Chapter Eight
Kidnapped
Yoshiko woke to find man at her bedside, passed out. His forehead was bleeding, he didn't look very well. She was confused. She didn't know where she was, and who was this man?
"M-Mr?" Yoshiko stuttered as she lightly nudged the man.
A terrible thought shot through her head, did I kill him? If I did, why don't I remember it? A small headache appeared, she wanted out of there. But where would she go? Didn't matter, as long as she got out she'd be fine. Right? She slid out of the bed, she was in a weird set of clothes... her shoes were different kinds, and she had an orange dress on over blue jeans. She walked over to a closet and pulled out a tank top, she took off the dress and slipped on the top. She took off the tenni shoe and grabbed the other sandal and put it on as well. When she was fully dressed she walked onto the balcony, fear shot up in her eyes.
"Oh Goodness!" She gasped as she stumbled back into the room, she was two stories up, "H-how am I going to get down!? It's so high up..."
She thought about it for a moment, and took a long breath. She straightened her back and forced herself out onto the balcony, she looked around. There was a tree by her window, she took another long breath and grabbed hold of a near by branch. She slowly, but surely, climb down from the tree. When she hoped down she looked up, wow that's a long ways up... she shook her head and turned around, and ran.
After a while of running around Bayville, Yoshiko stopped and decided to walk. The people at the place she was at were probably wondering who killed that man. She shuttered, did I kill him? She looked into a shop, her reflection starred back at her as she gazed into it. She fingered her white hair, and then fingered her black hair. She looked deep into the other child's eyes... they were so pretty, yet hideous.
She sighed and looked away, "Who am I..." She whispered, "...What, am I?"
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her blue jeans, the tank top wasn't such a great idea. It was getting a little cold and it'd soon be dark in a couple of hours and probably colder. She shivered.
"Great, your out of that place," Yoshiko mused, "Now what genius?"
She walked around the small town, and she walked quicker when she noticed that people were starring at her. She looked nothing like them, her eyes were big and almond shaped, her hair was slip into two different colors like her eyes. Everyone was wearing a light jacket and she looked like she was ready to go to the beach, beach? How'd that word come about? In fact, what's a beach?
"Beach?" She shook her head and clasped her hands over her ears, "ARGH!"
She was so very confused, tears streamed from her eyes as she ran in a direction she wasn't even sure if it was a right direction. Right direction? Where was she going!? Her headache became worse with each passing thought. Tears streamed from her eyes like small rivers. She ran, until she came upon a park. She looked at the park in awe, it was so beautiful. So many trees, a dirt path with benches along the way. The grass was so green, and small rose bushes lined the path every now and then, she stopped running and decided to walk down the path and enjoy the beauty of it all.
Wolverine ran down the main allies of Bayville, he had a very faint sent on Yoshiko but nothing strong enough to follow. He perked up his ears when he herd Nightcrawler yelling after him to slow down.
He let go of a regretful sigh, "Why again are you following me?"
"Well *pant* when you find Yoshiko, you could probably use my help," Nightcrawler, Kurt, doubled over to catch his breath.
"I'm sure I can handle a ten year old...." Wolverine grumbled, "She's half my size..."
"Of course you can, I wouldn't doubt it in the least," Nightcrawler straightened up, he was just nearly to Wolverine's shoulder, "But convincing her to come with you, that's another story...," He glanced at Wolverine's extended metal claws, "Your not exactly the warm and fuzzy type."
"Whatever Elf Boy...," Wolverine turned his back and tried to pick up the scent again.
"Hmmm..."
Pietro sat on top of an apartment complex, it was right above where Nightcrawler and Wolverine were, he herd it all. He gave a small smirk and sped off, in a few seconds he appeared at the Brother Hood's boarding complex. He zoomed in and up the stairs, he rapped on Mystique's door. Mystique furiously opened the door and glared at Pietro.
"What. Do you want!?" She snarled, "I'm busy!"
"Tsk, tsk," Pietro waved a finger at her, "I bet you anything I have something more important though."
"Speak..."
"Well, you see, Xavier has a new student of his."
"So? He gets new students every other day!"
"This one is a run away," His smirk reappeared, "This one is ten years old..."
"Liar... mutants can't have their powers manifest until their at the very least in their teen years," She glanced at his smile, "... but something tells me your not lying..."
She stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her, she locked it. Pietro was never sure why she locked it, if they really wanted into her room, no little lock was going to stand in the way of the Brother Hood.
"Where is she then?" Mystique said, her shrugged and unbelieving voice staying in contact
"I don't know," Pietro shrugged, "I'm just a messenger."
With a wink, and a gust of wind he was already gone. Mystique let go a furry of anger and slammed a fist into a near by wall, it went straight through it. She rubbed her knuckles and transformed into a black raven. She flew down stairs and out of the boarding complex from the door Pietro left open and went off to search Bayville.
Pietro zoomed down the streets of Bayville once again and found the rest of the Brother Hood loitering the streets. He tapped Lance's right shoulder, and ran in front of him when Lance turned around to see who it was.
"Hello there!" Pietro smiled his signature smile, "Mystique is already searching for the runt, let's go help shall we?"
"What are you talking about Pietro," Todd asked, she hated it when he talked cryptic, "What exactly are we searching for again?"
"Who here remembers Jean's new little friend at the mall that one day?" Pietro zoomed to the other side so he'd be part of the crowd and waved his hand, "Me!" He zoomed back so he'd be facing them again, "It just so happens that kid was a mutant, and she's a run away... and she's only ten... let's go get her..."
Yoshiko sat on a bench in the middle of the park, the tears never seemed to have a beginning or an ending. Cold chills were sent back up her back when she remembered that man hunched over her bedside, dead. She wiped her eyes and buried the pain deep inside, constantly pushing, the world she knew aside. World she knew? She shook her head, she couldn't even remember being in a world. Did I have a family? Am I an only child? I bet I have a baby brother. Is my Mom pretty? Did those people at that one place kidnap me? If they did, is my Father panicking and looking for me right now? She starred at the ground beneath her feet, more tears rolled from her face and onto the ground. Her eyes darted back and forth as if she was looking for something, looking for something? What am I looking for!? She sobbed and more tears fell.
"She's in the park..." Wolverine said, he had a strong sent of her.
Wolverine was now accompanied by Cyclops and Nightcrawler, they were at the entrance of the Bayville Park.
"I'll search the east side," Cyclops said, "You two take the west. Call in if you find her."
The small party broke up and went their directions, it didn't take long for Wolverine to find her. It just so happens that the west side was were the sent was coming the strongest, he crouched behind a bush with Nightcrawler as they watched Yoshiko sit on a park bench. She was crying.
"I'll report to Cyclops," Wolverine said, his voice low but still that gruff tone that never left, "You keep her here, I'm going to go see what the Professor wants us to do."
"No problem."
Nightcrawler turned on his hologram watch and was now the average teenage boy, Kurt Wagner. He teleported in front of Yoshiko, she looked up with a small gasp.
"What are you looking for?" Kurt asked.
"An answer..." Yoshiko whispered, she got up and started to walk away, "I think..."
"It's not just gonna pop up you know."
"And why not!?" She snapped as she whirled around, "You just did!"
Small black sparks were coming from her hair and eyes.
"Whoa! Yoshiko! Calm down," He put his hands up to show he had no weapons of any sort, "I'm not here to hurt you, I just wanna talk!"
She glared at him, "About what..." She turned and started to walk away.
Kurt walked beside her, he didn't really want to leave that area since Wolverine said to keep her there. He shrugged. Oh well, at least I'm keeping track of her.
"Mm, nothing much," Kurt said, he shoved his hands into his pockets of his jeans, "You just seemed like you could use a friend..." The two walked down the dirt path, the sun was setting and it was starting to get dark.
After Wolverine had caught up with Cyclops, Cyclops used his communicator to reach Xavier.
"Professor," He reported, "Wolverine found Yoshiko and left her with Kurt... what now!?"
Flash backs of the first time he'd seem Yoshiko's powers came to mind, he ran down the hall only to almost get zapped by her. He shivered.
"I'm sending the rest of the team, I have locked on your location and they will be there shortly." Xavier reported back, "If we can just get Rogue to touch her once we can put her to sleep for the mean time, it'll give us some extra time to break her gene." He sighed, "Just try not to frighten the poor girl."
"All right," Wolverine said, "Tell him we'll meet the others at the front of the park."
"I herd you," Xavier said, "They'll be there momentarily."
"Why are you following me?" Yoshiko stopped in her tracks.
"Um...." Kurt had to think of an answer, quick.
"Not you..." She walked over to a bush and parted it slightly, "You."
Toad was there, he peered up at Yoshiko and gave a weak smile. He'd been following them most of the time.
"Er-- um... "
"Toad!" Kurt spat out, "What do you want with Yoshiko!" He teleported in front of Toad and between Yoshiko and grabbed him by the collar, "Where's the rest of your slime bucket team!"
Yoshiko stumbled back, how'd he do that? The first time she saw him pop up in front of her she thought she was just hallucinating. But that was real! She took a few more steps back, her face was a little more pale then usual, without being noticed she turned and ran in the other direction.
"Hey yo! Our team's better than yours now that we've got Miss. Witchie on our side!" Toad stopped, "Um... is by any chance one of the kid's tricks turning invisible?"
"No," Kurt looked to him puzzled and then back where Yoshiko was suppose to be, "Ah! She's gone!! Where'd she go!?"
Toad quickly spat in Kurt's face, Kurt let go of Toad and tried wipe the green gooky stuff off of his face. Toad took this opportunity to go chase after Yoshiko.
Yoshiko ran, once again, in which ever direction she felt like it. She quickly dodge the trees she kept on running towards, her speed wasn't very fast but pretty fast for a little kid. Rocks, low branches, trees, bushes, more rocks. She kept on jumping and doing, she just felt like running and never wanted to stop. If she did, what would happen?
"Hey there!" Quicksilver was running beside her, but something told her he could go faster, "Ah! Isn't it just nice to go for a late night jog around the park!"
"What do you want.." Yoshiko snapped at him, "I know your mocking me."
"Hey! We're all buds here right?" He gave his little signature smile, "How's about you come with me and I'll introduce you to some friends of mine!"
"No."
"Ooohh! That stung!" He shrugged, "But heck, who said I was asking?"
He quickly grabbed her around the waist and flung her over his shoulder, he sped off in the direction that he last saw Blob and Avalanche. Before he could even get very far he herd a soul killing scream. He looked over his shoulder at Yoshiko to see it was her.
"LET! GO OF ME!-- NOW!!"
White fire blazed up from her, the fire swarmed around her like armor. The fire was so violent it looked as if it had a mind of it's own, the fire was lashing out at anything in it's grasp, in fact it was about to engulf Quicksilver but Quicksilver quickly put her down on the ground. He watched in awe as the fire danced around Yoshiko, he knew he wouldn't be able to touch her without getting hurt himself. He was just about to run off and get reinforcements when he saw the flames seem to form a bubble around her. He around and saw Jean step out of the bushes, her mind clearly concentrating, she was the one who had the bubble around her. Others followed, Wolverine, Cyclops, Shadowcat, Spyke, Storm, and last but not least, Rogue.
"Step away from her Maximoff," Spyke glared daggers at him, in fact he made it own daggers and shot them at Quicksilver's feet.
Meanwhile, Yoshiko's screaming had ceased but the white fire still hung around her like a cloud. Storm looked to her, white fire?
"Look, it's white fire..." Storm said to Wolverine, "It's not black lightning anymore..."
"Maybe her better half is taking over!" Shadowcat said, she looked in awe too at Yoshiko's magnificent fire, "You know! The other girl, that died in the dream! Maybe she's not really dead! Maybe she's just fighting the other half!"
"What are you losers talking about," Toad leaped out from some shrubs and landed next to Quicksilver. Blob walked over and stood by Quicksilver as well, and Avalanche wasn't far to follow.
"So Scott," Avalanche said, a sly smile on his face, "What's it like to loose for once?"
"Scott!" Jean managed to get the words from her lips, she was still concentrating on the mind shield over Yoshiko, "Don't. Listen, to them!"
"We're unbeatable now that we've got Scarlet Witch on our side," Blob said, he crossed his arms across his chest, "I think you guys should just hand over the runt."
"Oh really?" Wolverine snarled, "Where's your witch now?"
Blob looked around, "Uh..."
Wolverine extended his metal claws, as if to warn them to leave... while they still had a chance. Just then, the shield slipped away from Yoshiko, her white fire had subsided. She wasn't knocked out, she tried to stand up but her wobbly legs bearly aloud her.
"Yoshiko," Storm was just about to run up there and hug her but she refrained herself, "Are you okay hun?"
Yoshiko ignored the question, she looked around to the many faces and didn't recognize any of them. She was surrounded, she took a small stance, ready to fight.
"I'm not going anywhere with any of you," Yoshiko hissed, "Is that clear!?"
"Yoshiko, we just want you help you!" Shadowcat said back, her voice sounded more rational than Yoshiko's, "Please. We just wanna help you."
Yoshiko looked at Wolverine, a small flash back formed in her mind. It looked like herself kicking and punching at that man... it was definitely her doing some form of martial arts, but she couldn't remember it. She glanced back behind her at the other group, she didn't want to go with them. She looked back at the others, but she didn't want to go with them either.
"Why can't you all just leave me alone..." She whispered, her small voice smaller then ever.
"I'm going to go hold her back," Wolverine said to Rogue, "You just get ready to do your thing."
"Right," Rogue nodded as she took off one of her gloves.
Wolverine advanced to Yoshiko his hands out stretched, "We don't wanna hurt you kiddo." He was starting to feel like an idiot, he knew he could just grab the kid but if he startled her too much she'd go off with her lightning and fire.
"No! I'm not going anywhere!" Yoshiko snapped, "With any of you!"
She undid the distance between the two and rolled her hands into tiny fits, she tucked in her elbow and rammed it into Wolverine's stomach. A sharp gasp came from him, but it didn't hurt that much. Yoshiko did the next thing that came to mind, she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled as hard and as fast as she could over her left shoulder. Wolverine sailed right over her shoulder and landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him. He definitely wasn't expecting that!
With a small gap between the group she race towards it, Rogue stepped out in front of her and held out her hand that was ungloved. Like Wolverine Yoshiko grabbed Rogue's wrist, ready to do the same thing she did to him, but this time she got a wave of something surge through her. She tried to let go of Rogue but Rogue already had a firm grip around her wrist as well, Yoshiko felt dizzy, almost sleepy... she...
She was out for the count, she collapsed on the ground in a small heap before Rogue's feet.
Rogue's eyes were quickly slit into two different colors, much similar to Yoshiko's, her left eye was black with a white pupil and her right was white with a black pupil. Her hair however staid the same color. Memories of running through Bayville, of meeting up with Kurt in the park, of Quicksilver running with her, and-- killing Professor Xavier?
"Rogue, Rogue?" Cyclops was holding her up, she didn't realize it but her knees had buckled beneath her, "Rogue? Are you okay?"
Rogue flickered her eyes open to see Scott's red visor starring at her, she glanced over to Storm who had Yoshiko's small body cradled in her arms. She looked back up at Cyclops, she staggered to her feet.
"I-I'll be fine," Rogue rubbed her head, "Whoa... what a rush..."
"Gotcha!" Quicksilver quickly grabbed Yoshiko out of Storm's arm and sped back to his group, "Well, it was nice chatting with you! And thanks again for knocking her out for me! It'll make the trip back to Magneto's easier!"
"Magneto's!?" Avalanche glared at him, "No way! We're taking her back to Mystique!"
"No," Jean wrapped her mind around Yoshiko and hovered her back into her own arms, "We're taking her back to Xavier!"
She shut her eyes quickly and a wave of physic energy blasted Avalanche, Toad, and Quicksilver ten feet back. Blob however was unaffected, he raced forward and barged right into Jean, she dropped Yoshiko who he grabbed. Wolverine quickly got up from the ground, where did Yoshiko learn that? Oh yea... you taught her.... If Wolverine taught her that, then how could she remember? It struck him, she was gaining memories back, somehow! He glared at Blob and extended his claws, he ran over to Blob and did a jump kick. Kicking him in the back, Blob kept his balance but he lost his grip on Yoshiko and she sailed through the air.
"I got her!" Quicksilver quickly got up and caught Yoshiko before she hit the ground, "Ha!"
"NO!!"
Storm raised her hands and a storm quickly assembled, lightning bolts darted down from the sky and struck viciously at Quicksilver. Quicksilver dodged them with time to spair, and with a wave and a gust of wind he was gone. Along with Yoshiko.