Chapter 18

Magneto watched the sleeping girl on his couch, covered by a deep green blanket. He could see what Pietro saw in her. She held great power inside herself, but looked so innocent and fragile at this moment.

He'd sent Sabertooth away. He figured Dixion would be a bit more comfortable without him. Truth be told, he didn't like Sabertooth all that much. He had no sophistication. He was more animal then man.

Dixion stirred, her calm face being exchanged for one of discomfort. Magneto came towards her, kneeling down before the couch and placing a hand on her forehead. Her face relaxed again. Then her eyes moved back and forth behind their lids.

Dixion fought the darkness she was surrounded by. Her head throbbed, and she felt weak. Her limbs were heavy and she couldn't move. She forced herself to open her eyes.

Her eyes fluttered open but couldn't focus. A figure hovered beside her. The only thing she recognized about the blurred figure was the bright hair.

"Pietro?" she croaked. Her throat was too dry. She tried to shallow; the pain was burning.

"He's not here. However, you have nothing to worry about. You will not be hurt." replied the obscured figure.

The voice wasn't Pietro's, it was deeper. But it did sound fairly similar. She still couldn't get her eyes to focus properly.

Dixion sat up slowly, painfully and was taken over by a hacking cough. It ended a few minutes later, leaving her feeling as if her throat was on fire. "Where am I?" she managed to ask.

The dark figure had moved away and returned, handing her a cold glass. She took a timid sip and the burning fled. "Thanks."

"We are in a safe house of mine." the nameless figure answered her earlier question.

"And where is that?" The water felt so good to Dixion's sore throat, she downed it all in hardly any time.

"We are still in Bayville."

There were a few moments of silence before Dixion spoke. "Um, did you mind telling me who you are?"

"I am Magneto."

"That doesn't really help." Dixion smirked. She was fingering at the glass.

"You already know Mystique. Or should I say Mrs. Darkholme." Magneto started.

Dixion's fingers on the glass halted. As he watched, the glass in her hands turned cloudy and cracked from the cold radiating from her hands. She put the glass down on the small black table in front of her. Immediately, a large crack spilt the glass in two.

"Sorry." She breathed through gritted teeth.

"Nothing to worry about. As I was saying, you know Mystique. She works for me."

Dixion was up like a shot. She didn't notice the blanket fall from her body. Her eyes were burning with a cold flame as she froze him in her gaze. "You sent her to my house. To get me. To bring me here." Her mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened if Mystique had forced her way in.

Magneto stood slowly. "Now Dixion, you need to calm down. Tell me what happened. Did she hurt you?"

"Bigfoot did. Tried to bash my skull in. That bitch just took some perverse pleasure in scaring the crap out of me." Dixion felt a chill across her legs. She looked down to notice she was still in her robe and felt very exposed. She grabbed the blanket up from the couch, wrapping it tightly around herself.

Magneto growled low. Sabertooth and Mystique would pay. They never did follow orders properly. They were ignorant and it was that ignorance that would cost them dearly.

He was brought back to the present by Dixion. She sounded as if she was hyperventilating. She was back on the couch, huddled in a ball and taking quick, shallow breaths.

Magneto came towards her slowly. "Dixion, what is it?"

"Before I was knocked out, Mystique said something about taking care of Pietro." She head came up, looking at him with shinning eyes. "What if she hurts him?"

Magneto's eyes darkened. "She will pay with her life if she hurts my son." He snarled, turning back to Dixion. "We're going to save him. But first you need some clothes." He leaded her away through the large chateau he called home.

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The Xavier Mansion wasn't the only place where there was an on going adjust to a new arrival. Within the Brotherhood, they were trying to manage having a female in their confines. She was causing such havoc that the guys were considering moving out.

Wanda pouted over her deep purple nails, wondering over how living at the Brotherhood had turned into such a snooze fest. Even tormenting the guys had lost it appeal. They were all locked up in their rooms, trying to avoid her. Pietro had walked off somewhere a couple hours earlier.

"He's no fun anyway." Wanda muttered, flipping through the channels on the TV at a blinding pace.

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Dixion followed Magneto numbly through his giant house. It looked like it had been furnished for 16th century French royalty. Obviously, he didn't have anyone living with him.

But it wasn't the house he was having trouble grasping. It was the last thing he said. 'She will pay with her life if she hurts my son.' Now it wasn't that she couldn't see Magneto being Pietro's father but Pietro never mentioned a father.

"You gotta help me out here," she started, following him down another long hallway. "You said your son. But Pietro never mentioned a father."

Magneto stopped briefly before moving on down the hallway. "Pietro grew up in an orphanage."

She was shocked. "Why? Where were you?"

"After his mother died, I just felt empty. It was too painful for me to be around Pietro. He looks so much his mother."

Dixion was too shocked to say anything.

Magneto stopped before two large dark wood doors. He swung them open, and Dixion followed quietly. He passed through the bedroom, over to the closet and opened it.

"You can take whatever fits." he spoke quietly.

Dixion looked around at her surroundings. The rich colors, the large canopy bed, the clothes in the closet. "Was this your wife's?"

"My daughter's. She died a year ago." Magneto looked over to the bed, a far off look to him

"I'm sorry."

He looked back to her, smiling sadly. "Thank you. But never mind that. You need to change quickly." He left, closing doors behind him.

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Rogue was worried about Dixion. She had come home looking drained, which was surprising considering she had slept a few hours that afternoon. She hadn't said anything while they were greeting the new girl and had disappeared afterwards. Kurt said she'd gone to bed early.

This was what worried Rogue the most. Dixion was spending more and more time by herself. 'The girl needs a vacation from life' she thought, as she came to the top of the stairs. She could see Dixion's door from where she stood, and there was no light coming from underneath it. Was she really sleeping?

Rogue felt bad for not checking sooner on her friend. But she had been preoccupied by the new girl Jubilee and Remy. She blushed just thinking about him. They had only met the day before but already she felt closer to him then the other guys. He understood what it was like for her, not being able to touch anyone. His own powers caused problems with physical contact. Rogue's thoughts drifted from her new love to Jubilee.

She had thought at first that Jubilee would be a lot like Kitty, and that would lead to problems. But Jubilee was nowhere as near as perky as Kitty. She was just full of energy. Only thing Kitty and Jubilee really had in common is how they looked up to Logan. Apparently Logan and Jubilee had a run in together before.

'Dix would like Jubilee' Rogue thought sadly, looking at her friend's bedroom door. She moved quietly over to it and just had her hand on the doorknob, when Remy came to the top of the stairs.

"Cher, leave da poor girl alone. She needs her beauty sleep."

"Remy, Iah need ta know she's ok." Rogue tried again to open the door.

"Just leave her." He pulled her hand away from the door, and into his arms. "Now why don' you and Remy go for a walk in da garden. Mighty beautiful at night."

Rogue smiled, and came along with no fight. But she still looked over her shoulder at the door.

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Now Pietro had never held a great friendship with Rogue, but if he would have given her everything he owned if she had just opened the door.

But she hadn't, he hadn't known she was there, and his torture went on. Now if this had actually been his Dixion - he had clued in there was something wrong with her a few minutes after he'd come in - this wouldn't be so bad, tied to a chair and gagged.

Now he wasn't saying he went for that torture stuff but hey, if it was Dixion he was willing to give it a try.

He figured he'd been tied there, sitting farther into the shadows, away from the window for about two hours, but he really couldn't be sure.

'Really loving family,' he grumbled to himself, 'don't even come and check on her from time to time.'

If they did, again he wouldn't still be tied to this chair, gagged and trying to ignore this new, crazy Dixion.

She lounged on her bed, filing her nails, and looking him over with an evil grin every few minutes. It was starting to creep him out.

She would also mumble things under her breath, and he could only ever catch one or two words. "...pay..." grumble "...enough..." snort "...lousy deadbeat..." evil laughter "...bastard..."

'Well this is just great.' he thought, 'This is how my life is going to end. I'm going to be driven insane by that lunatic or she'll eat me.'

Pietro was going over all the Gods, Goddesses, and Higher Beings he could think of - which sadly included aliens -, he noticed the tiniest movement of the shadow at the window.

The glass doors hadn't been bothered to be closed, so for a while a chilly breeze had been coming in. But that had stopped half an hour ago. This movement wasn't the curtains moving on the wind. Someone or something was on the balcony. Right now, anything would be an improvement.

He strained his eyes to pick out more detail to the new shadow. He could make out black curves...what a minute, that's a girl! -Pietro prided himself knowing the shapes and curves of a female's body. - But who was it? He strained in the dark to make out something else. Then he caught sight of a wisp of blood red hair. It couldn't be Dixion, could it?

He looked at Dixion on the bed, then at the shadow that could be her. Now he was creeped out.

Then it hit him. Who did he know that had the talent of looking like others?

"You bitch, when I get out of this chair, your dog food." was what Pietro growled, but it came out sounding like a deep rumble of sound.

Dixion got up off the bed, to see to her prisoner. "What's wrong Pietro?" she crooned, removing the restraint so he could talk.

"I said 'You bitch, when I get out of this chair, your dog food'." he growled again, shifting around in the chair.

SMACK!

Dixion's hand came up and backhanded him across the face so hard, the chair rocked back, before coming back down to all four with a quiet thud.

"Now, now. You shouldn't talk to ladies that way." she giggled looking down at him.

"You're no lady. You're just some crazy bitch." he spat at her.

Dixion's hand came up again, but before she could make contact again, she was distracted by the glass doors being thrown back against the walls with a fury of wind.

As the wind quieted down, Dixion made her way toward the window slowly. She was caught off guard by a shadowed figure that lunged at her, throwing them both to the ground.

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Dixion sat crouched on her balcony, waiting for Magneto. She pressed herself against the wall, sliding closer to see could into her room. Mystique was lying on her bed, filing her nails. Dixion had to restrain herself when she saw Pietro.

She stood slowly; moving back and almost ran in when Magneto stopped her. "Not yet." he mouthed.

She inched over to look in again. She looked over at Pietro. He locked eyes with her, and he looked confused. She moved away again, before Mystique could see her.

Dixion stepped back, her nerves getting to her. She ran her hand over the outfit she had chosen. Her body was gloved in leather, reminding her of cat women's outfit. Upon digging through the closet, and finding this getup, she figured Magneto's daughter had been quiet an eccentric girl. That and probably a mutant as well. Along with the guise, Dixion had found a bag to put her little bit of clothing and some other items she would have to remember to ask Pietro about.

Movement within the room caught Dixion's attention, moving her closer to listen. Pietro tried to say something but it was muffled. Dixion peeked into the room.

Mystique got up off the bed, moving toward Pietro. "What's wrong Pietro?" she purred sickeningly, removing the restraint so he could talk.

"I said 'You bitch, when I get out of this chair, your dog food'." he growled. He struggled around in the chair. Dixion smiled gratefully at Pietro's words.

SMACK!

Mystique's hand came up and backhanded him across the face so hard, the chair rocked back, before coming back down to all four with a quiet thud.

Magneto sat enraged beside Dixion. She had to dig her nails into her thigh to stop her from moving. But that didn't stop her powers from kicking into action. A cold wind started to build.

"Now, now. You shouldn't talk to ladies that way." Mystique giggled insanely looking down at him.

"You're no lady. You're just some crazy bitch." Pietro spat at her.

Dixion saw Mystique raise her hand again and she knew that was it. She didn't what Magneto wanted; she was stopping this, now.

A cold fury of wind howled past Dixion's ears, rushing into her room and slamming back the glass doors. Mystique whirled around looking at the window, coming towards it. When she was close enough, Dixion pounced.

She threw all her weight into Mystique as she made contact, throwing them both to the floor. Dixion lifted herself off the floor enough to attack Mystique. She got in a nice left hook that anyone fighter would be proud of, before Mystique threw her backwards, landing in front of Pietro. Pain spread across Dixion's back as she slowly rose from the floor to attack. She looked up to see Magneto had come into the room and was going at Mystique, tooth and nail. Mystique made a wrong move and Magneto had her pinned against the wall, holding her by her throat. Laying back down was looking very nice right about now.

"Dixion? Are you all right?" Pietro asked, struggling still with the chair. When Dixion had jumped Mystique, he had been somewhat surprised. Surprise turned to anger and panic when Dixion was thrown toward him, landing hard.

Dixion shifted painfully to look at Pietro. "Yeah, I think." She crawled toward him, resting her head in his lap. She made small noises of protest, before looking up at him again. "Remind me never to sign up for wrestling."

A small smile came to Pietro's face as Dixion moved slowly around him to untie him from the chair. As soon as he was free, he was on the floor, pulling her into his arms. The fear and pain finally got to her, and Dixion sobbed into Pietro's shoulder. He rocked her slowly, smoothing her hair and murmuring comforting things to her.

Dixion got control of herself and looked up into Pietro's eyes. "Life's a bitch." she sniffed, before snuggling against his chest.

"Yeah it is." Pietro continued to rock them both.

Dixion clutched his shirt in her hand. Listening to his heartbeat and the rocking was soothing her raw nerves. "I don't think I can take it anymore. I just want to get away."

Pietro paused before he answered. He wasn't too happy with life right now either. He needed time to sort things out in his life. And he wanted more time with Dixion.

"Then that's what we'll do."

****************************************** I know I'm terrible leaving you with a cliffhanger. But it fits. FYI: I know I might get questions about this. Wonder why no one noticed the fight? Everyone was downstairs having a party for Jubilee. Except for Remy and Rouge of course. Love to hear what you think. Till next ime.