Rating: R
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.
Archiver's Note: There is a reference to rape and attempted rape in this chapter; it's not really graphic, but I've changed the rating to R to be on the safe side. If the story still only seems pg-13, let me know and I'll change it back.
Leilee moaned softly as she came to. Her head was throbbing and she felt sick to her stomach.
"Oh good! You're awake!" came a voice from her left.
She turned her head to look, and screamed as she saw Kyle sitting by her bedside. She tried to roll away from him, only to discover she had been tied to the bed. Kyle stood up and stepped closer to the bed.
Leilee began to struggle. "Get away from me."
Kyle laughed. "Yeah. Ok. Sure. And I'll let you go too." He reached forward and started to pull up her shirt. And Leilee began to scream.....
Leilee
Samantha was walking down the hall as she heard a scream. She recognized the voice right away. Leilee, she thought as she quickened her pace to where she heard the scream coming from. As she got closer, she smelled Kyle, and knew that meant trouble. I have to help her. She was the only one there when I needed someone, Samantha thought as she came around the corner.
Samantha hated the X-Men for having her meet Jonas, but she still cared for some of the Vision X members. Well, she cared for Leilee at least, She was the one that helped her through her first miscarriage, and she had to help her. Besides, Sinister had plans for her. Sammi couldn't let Kyle ruin that.
Samantha came up to the closed door, and she heard Leilee crying. She took a step back and side-kicked the door. The force from it sent the door smashing into the wall, where it splinted into several pieces.
Kyle was sent back by the blow, but was fast to get to his feet. He stood in a defensive stance and glared at Samantha.
"You should not have ruined my 'Welcoming'." He hissed at her.
Samantha stepped into the room, never taking her eyes off of Kyle.
"She's Not for YOU!" Samantha growled back.
"Oh, my. Sammi!" Leilee cried from the bed.
"It's Samantha!" Samantha hissed at her.
Kyle took the fact that Samantha said something to Leilee to mean that she was distracted, and lunged at her. Samantha saw this, and as he got close enough she grabbed his shoulders and pulled her foot up. She made contact with his chest as she went into a backwards tumble. She threw him over her as she rolled. Kyle hit the wall on the other side of the hallway, and slumped to the floor unconscious.
Samantha moved over to Leilee and untied her. She grabbed her wrist.
"Come on. He's out for now. I have to tell father what he was about to do." she said.
Samantha and Leilee walked out of the room, and Samantha made sure to keep Leilee at her side as they walked down the hallway.
Jubilee_79
Bobby and Athena were sleeping, exhausted, when they had been woken by Amanda.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MYSTIQUE HAS OUR BOYS!?!" Athena shrieked.
"How did she get them?" Bobby asked, feeling confused.
Athena was already out of bed and dressed before Amanda could answer.
"Where are you going?" Amanda asked, though she didn't need telepathy to the know the answer. "You can't just take off after them. If you do, you will fail. We have a stop to make first, but then we will launch a focused attack. There are things that we have to know first, in order to successfully handle this."
Bobby couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had been in the X-Men long enough to know that having a plan was important, but something just nagged at him.
"So, we have to sit back and wait while he does who knows what to our children, but Kyle takes Leilee and you send troops straight in? Sammi and Jonas were the same way. They drop off the face of the earth, and that's ok, but Leilee goes bye-bye and let's wage war! Oh, this is a really fair method we have going on around here! Tell me, how do you get to be one of the chosen few?" Bobby shouted.
Athena didn't give Amanda time to answer; she grabbed Bobby's hand and they vanished from the room.
Bobby didn't know quite what had happened. One minute they were in their room, and he was shouting at Amanda... the next minute, he blinked and then they were in a cave. Athena seemed mesmerized by something bright at the far end of the cave. As Bobby walked closer, he saw what appeared to be the sleeping form of a woman.
She was all silvery light. She shimmered brilliantly. Then Bobby noticed her face. The features were vaguely familiar. He looked closer, the slope of the nose, it was like Athena's. The shape of the face too. The gentle arch in the eyebrows, the shape of her lips, it was all the same as Athena's.
On a secret island, two little boys huddled together.
"Do you think she'll be back soon?" asked Mac in a shaky voice.
"I hope not." Robbie replied.
Robbie looked at Mac. Mac's lip was swollen, his face bruised and bleeding. Robbie knew his own face must look much like that too. He thought something must be wrong with his leg; it hurt, and he couldn't move it. His side hurt really bad too.
"I want Momma and Dad," Mac murmured shakily.
Robbie knew their parents would come for them, but he couldn't stand to see his brother hurt anymore. He knew he had to do something. He closed his eyes and concentrated. When he opened them, he and Mac were no longer in their cell. They were in a hallway, sitting in front of Sammi and Leilee.
Snowbaby
Samantha stopped in her tracks when she saw the twins appear in front of them. She walked over to them and looked closer at their faces. /Ok, first Kyle and now whomever would do this to innocent children. I want the X-Men to pay, but No children are going to be hurt. Not while I'm here./ She thought as she looked at their scared faces.
"Who did this to you two?" Samantha asked.
"That Blue Lady, Mystique... I think that's what she called herself." Mac answered, looking between Samantha and Leilee.
"OK. I'll make her pay for that. Come on." Samantha said as she helped them up and led them towards her room.
When she got there, she pointed to the bed and the two boys climbed up on it. She turned to Leilee.
"Check them over. Clean and bandage what you can. The first aid kit is in the top drawer," she said, and then she turned and walked out the door.
She locked it from the outside and went after Mystique.
It didn't take her long to find her scent. She followed it into the throne room. When Samantha walked in, the only person she found was Sinister. Samantha walked up to him and grabbed him by his neck and held him.
"What are you doing, daughter?" He asked as he gasped for breath.
"Settling a score." Samantha hissed at him. "Give it up, bub. I know you're Mystique. You may shape shift, but you can never change your smell."
Sinister morphed back to Mystique, who was still trying to get out of Samantha's grasp.
"What Score?" She asked through gasps.
"Two of them." Samantha growled." First, I know you were the First Dragon to go after Jonas all those years ago! You almost KILLED him!" She said through clenched teeth.
She moved her arm slightly, and with all her strength Samantha threw Mystique to the far wall. Mystique's body hit with a sickening thud, and she slumped to the floor. She started to get up, but Samantha was right at her side.
"And second. YOU NEVER HURT A CHILD!!!!!" She yelled as she repeatedly kicked Mystique in the stomach.
When she stopped, and Mystique lay on the ground gasping for breath and moaning in pain, Samantha picked her up by the back of her uniform. With one hand grasping the collar and the other grabbing the bunch at the base of her back, basically giving her a major wedgie at the same time, Samantha threw her against the other wall. This time as her body hit, Mystic fell unconscious. Samantha walked over to her body and gave her another swift kick in the stomach.
"And that's for making me think Jonas was dead the first time." she said.
Jubilee_79
Amanda was not having a good day. First she lost Leilee, then she lost Athena and Bobby, and now she had X-Men and Vision X yelling at her. Some days, she wished she never got caught in that dimensional rift.
"Look, people. I am doing the best I can. I love how people think I can control everything. I'm not Phoenix." she stated.
"You're not Phoenix?" questioned Jean.
"No. Look, I know you guys need answers to your questions, and I'm going to give you them. Gambit, Leilee is safe. For some reason, Sammi doesn't hate her. The boys are safe too because Sammi is protecting them. Now, if that answers your questions about that subject, we're leaving." stated Amanda, as the group was suddenly surrounded by fire.
"Where are we?" asked Tina, who was standing by Logan.
The two teams were in the middle of a beautiful castle. The hall was incredible, with crystal chairs and pictures. The castle looked deserted, but it felt like there was a presence in the castle.
"You brought them, I see." replied the second voice.
"Yes, and they want answers." stated Amanda.
"Yes, I can see. I agree, it is time to explain all." stated the second voice.
"Explain what?" questioned Xavier.
"To why you were all destined to meet." it stated.
A.C.
A strange feeling came over Athena. She didn't know how, but she knew this woman was her mother. She glanced around the room and saw some form of writing on the wall. It was written in a strange language. She began to shiver when she realized that she knew how to read it. She couldn't recall ever having seen it before, but she could read it as clearly as she could read her own name. She reached back and grabbed hold of Bobby's hand.
Snowbaby
Kyle sat cradling his bruised head and ego. A seething hatred was building inside him. Hatred at Sammi for getting the drop on him, and hatred at Sinister for not allowing him to kill her. Just then a nightmare creature in the form of a rat skittered across the floor beside him, startling him. In a flash of anger, black lightning coursed out of him, vaporizing the apparition.
"I can't believe ole pale face won't let me kill that b**ch."
The hatred burned hot, sealing his cuts from within. As he headed for the throne room's entrance, the nightmare guards withered at his fiery glance. The door slammed against the wall as he telekinetically opened it. The outburst scattered the gargoyle-like creatures on the other side. Before him was Samantha, standing at the right side of Sinister. Samantha sneered, growling at Kyle. Kyle's finger blades appeared, and he began to scrape them together.
"Is there something wrong, my son?" Sinister asks in amusement at the power play before him.
"Yes there is 'something wrong', FATHER! Your little pet is getting in my way, and has done so for the last time."
Kyle advances on Samantha, and the guards step up. Sinister looks at them both and motions the guards to stand down.
"SETTLE THIS, CHILDREN!"
"I'd be happy to." Samantha says as she steps into the center courtyard and unsheathes her claws.
"Fine by me!" Kyle replies as he joins her on the dais at the center of the courtyard.
"Shields up!" Sinister says as a red shield envelops the two.
They circle for a moment before exploding literally into action. Flying blades appear, spinning toward Samantha. Several catch her in the chest and arms. Her claws rake across Kyle's chest on her second pass. Samantha pulls the blades from her chest and arms, allowing her healing factor to heal the wounds.
She flings them at Kyle who dodges…right into the path of a high-powered plasma blast. He synchs with her as the blast hits, but is unprepared for the pain as it plasters him against the force field. Kyle hits the ground with a sickening pop, smoke rising from his body.
Samantha catches one thought as the field goes down. /I'M GONNA KILL YOU SAMMI, AND ALL YOU HOLD DEAR…/
As Samantha heard his threat, she walked over to him. Standing over him, she leaned down to look him in the eyes.
"Go ahead and try. I have nothing anymore." With that, she turned and walked back to Sinister.
Chaos and Jubilee_79
Jonas looked at the ember, puzzled... his hatred and anger had driven him so long and hard, and it had made him strong. He raised his hand, ready to throw the ember as far as his strength would let him...
He stopped just short of throwing it. Was that all he was? Resorting to anger and blind hatred. Sammi was all that was left, and he had failed her... he could not even be sure that she was alive, but it didn't matter; his love for her was just as strong.
He closed his hand, and looked at the ember. It slowly got hotter as his love for Sammi started to drive out his anger and hatred... Instead of letting the heat out into the air to save himself from pain, he closed his hand around it, letting the pain fill his mind.
But the love drowned out even the pain; and the more pain he felt, the harder he pressed down on the ember, until his hate and anger had made it hotter than hell itself... but he still didn't let go. This was his last chance; one last chance for a redemption he had been looking after for 20 years.
He could feel the power from the ember... and the power of hate and anger calling to him, trying once again to bring him down. But this time, he denied himself the strength that followed, and instead chose the hard and long road ahead of him.
The pain stopped; and in a moment of complete clarity, he felt for the first time in a long time... at peace. He looked down at the crystal in his hand... the crystal that used to be an ember. The two dragons looked at him; and for the first time in a long time, they saw the Lord that they one knew. The calm light of his eyes, and the pure heart that had gotten them this far, only to be lost a short while ago... and now it was back.
"Protect this realm, there will be no attack now, not here. Rebuild what you can, and explain to the dreamer that it's a time for dreams... not nightmares." Jonas knew what the crystal was, and he would be wasting no time standing around.
A light shot out from the crystal and formed a gateway... Jonas stepped through, not even glancing back...
Jonas stepped onto the ground of the Nightmare Realm, and stood there. For a moment, he remembered what the Dragon realm looked like when they got to it... His sensitive senses picked up on Sammi, and he started walking. He was still holding the Crystal in one hand while walking carefully in his gigantic dragon form, careful not to step on the crystal itself.
It didn't take him long until he was standing face to face with an army of Nightmare Creatures, all with their magical weapons aimed at him... ready to kill. Jonas bowed his head and looked at them, his eyes filled with only his love for Sammi. He took a fighting stance; he would not be separated from her again.
Admiral
The group that is gathered look confused by Amanda's words. Wolverine and Maggie had moved to the edges of the group, taking up a defensive stance; trying not to look too suspicious.
Cara grasps Jamar's hand tightly as they stand off to the side of the group. They had been looking around the room at the decorative patterns. Something about the dragons didn't fit.
/Something's not right./
Through the mindlink, their minds and spirits connect. Jamar loved when he and Cara connected like this... it was as if the whole Universe was talking to them on all levels. They continue focusing their perceptions closing the universal eye locking on confirming the dragon's place in the universe.
The others continue to ask questions, while Cara and Jamar contemplate the touch of several new minds around them.
/The others don't seem to have noticed them yet./
/Well I know that Amanda knows they're here, but everyone else is drawing a blank. Even Professor X is too occupied to notice./ Jamar rubs his temples, squelching the slight headache beginning to set in.
/Well, at least we know that Jonas is here, Jamar./
~What are you seeking, HEWMAN?~ A voice rumbles within his mind.
**What I seek, DRAGON, is of no concern to you! It is for your Lord's ears only. Take us to your master at once.**
/We definitely have to work on your people skills, honey./
/I didn't wanna have to talk to him all day. Besides... even if he wanted to fry us, he'd have to bring us before his dragon lord. Sammi crossed over; and if our reading of Jonas emotions were right, he's either crossed over, or about to./
/We must hurry then. The last thing we need is for Jonas to go ballistic with a host of dragons at his command./
The four dragons drop to the floor, startling the X-men and members of Vision X. Without saying a word, Cara, Jamar, and their dragon honor guard disappear.
"Hey, lady, what did you just do? You better start talkin' now!" Wolverine growls as he unsheathes his claws. In the background, he can hear Maggie echoing him.
Chaos
***WARNING!!!!!!!!! What you are about to read has a reference to Rape and an attempted Rape. If this is a hard subject for you, Please don't read.***
After dispensing with the army, Jonas, in Dragon form, looked up to the sky. It was pitch black, but the full moon shined brightly. He remembered all of the times that he and Sammi had talked under such a moon.
/I will find you again, my love. I swear it./ He thought... and he telepathically sent the message out, hoping that wherever she was she had heard it; and that the part of her that he loved was still listening.
Samantha was looking up at the sky. Her misery was great. She lost her love and her children. She had lost him once before... but this time she knew it was for keeps. Every thought that she had was of him and their two beautiful babies. She would never see them grow up... never see Jonas playing catch in the park with Alex. She would never be able to take Joey to the mall for a girl's only trip.
She had lost so much, and now she was ready to make them pay. She had met Him in their world... the X-Men's world. If it weren't for them, she would have never been brought there to meet him.
//I will find you again, my love. I swear it.// Even as the words entered her mind, they were gone.
"Jonas?" She whispered softly.
"Not even close." A voice said from behind her.
Samantha spun around... she knew that voice just as she knew her pain.
"What do you want, Kyle?" She said with pure venom.
"I never got to 'Welcome' you properly." Kyle said with a smirk.
He loved it when she got angry. She always seemed to spark with energy.
"I don't need your welcome. So why don't you leave and I won't kill you." Samantha said, standing her ground.
He glared at her, taking her in through all of his senses. He could smell her fear. /Ah, yes... FEAR, ANGER.../ Her emotions were so delicious to him. He licked his lips in a lustful way at the thought, as he regarded Sammi again in a new light.
"What's wrong, little Samantha, don't wanna play with me?" Kyle says.
Sammi cannot help but catch the subtle undertones in his voice.
"Back up, bub... or I'll light you up!" Plasma begins to dance around her.
"You think so? Then try me!" Kyle says, growling like a panther before he lunges at Sammi.
Her plasma shot never reaches Kyle. It shuts off just before he takes her to the ground, pinning her.
"HEH HEH HEH!!!"
His mocking laughter escapes from him, rippling through her ears and mind. His hand shimmers, forming a hand of obsidian claws. He rubs them down her cheeks, drawing blood; then rips the top of her suit away.
"Now we're gonna have some fun, and play by my rules."
Samantha's head was reeling. She was fighting, but it didn't do any good. /It's happening, again./ She thought as her mind flashed back to that horrible night, just after she turned seventeen. She had tried to forget it even happened, but now it was all coming back.
Sammi was walking home from work. She was taking her time because Tina was cooking dinner, so she didn't have to rush. She decided to take the route through the park. She loved it there. In the summer it always was fully in bloom, and at night you could smell all of the different fragrances. As she was walking along, lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice that a guy was following her... until he grabbed her from behind and held the knife to her throat, and she heard his raspy voice in her ear.
"Give me all your money." He said as he held her tighter.
She could feel his hot breath on her neck. She handed him, her backpack.
"Its in the front pocket." she said.
He fished around in it, not taking the knife away. She heard him drop the backpack when he found her wallet.
"Three Dollars!" He rasped angrily in her ear. "That's it?"
"Yes." Sammi said through tears. "I don't get paid until Monday."
"Then, I guess I'll have to take something else then." He rasped, and snickered evilly.
He shoved her to the ground; and before she could move, He was on top of her with the knife at her neck again. He never said anything else. She couldn't tell what he looked like because of the mask he was wearing. In the end, He had taken her innocence for a measly three dollars.
He left her there, clothes shredded and shaking like crazy. She somehow got home, and Tina had helped her get washed up and had stayed up with her for all of the nights that she couldn't sleep. Sammi refused to go to the cops, because at that time they were all guys; and all of the ones that she ran into thought that if a woman was raped, it was her fault.
For three months, Sammi was a wreck. She never left the house. Hardly ate or slept. Until one day, Sammi realized that she was hiding because she thought it was her fault. Tina had brought that up to her, and Sammi vowed that from that day on, she would never think about that again. She swore that she would never be a victim. And now here she was, being the victim again.
Something clicked in Samantha's head. She looked at Kyle lying on top of her, and she snapped. She couldn't use her plasma or telepathy, but that didn't mean she couldn't use her claws. She was born with them, so to speak, so no one could stop them from working.
Without warning, she broke her hand free from his grasp and punched him in the face. As she did, she popped her claws. When Kyle fell back in pain, Sammi jumped on him and started slashing away. She wasn't just seeing him as she did that, she was seeing the man that had raped her before. She continued to slash away while saying, "Never again," Over and over again.
When she regained her senses and saw what she had done, she started crying; for herself and for Kyle. She had killed him. His body lay there, shredded to pieces.
"Oh, no, what have I done?" She said as she moved from the body.
She moved until she was a few feet away from his body, pulled her knees up to her chest and put her head on them and started to cry more. She had killed him, but that was the only way that she could have stopped him. She had never taken a life before, and the thing that scared her the most was that she liked it.
She liked the fact that she had killed Kyle. In a way, it gave her strength. But it also made her feel so guilty. She had taken a life without a second thought. True the guy was a bastard, and had tried to kill her on several occasions, but did he really deserve to die at her hands?
She sat there and started rocking while saying, over and over again, "What have I done?"
Jubilee_79
Could her life get any worse? One minute Amanda loses Bobby and Athena, then she loses Leilee, then Cara and Jamar disappear, and now SHE had. First thing she would do after this was over was to go on a vacation, preferably alone with Charles.
/You can not help them anymore./ Explained the first voice.
/What about Cara and Jamar?/ Asked Amanda.
/They are all right, my lady. They are going to talk to an old friend. You must prepare for your fight ahead./ Stated Thanagar.
/I am worried for them. I was absolutely confused when you all told me./ She stated.
/They will be fine. You must prepare for your destiny./ Stated the second voice.
/Listen to them, my Lady./ Stated Azmaru.
/I want to talk to Charles after you explain everything, understood?/ Amanda ordered.
/We will bring him, but he may not want to see you afterwards. You know the ways of mortals. They fear what they do not understand. HE may hate you after he knows everything./ Stated the first voice.
Thanagar was angry at the coldness in which the voice had warned her. He could feel all the doubts return to his protectee, and he wanted to reassure her that Xavier loved her... but he knew that mortals did let fear stand in the way of love, and Xavier may let his uncertainty do that. He did vow that Xavier would pay if he hurt her, if it was the last thing he did.
A.C.
Leilee's head shot up as she heard the sounds of a fight down the hall. She looked at the two boys, who were watching her, frightened.
"Stay here. Don't move until I come for you."
She waited until the boys nodded, and then ran down the hall. What she found was horrible. Sammi was huddled on the floor, and Kyle's mutilated body was nearby. Both were covered in blood. Leilee didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what happened. She quickly turned away from Kyle's body. She felt no guilt. Only sorrow that she hadn't been able to get a few shots in herself.
She ran over to Sammi's trembling form and hugged her tightly. Sammi fought for a minute, but relaxed when she saw who it was. And the two sat there and cried. Leilee led her out of the room and to the nearest bathroom.
Sammi quickly stripped and began to scrub, as Leilee left for a moment to change her clothing. When she came back, she gasped and took the cloth from Sammi. Her skin was red and irritated. She had scrubbed away much of the first layer of her skin. Sammi looked up at her with tears in her eyes.
"I killed him. I killed him."
Before Leilee could open her eyes, there was a soft knock on the door. Leilee turned around to see Robbie and Mac walk in.
"Aunt Leilee? Is Aunt Sammi ok?" asked Robbie softly.
Leilee sighed.
"I don't know, sweetie. I honestly don't know."
Leilee