it out right?" She said when they broke the kiss.
"We'll make it work frail." Victor said and kissed her again.
Le Fae
Cara's eyes snapped open as she realized she was back in the real world. She heard Jamar in her mind asking if she was all right. She felt slightly strange, but otherwise fine. As she tried to get up, she felt someone helping her and was startled to see it was Hope.
"Are you all right?" asked Hope.
"I was about to ask you the same." stated Cara.
"I am better." Hope simply stated as more of the X-men came rushing in.
"We heard screamin' and thought Maria was in trouble... then we discovered it was ya, darlin'," stated Logan.
Hank rushed to her side, carefully avoiding Hope, and asked, "What happened?"
"I went to check on Jamar and could sense his hostiliy, and then I ended up face to face with Anon and then...." Cara choppily explained.
"It was Amanda," interrupted Jamar as everyone turned towards him, " She pulled us both off the astral plane away from Anon. She told me to keep everyone off."
Charles blanched as he remembered what happened the last time those two fought. He remembered the fear of almost losing her. He knew that this fight was getting way to personal and he had to save her before she got killed.
"It's no good, Charles. I tried to get on, but both of them are sealing it off. This is one fight that we're all sitting out of." stated Jamar.
Leilee came rushing with Gambit and said, " We've got trouble. That big ugly nightmare is doing a number on a local mall. He already threw five cop cars into the bay."
"It would seem Anon is making sure we do not interfere, regardless of whether we want to or not." Stated Storm.
"We have no choice. We cannot allow this creature to harm innocent civilians. Jamar, can you...." Xavier asked.
"No problem. Just round up the troops," stated Jamar as the others followed him outside.
"Just one problem, Xavier." Stated Magneto quietly to Charles, "How do we defeat a creature that is more than our equal?"
Xavier did not have an answer for his old friend.
A.C.
Sammi was in pain. So much pain, first from being separated from Jonas and now she was giving birth and going to be separated from her babies. Alex had already been born, and one of the nightmare creatures was holding him. He was crying, and Sammi was trying to calm him telepathically, /Alex, It'll be ok. I'll find you. I promise./ Sammi felt another contraction and she had to push.
When Joey came out, another nightmare creature started to carry her towards the door. Sammi quickly telepathically sent, /Joey, Don't forget us, we will find you two again. I promise./
Those two nightmare creatures left and there were only two left with Sammi. She could have fought them off, but she was too tired and on the verge of passing out. Just then she heard a loud bang and moved her head to the side to see a huge whole in the wall. And standing in the middle of the hole was Thor.
Thor stepped into the room and quickly took care of the two remaining nightmare creatures. He then ran to Sammi's side. She was still to weak to talk, so she telepathically told him, /I'll be fine, just go after my babies./ She pointed towards the door and passed out.
Thor leaned down and kissed her forehead and said, "I vowed to Jonas that I would protect you and the children. And I vow to you as soon as I get the kids to safety, I will be back for you." He took off, running the way that the nightmare creatures had taken the kids.
Sammi woke up because she felt that she was being carried. She turned and looked at who was carrying her, and almost passed out again.
"Kyle!!" She screamed as she struggled to get free of his grasp.
"Now, Sis. Is that any way to treat an old friend?" Kyle said as he grinned evilly.
He punched her hard across the face and she was knocked out again.
Sammi awoke again, but this time it was because of the pain. It went completely through her body, right down to her bones. As she looked around, she saw that she was in a tank with some kind of liquid in it. She saw metal tubes connected to her body and she wanted to scream... but she couldn't. She knew what they were doing to her. She had seen the exact same set-up in the comics. It was from when they bonded the Adamantium to Wolverine's bones... and now they were doing it to her.
"SHE'S AWAKE!! That's impossible!" Dr. Cornelius said looking amazed at Sammi.
"Not impossible. Logan woke up when you did the procedure on him." Sinister said from behind the doctor.
"Yes, but it took him over two hours. We only just got her in the tank." The doctor said.
"Well, she is his daughter... and you're the one who messed with her DNA to make her better. And now that she is, I don't see the problem." Sinister said, walking over to the tank.
Sammi's eyes grew huge as she saw him.
"She's the girl. What about the boy?" The doctor asked, remembering the experiment.
"He's of no importance!" Sinister snapped. "Just do your job!"
Sinister looked back at the tank and said, "Soon, my sweet. You'll be mine." He grinned and laughed evilly at the look of terror which crossed Sammi's face.
jubilee_79
The battle between the two telepaths was amazing. They used their powers in ways no one had ever dreamed of. The plane was filled with energy. Psychic swords could be heard clashing throughout the plane.
"You'll never save them. Sammi and her children will belong to Sinister. The X-men will be destroyed. I will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are dead." taunted Anon.
"You haven't won yet, witch." returned Amanda.
"The X-men are walking into a trap. I will kill you at the same time your creation will kill them."
"Just shut up and fight."
"You seem to be upset. Am I making you angry? I'm sooooooo sorry." Anon taunted.
"That's it, witch. You are going to die. Then I'm going to kill that monster. Then I'm taking out Sinister!"
"Well, let's see if you can live up to that boast, my dear." challenged Anon as she went to strike Amanda again.
A.C.
Sammi was scared. No, that wasn't right. She was terrified, with Sinister looking at her like that. She could read lips so she knew everything that was said, and she wished that she didn't. She saw the doctor mention a boy. So, does that mean that I have a brother? She wondered. Then she saw something that scared her even more.
Dr. Cornelius walked over to Sinister and asked, "If she's the girl, Which one is she?"
Sinister turned and looked at the doctor. "She's the one that Gateway took to Alpha Earth. She's the one that you boosted her DNA. She's the one that will destroy the X-Men and her team mates. She's my finest creation."
Sammi couldn't take the pain anymore and she passed out, but not til after she heard about another girl. /Maggie?/ She thought as she slipped into the darkness.
Sammi woke up again. The pain was almost gone and she found herself on a bed. She slowly sat up, but that brought on a huge headache so she laid back down.
"Don't move yet. My Love wouldn't want you to injure yourself." A silvery voice said from the darkness.
"Who are you?" Sammi asked.
She knew it wasn't Anon. The voice was more calming, but it still sent shivers up Sammi's spine.
"My dear, I'm Dischord. I'm the one that brought you here." The voice said as the figure walked into the sliver of light that was in the room.
Sammi saw the cloaked figure step into the light. She looked like Anon, except she was taller and her face held such sadness... but her eyes held nothing. They were like blank pools of darkness. Sammi gasped at the sight.
"What are you going to do with me?" She asked.
"You, my dear, are going to join us." Dischord said as she stepped closer.
"Never!" Sammi spat at her.
"But, my dear, You don't have a choice. What do you have to live for?" Dischord asked, standing over Sammi.
"My Children, My Husband, My family." Sammi said.
Dischord laughed evilly and said, "My dear, They are all dead."
"No! I know they're not! Thor was..." Sammi started, but was cut off by Dischord.
"Thor never got to them. He along with the children were killed."
"No!" Sammi cried. "Jonas."
"Oh, he was the best. He died within a few moments of being separated from you. It was so easy." Dischord said, and continued to laugh as Sammi cried for her children and her love.
Sammi tried to reach out with her telepathy to find some shred of hope that Jonas or her children were still alive, but she felt nothing. She had lost them, and it was all her fault. If she had been stronger, she would have been able to help them... save them. But she was too weak. She drifted into the darkness again, lost in her sorrow.
Dischord looked at Sammi and said,"Soon My dear, you'll be so full of anger and hate that you'll be one of us."
jubilee_79
Back at Sammi's loft, everyone was getting ready to head for the mall; but Maggie was staying in the shadows. She didn't know where she was, or why she was sticking around. She had already upset most of these people, but it wasn't her fault; she didn't know. She didn't know anything anymore.
Maggie was supposed to be in upstate New York, not San Francisco. The short guy that had gotten into the fight between her and Ryan looked like the picture she had of her father; but what would he be doing here? And who was that other girl who popped her claws and yelled at her? She remembered that the girl was protective of the short man, and for that matter the Dragon was protective of the girl.
Maggie couldn't figure it out. She felt like she knew the girl from somewhere, but she couldn't remember ever meeting her. The girl was taller than Maggie, but her hair was the same color except for the blue streak in it, and that it was longer. But it was her eyes that caught Maggie's attention. They were like looking in a mirror.
/Who was she?/ She thought, /And will I ever find out?/
Maggie snapped out of her thoughts as she smelled the short guy coming.
"What do you want, now?" She asked as she turned to face him.
"I wanted to know if you were coming... or are you going?" Logan asked.
He looked at her, and for the first time he realized how much she looked like Sammi. Maggie was a little shorter, but the eyes and some of the facial features were the same.
/Who is she?/ He thought. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Maggie saying, "I guess I'm going. There's no reason for me to stay."
Logan didn't know what to do... all he did know was that this girl had to stay. He had to find out about her and see if there was a connection with her and Sammi.
"Darlin', I think you should stay. We could use your help. Do you want to?" Logan asked her.
"Might as well. I don't have any place I'm needed right now." Maggie said.
She put her bag and guitar case on the sofa and followed Wolverine to meet with the others.
jubilee_79