Controlled Nightmares
by Shadow_Fire
Disclaimer- X-Men: Evolution is not mine and I lay no claim on it. I do not own anything belonging to Marvel or the respected artists. I will not profit money wise from this story.
The night settled only to have its silence shattered by a crash of thunder, which was closely followed by flash of lightning. This was followed by the sudden downpour of rain, which instantly soaked the earth. With all the noise form the storm no one heard the first knock on the door. The second, however, was loud enough to alert those inside that someone was there.
Someone got up and opened the door to find a bedraggled looking figure standing under the slight protection of the stoop.
"Can I come in?" the figure asked.
"Uh...okay" came the slow sounding reply.
"Thank-you" the figure said as it stepped into the warmth of the house.
"Who is it, Freddy?" a voice called.
"Uh...I dunno" Fred replied.
"Gees, Fred. Letting strangers into the house is a bad thing...remember stranger danger" said a boy who had suddenly appeared behind the large boy, Fred.
"He was just being kind" the figure replied removing the cloak that had offered little protection from the rain.
"My name is Ava. I'd shake your hand but that's not such a good idea in my case. I don't want to hurt you" the stranger introduced herself.
"You're a girl?" Fred said, stating the obvious.
The other boy was just staring at her.
"Pietro, I assume. Well please stop staring at me - I find it very disconcerting" Ava informed him.
It was at that moment that a tall lady with blue skin walked into the room.
"Who have we here?" she drawled, eyeing the stranger.
"My name is Ava. I needed a place to stay and I was told that mutants live here so I knew that I would be safe here."
"Why would you assume that?" Mystique replied, arching an eyebrow and crossing her arms as if issuing a challenge.
"Well mutants tend to be safer together" Ava said, simply.
Mystique looked at this girl. She was of average height and weight with no noticeable distinguishing features. She had shoulder length black hair with a long fringe that fell in her eyes. She was wearing fingerless gloves, combat pants and a tight hooded sweatshirt - all of which were sopping wet.
"You're a mutant?" Fred interrupted.
"I wouldn't lie - in fact I never lie. I conceal the truth but I never lie" she informed all who were watching.
"That sounds like a contradiction" Mystique mused.
"Take it however you want. May I stay?"
"For how long?"
"As long as I am welcome. I have no where else to go at present."
"Fine, choose a room then come and see me" Mystique answered gruffly.
"Thank you" Ava replied as she shouldered her ratty backpack.
When she was gone Mystique motioned Pietro over.
"Keep an eye on her. Something about her seems strange."
Pietro gulped and nodded his head slightly.
Ava walked upstairs, her eyes constantly darting around to memorise her surroundings. Finding an empty room, bar a bed, she walked in and closed the door. It was small and, unlike the rest of the house, it was tidy.
She stripped out of her wet clothes and pulled her last remaining clothes out of her bag. Once she was dressed she wandered out to look for Mystique. She knew the names of everybody who lived here but she didn't want them to know how much she knew.
As she walked down the stairs she felt something rush past her.
"Where is Mystique?" she asked.
The person stopped and nearly fell down the stairs. His eyes glanced at her as he quickly looked her over and he pointed towards the kitchen.
"Thank you, Pietro."
Ava saw Mystique sitting at the kitchen table as she walked in.
"Thank you for letting me stay. I will help you in any way that I can."
Mystique nodded and indicated for her to take a seat.
"You can stay as long as you want."
"You want to know what my power is?" Ava asked wearily, although she already knew the answer.
"Yes - that would be nice."
"I'll need a test subject" she sighed.
"Certainly" Mystique replied and disappeared for a moment.
When she came back a boy with muddy coloured hair followed her. Todd, Ava mused.
"Toad this is Ava" Mystique said in way of introduction.
Ava reluctantly held out her hand for him to shake. The next thing any of them noticed was Toad screaming ear piercing scream and Mystique saw him back away from nothing and fall on the ground crying and screaming. The next minute he was unconscious.
"I can make people experience their worse fear. If I want I can make their worse fear kill them. I need to remain in contact for that. Once I have touched people I can keep them living in their fear until I let them go. I don't always need to touch people to do this but it helps me amplify their fear," Ava paused for a moment before continuing.
"I can make people experience their happiest moment but that is a lot harder as most people remember their worse moments with more clarity, if you understand what I mean."
"Will he be all right?" Mystique asked, indicating Toad's unconscious form lying on the kitchen floor.
"He'll be fine when he wakes up. I wasn't focusing much. I have very little control over what happens. I do have many people willing to let me practise on them. Sometimes nothing happens. But I wear the gloves just in case."
Mystique looked from Toad to the girl. It was then that she noticed the girl's eyes, which were an almost clear silver colour, expect for the pupil and the dark outer part of the iris.
Ava felt Mystique staring at her.
"My eyes. Yeah it's a side effect of my power. Along with this" she said lifting her fringe up to reveal what looked like a tattoo of vines weaving their way across her head. It looked as if she had a unique bandanna going across her forehead.
Mystique nodded, knowing how some mutations affect you physically as well. She knew all about that.
"You can go now. You are most welcome here though. Before you go, though, would you like to attend school here?"
"Oh yes please. I'm only sixteen and I would like to keep up with my studies" Ava replied before disappearing upstairs.
Mystique watched as Ava left the room. She was grinning at her luck. The girl showed up here instead of at Xavier's which made her happy. She went to the phone and made arrangements for her to attend Bayville High.
Ava sat in her room contemplating how things were going. She was slightly upset at what she had done but she knew that she had to do it. She looked around the room for something to break. She felt anger rush through her body as she thought about what had lead her to this place. She threw a couple of practise punches into the air.
"Having fun?" a smooth voice queried.
Turning, Ava saw Pietro standing in her doorway with a smirk on his face. This made Ava feel even angrier and before either of them fully understood what was happening Pietro was on the ground grasping his stomach.
"Sorry" Ava mumbled.
Pietro just grinned and looked up at her with a bemused look on his face.
"Now hat does he want me to do?" she asked, feeling angry again.
"Don't know, don't care. He will tell us when he wants too. Don't worry" he replied as he sat up.
"If I knew that I could get away with it you would be living through your worst nightmares right now" Ava growled.
"Now now, that's no way to talk to me. We both work for the same team."
"Not by choice, that for bloody certain" Ava hissed, her eyes glinting.
"See ya" he grinned again as he sped out of the room.
"What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Ava?" she asked herself as she fell into the deepest sleep she'd ever had.
The next day dawned clear and beautiful which made Ava feel a lot better. She woke early and to her surprise her closet was now full of new clothes and according to the note it was from Mystique. Ava smiled rather lopsidedly at her gesture. At least she had good taste.
Ava pulled on a pair of bootleg jeans and a short sleeved blue shirt that buttoned up. She then pulled on her gloves for safety's sake. She didn't need any accidents. She quickly went to the toilet then went downstairs.
Although she could think of so many over places to be she decided that she should make the best of a bad situation and began to cook a decent breakfast for all the people living in this house. With the aroma of the warm food flooding the house it wasn't long until people came downstairs ready to eat.
"Who the hell are you?" a voice interrupted her train of thought.
"Bloody hell," she muttered under her breath, "I'm Ava."
She looked up and saw two people standing in the doorway. She had met one of them ages ago, it was Wanda, who smiled at her when no one was looking.
"Lance" the other person said.
Of course, she already knew this and she nearly laughed at him when he held out his hand to shake it.
"Not a good idea" she said and doled both of them out some breakfast.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, suspiciously.
"Cooking breakfast?" she joked then turned serious; "I'm staying her for a while. If you don't mind, that is?" She smiled at him.
The others had come in by then and soon they were all sitting around the table eating and laughing like old friends.
"Time to go to school" a voice stopped their laughter.
Mystique was standing in the doorway, looking stern. Everybody got up then, except for Wanda who didn't go to school. Everyone disappeared, quickly, not wanting to incur her wrath. Ava stayed behind for just s few minutes.
"Thank you, again. I left you some breakfast. Well I better go" Ava said in a rush.
Mystique stood there in shock, none of the others had been so polite or thoughtful. It was quite unusual but a welcome change. Plus all the advantages that would come of having this girl on their team made her almost shiver with delight.
"Nice jeep" Ava commented as Lance drove them to school. It was a bit squashed in the back but that didn't worry her as she was in the front.
"Thanks" he shrugged.
They arrived at school in no time and Ava felt really nervous.
"I'm going to see the principal. Thanks for the ride" she said and walked off with a little wave.
Although she would have to see the principal that wasn't her reason for leaving so quickly. Off a ways she saw a familiar shock of red hair.
"What do you want?" she demanded of the person.
"Gees you're a feisty sheila, that's for sure."
"Look, St. John. I am not in the mood. I don't want to be here. I want to go back to New Zealand and be left alone but no, here I am doing all your dirty work and speaking in this American accent. I sound like a dork" she nearly yelled, dropping her accent for the moment.
"Well you know why you have to do it don't ya" he said with a grin.
"I know but what are you doing here?"
"Have to keep an eye on ya, don't we. Make sure you are behaving. Plus I don't have anything else to do" he laughed.
"Fine. Go tell your master that I am doing what I was told. I have a feeling that things will never be normal for me again."
St. John just grinned and backed away with a small wave.
Ava watched as he disappeared then turned towards the school. A piercing sound echoed through her skull and she realised that was the bell.
"Great," she sighed, "I just want to go home."
She shouldered her bag and rushed towards the school, she still needed to see the principal.
The school seemed huge, compared to her home but she didn't mind. It meant that it would be easier for her to hide, until she had finished her job at least. She ran around the corner and rushed towards the office when she realised, stupidly, that she didn't know where the office was.
"You can be such a moron, you know" she said a loud to herself.
"Are you all right?" a voice asked.
Ava turned in fright and held her hands out in defence only to find a girl with brown hair tied in a ponytail.
"Oh. Um...I'm lost. Do you know where the office is?"
"Sure, just follow me" she said in a perky voice.
"Thanks. I'm just having one of those days, you know?"
"Yep, I have them too. So, like, are you new here?"
"Yep, My name is Ava Jensen. Just moved here. Interesting place, lots of people."
"I'm Kitty Pryde. I hope you like it here. There's the office. See ya later I hope" Kitty said and waved as she went off in the opposite direction.
"That name is familiar" Ava mused to herself.
The meeting with the principal was strange but over quickly. There was something about Principal Kelly which didn't strike her as right but she didn't say anything. He just gave her a schedule and a quick 'be good to the school and it will be good to you' speech.
All in all, Ava was relieved when she could finally go to class, that was if she could read the timetable.
She made her way down the corridor trying to decipher the little piece of paper cursing occasionally under her breath.
"By the time I've worked this out school will be over" she grumbled.
"Having trouble" she heard someone say.
"Pietro, are you following me too? While you're here tell me what class I have, please" she begged dropping her practised accent.
He rolled his eyes and told her where to go then rushed off down the hall.