Dull light flooded into the stairwell. Raven blinked and peered out the door. Outside was a jungle-like setting, though it was like no jungle she had ever seen. Dinosaurs grazed lazily by a crystal clear stream. The air was thick and fresh with a hint of dew and just the right humidity.
The girls followed Mystique as she started down a path that led into a thicket. Just beyond the thicket was a beautiful building made of white marble and glass. A pair or horses stood tethered to a pole in a near-by meadow.
Mystique came upon the iron gates that surrounded the building and punched a code into a keypad. The gates creaked open and where ushered into a courtyard where more horses milled freely.
They finally entered the building through a pair of glass doors and saw mutants striding past every which way. One mutant was coming their way. He wore a purple and red helmet with a violet cape.
"Welcome to my humble...home," he smiled, "I am Eric Lehnsherr, but my real name is Magneto."
"My name is Raven," Raven informed him politely. Magneto grinned.
"And I'm Kaylee."
"Very nice to meet you both. Now, Mystique has brought you here because you wanted to be mutants, no?" The girls nodded.
"Well, we can change you tomorrow morning, if you wish," Magneto informed them, "Would that please you?" Again the girls smiled and nodded.
"After dinner we shall begin testing and prepare you for the exposure but you have an hour before then, so feel free to look around," Mystique offered.
"What are we going to do about clothes?" Kaylee blurted out.
"There are already items for you in your rooms including your new uniforms. I had the Scarlet Witch take them to your rooms."
"Uniforms?" Raven asked curiously.
"Yes, you are going to be part of the brotherhood of mutants. Oh, Mystique? Would you mind taking them to their room?" Magneto asked sounding very much like a hotel clerk. Mystique nodded and took them to a glass elevator.
"Go up the elevator to level 3, take a right when you get off. It's the only room in that corridor, so you should be able to find it," she instructed them. The girls thanked her and boarded the elevator. They reached their room and realized they didn't have a key. To make things stranger, there was no keyhole.
"What do we do?" Kaylee asked.
"Um, I don't really know," Raven answered pushing on the door.
"Please state guest's name," the door said suddenly.
"Uh, Raven Kolier."
"And Kaylee Mitchell," Kaylee chimed in. The door swung open to reveal a massive room. They walked inside and began to look at all the high tech furniture. It was decorated in a modern theme with giant windows over looking a lake and all the latest electronics.
Their beds were in another room and on each were all the supplies one would need to live comfortably. On the bed on the left was a blue dress and an assortment of other things Kaylee loved, such as magazines. On the right was a bed laden with Raven's favorite things and an aqua dress.
"Whoa," Kaylee gasped as she surveyed their room. After 10 minutes of settling in, Raven decided to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Kaylee asked as she flipped through TV channels. Raven shrugged,
"Out?" She shut the door behind her and went to the first floor. Things seemed to have quieted down and she walked outside. The gates groaned as they opened and Raven walked out into the meadow to the left of the gates.
She approached the horses tethered to the post. One of the horses was a powerful, midnight black with a blaze down his face. The other was a dainty palomino with a white mane and a star on her forehead.
Raven walked up to the black one and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned and studied Raven as if deciding if she was worthy to be this close. He shook his mane and stared at Raven as if daring her to ride him.
She went to the post and untied him. She tied the rope to the other side of his bridal and pulled herself onto his back. Surprisingly, he did nothing. He seemed to congratulate her for not shying away and in turn he was going to let her ride.
Raven kicked his sides and he sped into the forest.
***
Kaylee started when she heard a knock on her door. She opened the door to see Quicksilver.
"Oh, hi Quicksilver," Kaylee smiled.
"Please, call me Pietro," he told her. Kaylee nodded and motioned for him to come inside. He sat down at the bar and stared Kaylee in the eye.
"I wanted to thank you," he said quietly.
"For what?" Kaylee wondered aloud. Quicksilver shrugged.
"For cheering me up," he answered. Kaylee blushed remembering her kiss.
"Everyone seems to judge me, look down upon me just waiting for me to screw up," he murmured, "Everyone seems to find me too emotional and they don't like me for that."
"You're a wonderful person, Pietro, you really are. I always let what people said affect me but finally I realized they aren't me and I shouldn't let them make my decisions. You shouldn't either," Kaylee advised him.
"I never thought I would be taking advice from a 19 year-old but...thank you," Quicksilver whispered. He put his hand on Kaylee's shoulder and was silent. Then he leaned in a placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Kaylee was silent. Another awkward moment but this time, Raven wasn't there to give her an excuse to leave.
Quicksilver saw how uncomfortable he had made her.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I shouldn't..."
"No," Kaylee said suddenly, "It's okay." She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his forehead. Quicksilver gazed at her, surprised.
"I better go, dinner will be served soon," he said, standing abruptly and walking to the entryway.
"Um, do you know where Raven is by any chance?" Kaylee asked suddenly. Quicksilver looked bewildered.
"No, but I can have Toad go look for her, if you like."
"Alright, thank you."
"Oh, by the way, wear those dresses to dinner tonight. It's going to be a special occasion," he added. Then Quicksilver opened the door and left. Kaylee plopped down on the couch and buried her face in her hands.
***
Raven sat by a small pond while the black horse grazed near-by. He was a wild horse but seemed to sense the rider and treat them accordingly. Raven gazed at her face in the water and saw another face appear next to hers. Startled, Raven jumped and turned to the owner.
A man stood, or rather crouched, next to her. He had yellow-green skin and green hair.
"Toad," said the man obviously referring to himself. Not feeling too friendly, Raven didn't offer her name. She merely nodded.
"I was sent to fetch you. You have to prepare for dinner," Toad continued, a little taken aback.
"Right, it is getting dark." With that Raven got up and mounted the stallion. She took off into the forest. For a moment she heard only the sound of the wind and pounding hooves, but when another sound was added she glanced to see what it was.
On the left side of the horse was Toad, vainly trying to keep up.
"What's your name?" He breathed.
"Um, Raven," she called back and urged the horse faster. Toad gave up after that and Raven rode alone back to the building.
***
Kaylee was on the couch on her back when she heard a voice in the corridor. The door swung open and Raven walked in. Her hair had fallen in messy wisps over her face.
"Where have you been?" Kaylee asked.
"Riding," Raven answered simply. Kaylee shook her head and got up.
"Come try on your dinner dress," Kaylee said excitedly. They went to their beds and got their dresses. Raven's was a halter top with a V-neck and flowing bottom. Kaylee's was a spaghetti-strap with a rounded neck and loose bottom. Amazingly, the dresses fit the girls perfectly. It was a refreshing change after their pajamas, which they had worn the entire way over.
"Time for dinner," came a voice from their living room. They walked out and noticed an intercom.
"Okay, thanks, but where do we go?" Kaylee asked. The man on the other end gave them direction and they left their room. They went to the first floor and followed the hallway on their right as they had been instructed. They entered a busy dining room the size of a ballroom where at least 50 mutants sat around a long table. All of them where dressed like Raven and Kaylee, chatting happily with their neighbors.
The girls took the last two seats at the table which, coincidentally, where right next to Quicksilver and Toad.
Magneto clapped his hands and everyone at the table looked at him.
"We shall now begin our feast," he hollered. As soon as he was done speaking, platters where lowered from the ceiling and set along the table. Everyone began to fill their plates and eat. Raven and Kaylee timidly took things as they were passed along the table.
***
Towards the end of dinner, Quicksilver leaned over to Kaylee.
"You look beautiful," he whispered to her. Kaylee blushed.
"Thank you," she murmured, "You look nice, too." Quicksilver grinned and turned back to his dessert. Quickly, Kaylee started talking to Raven to avoid any more awkward conversations with Quicksilver.
"So we are going to be tested tonight?" Kaylee asked.
"I guess so," Raven answered, "I think I'm gonna go back upstairs."
"I'll go too," Kaylee said suddenly. Raven nodded and the girls stood up.
"Leaving so soon?" Magneto asked from the head of the table.
"Yeah, we're going to rest up a little before tonight," Raven replied. They left the dining room and got back to their room. They plopped down on the couch and turned the TV on. The only thing they agreed on was the news.
"An escaped army weapon was captured today and returned to the army base. How can a weapon escape you may ask? Well, this was no ordinary weapon but more of an experiment of a human. He is part of the Weapon X program. All information on this program remains classified but some speculate these "Weapon X" experiments are mutants."
"Boy does this bring back memories," Raven smiled.
"Yeah, of yesterday," Kaylee laughed.
"So?" Raven chuckled.
"Now the army is experimenting on mutants," Kaylee sighed, "Hope they don't capture us."
"We have a whole new life ahead of us. People who don't understand us will hate us and want us dead," Raven said, rather morbidly.
"Scary," whispered Kaylee, her eyes widening.
"Yeah...well I'm gonna go take a shower," Raven suddenly said, standing up.
"Okay, where's the remote?" Raven shrugged,
"Check the cushions."
"High-tech room and we still lose the remote," Kaylee whined as Raven left.
***
About a half an hour later there was a knock on the door. Kaylee stood up to get it while Raven finished drying her hair. She opened the door to find Quicksilver in the hallway.
"Ready?" he asked. Kaylee was now in her pajamas, which consisted of a cropped shirt and pink, stripped pants. Quicksilver began to lean towards Kaylee just as Raven entered the room. She was wearing a black tank top and plain blue pants. Quicksilver saw Raven and backed up. Kaylee smiled. It was almost as if Raven scared him.
"Let's go, then," Raven said almost excitedly. As they left, Kaylee whispered to Raven,
"Quicksilver thinks I like him."
"Well you have to tell him you don't...unless you do," Raven smirked.
"No! Of course not, I was only trying to make him feel better. Look, I think he's afraid of you, can you tell him?" Kaylee pleaded.
"Uh uh, I'm not going to get involved in this," Raven murmured.
"You're are my best friend!" Kaylee whined.
"Don't give me that "You're my best friend, help me!" crap," Raven growled. Kaylee looked at Raven and pursed her lips.
"Oh, what the hell. I'll give in eventually, why not now?" Raven grumbled. Kaylee hugged Raven, who choked.
"Thank you, I don't need that," Raven whispered, pushing Kaylee off, "It's hard enough to walk without you hanging on me."
"Oh, by the way. There has been a change in plans. We are going to expose you to the radiation tonight, if you don't object," Quicksilver spoke up suddenly.
"No, why so soon though?" Raven asked.
"Oh, no reason. Just efficient," Quicksilver answered.
They took the elevator down to a basement level equipped like lab. There where tables and machines everywhere with tanks of strange liquids and other strange objects. Quicksilver motioned for them to sit on one of the tables. It was a cold and metallic but they didn't have to wait long.
A woman dressed in red with a white lab coat and black hair came over with needles and flasks.
"Hi, I'm Scarlet Witch or Wanda. You can call me either name," the women grinned, "Really all we need to do for preparation is take some blood. Who wants to go first?" Raven looked over at Kaylee who looked white.
"I will," Raven said. Wanda took three flasks of blood but it wasn't enough to make Raven dizzy. Then Kaylee got her blood taken.
"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes." Wanda left the room and the girls looked around at all the instruments. Quicksilver sat in the corner as if he thought they were going to try to escape. Still, when Kaylee looked over, he grinned. Kaylee turned away.
When Wanda came back, she was holding two vests. She threw one to Quicksilver and put the other one on herself.
"Now you did want to be exposed tonight, right?" she asked. Kaylee nodded.
"Right then. Raven, do you want to go first?"
"Um, sure." Raven was led over to a table with straps on it. She lay down and Wanda strapped her in. She used a lever to raise the table vertically. Then she walked over to a machine that looked oddly like a sunflower in full bloom. She put on a pair of goggles.
"Now, close your eyes." Raven did as she was told. Wanda hit a white switch and the part that would be the flower began to rotate. Once it was at full speed, she hit a green switch diagonally below the white one. Green beams of light began to appear on Raven's body and at her sides, all of them rotating. Finally, they all combined and hit Raven, full blast. There was a blinding light and Kaylee shielded her eyes.
When she opened them again, the machine had been turned off and was slowing its rotations. Raven hung limply on the table with her head at her shoulder. Kaylee would have thought she was dead, except for the fact that she was still breathing.
Kaylee heard someone get off the elevator behind her. It was Toad.
"Sorry I'm late, Wanda," he said.
"Well, we started without you, Toad, " she told him. Quicksilver lowered the table and began to un-strap Raven.
"I'll get her," Toad said walking over. Quicksilver nodded and handed Raven to Toad. He threw her over his shoulder and took her to a cot by the elevator. He laid her down there and then it was Kaylee's turn. She took a deep breath and walked over to the table. She hoisted herself on it and lay down. Quicksilver strapped her down and raised it.
Wanda told her to close her eyes and Kaylee clamped them shut. She could see the white light through her eyelids. Once it was spinning at a constant rate, it became yellow. She felt overwhelming pressure on her body that soon became pain. She wanted to cry out but got hit by the full blast. Everything went black.
The girls followed Mystique as she started down a path that led into a thicket. Just beyond the thicket was a beautiful building made of white marble and glass. A pair or horses stood tethered to a pole in a near-by meadow.
Mystique came upon the iron gates that surrounded the building and punched a code into a keypad. The gates creaked open and where ushered into a courtyard where more horses milled freely.
They finally entered the building through a pair of glass doors and saw mutants striding past every which way. One mutant was coming their way. He wore a purple and red helmet with a violet cape.
"Welcome to my humble...home," he smiled, "I am Eric Lehnsherr, but my real name is Magneto."
"My name is Raven," Raven informed him politely. Magneto grinned.
"And I'm Kaylee."
"Very nice to meet you both. Now, Mystique has brought you here because you wanted to be mutants, no?" The girls nodded.
"Well, we can change you tomorrow morning, if you wish," Magneto informed them, "Would that please you?" Again the girls smiled and nodded.
"After dinner we shall begin testing and prepare you for the exposure but you have an hour before then, so feel free to look around," Mystique offered.
"What are we going to do about clothes?" Kaylee blurted out.
"There are already items for you in your rooms including your new uniforms. I had the Scarlet Witch take them to your rooms."
"Uniforms?" Raven asked curiously.
"Yes, you are going to be part of the brotherhood of mutants. Oh, Mystique? Would you mind taking them to their room?" Magneto asked sounding very much like a hotel clerk. Mystique nodded and took them to a glass elevator.
"Go up the elevator to level 3, take a right when you get off. It's the only room in that corridor, so you should be able to find it," she instructed them. The girls thanked her and boarded the elevator. They reached their room and realized they didn't have a key. To make things stranger, there was no keyhole.
"What do we do?" Kaylee asked.
"Um, I don't really know," Raven answered pushing on the door.
"Please state guest's name," the door said suddenly.
"Uh, Raven Kolier."
"And Kaylee Mitchell," Kaylee chimed in. The door swung open to reveal a massive room. They walked inside and began to look at all the high tech furniture. It was decorated in a modern theme with giant windows over looking a lake and all the latest electronics.
Their beds were in another room and on each were all the supplies one would need to live comfortably. On the bed on the left was a blue dress and an assortment of other things Kaylee loved, such as magazines. On the right was a bed laden with Raven's favorite things and an aqua dress.
"Whoa," Kaylee gasped as she surveyed their room. After 10 minutes of settling in, Raven decided to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Kaylee asked as she flipped through TV channels. Raven shrugged,
"Out?" She shut the door behind her and went to the first floor. Things seemed to have quieted down and she walked outside. The gates groaned as they opened and Raven walked out into the meadow to the left of the gates.
She approached the horses tethered to the post. One of the horses was a powerful, midnight black with a blaze down his face. The other was a dainty palomino with a white mane and a star on her forehead.
Raven walked up to the black one and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned and studied Raven as if deciding if she was worthy to be this close. He shook his mane and stared at Raven as if daring her to ride him.
She went to the post and untied him. She tied the rope to the other side of his bridal and pulled herself onto his back. Surprisingly, he did nothing. He seemed to congratulate her for not shying away and in turn he was going to let her ride.
Raven kicked his sides and he sped into the forest.
***
Kaylee started when she heard a knock on her door. She opened the door to see Quicksilver.
"Oh, hi Quicksilver," Kaylee smiled.
"Please, call me Pietro," he told her. Kaylee nodded and motioned for him to come inside. He sat down at the bar and stared Kaylee in the eye.
"I wanted to thank you," he said quietly.
"For what?" Kaylee wondered aloud. Quicksilver shrugged.
"For cheering me up," he answered. Kaylee blushed remembering her kiss.
"Everyone seems to judge me, look down upon me just waiting for me to screw up," he murmured, "Everyone seems to find me too emotional and they don't like me for that."
"You're a wonderful person, Pietro, you really are. I always let what people said affect me but finally I realized they aren't me and I shouldn't let them make my decisions. You shouldn't either," Kaylee advised him.
"I never thought I would be taking advice from a 19 year-old but...thank you," Quicksilver whispered. He put his hand on Kaylee's shoulder and was silent. Then he leaned in a placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Kaylee was silent. Another awkward moment but this time, Raven wasn't there to give her an excuse to leave.
Quicksilver saw how uncomfortable he had made her.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I shouldn't..."
"No," Kaylee said suddenly, "It's okay." She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his forehead. Quicksilver gazed at her, surprised.
"I better go, dinner will be served soon," he said, standing abruptly and walking to the entryway.
"Um, do you know where Raven is by any chance?" Kaylee asked suddenly. Quicksilver looked bewildered.
"No, but I can have Toad go look for her, if you like."
"Alright, thank you."
"Oh, by the way, wear those dresses to dinner tonight. It's going to be a special occasion," he added. Then Quicksilver opened the door and left. Kaylee plopped down on the couch and buried her face in her hands.
***
Raven sat by a small pond while the black horse grazed near-by. He was a wild horse but seemed to sense the rider and treat them accordingly. Raven gazed at her face in the water and saw another face appear next to hers. Startled, Raven jumped and turned to the owner.
A man stood, or rather crouched, next to her. He had yellow-green skin and green hair.
"Toad," said the man obviously referring to himself. Not feeling too friendly, Raven didn't offer her name. She merely nodded.
"I was sent to fetch you. You have to prepare for dinner," Toad continued, a little taken aback.
"Right, it is getting dark." With that Raven got up and mounted the stallion. She took off into the forest. For a moment she heard only the sound of the wind and pounding hooves, but when another sound was added she glanced to see what it was.
On the left side of the horse was Toad, vainly trying to keep up.
"What's your name?" He breathed.
"Um, Raven," she called back and urged the horse faster. Toad gave up after that and Raven rode alone back to the building.
***
Kaylee was on the couch on her back when she heard a voice in the corridor. The door swung open and Raven walked in. Her hair had fallen in messy wisps over her face.
"Where have you been?" Kaylee asked.
"Riding," Raven answered simply. Kaylee shook her head and got up.
"Come try on your dinner dress," Kaylee said excitedly. They went to their beds and got their dresses. Raven's was a halter top with a V-neck and flowing bottom. Kaylee's was a spaghetti-strap with a rounded neck and loose bottom. Amazingly, the dresses fit the girls perfectly. It was a refreshing change after their pajamas, which they had worn the entire way over.
"Time for dinner," came a voice from their living room. They walked out and noticed an intercom.
"Okay, thanks, but where do we go?" Kaylee asked. The man on the other end gave them direction and they left their room. They went to the first floor and followed the hallway on their right as they had been instructed. They entered a busy dining room the size of a ballroom where at least 50 mutants sat around a long table. All of them where dressed like Raven and Kaylee, chatting happily with their neighbors.
The girls took the last two seats at the table which, coincidentally, where right next to Quicksilver and Toad.
Magneto clapped his hands and everyone at the table looked at him.
"We shall now begin our feast," he hollered. As soon as he was done speaking, platters where lowered from the ceiling and set along the table. Everyone began to fill their plates and eat. Raven and Kaylee timidly took things as they were passed along the table.
***
Towards the end of dinner, Quicksilver leaned over to Kaylee.
"You look beautiful," he whispered to her. Kaylee blushed.
"Thank you," she murmured, "You look nice, too." Quicksilver grinned and turned back to his dessert. Quickly, Kaylee started talking to Raven to avoid any more awkward conversations with Quicksilver.
"So we are going to be tested tonight?" Kaylee asked.
"I guess so," Raven answered, "I think I'm gonna go back upstairs."
"I'll go too," Kaylee said suddenly. Raven nodded and the girls stood up.
"Leaving so soon?" Magneto asked from the head of the table.
"Yeah, we're going to rest up a little before tonight," Raven replied. They left the dining room and got back to their room. They plopped down on the couch and turned the TV on. The only thing they agreed on was the news.
"An escaped army weapon was captured today and returned to the army base. How can a weapon escape you may ask? Well, this was no ordinary weapon but more of an experiment of a human. He is part of the Weapon X program. All information on this program remains classified but some speculate these "Weapon X" experiments are mutants."
"Boy does this bring back memories," Raven smiled.
"Yeah, of yesterday," Kaylee laughed.
"So?" Raven chuckled.
"Now the army is experimenting on mutants," Kaylee sighed, "Hope they don't capture us."
"We have a whole new life ahead of us. People who don't understand us will hate us and want us dead," Raven said, rather morbidly.
"Scary," whispered Kaylee, her eyes widening.
"Yeah...well I'm gonna go take a shower," Raven suddenly said, standing up.
"Okay, where's the remote?" Raven shrugged,
"Check the cushions."
"High-tech room and we still lose the remote," Kaylee whined as Raven left.
***
About a half an hour later there was a knock on the door. Kaylee stood up to get it while Raven finished drying her hair. She opened the door to find Quicksilver in the hallway.
"Ready?" he asked. Kaylee was now in her pajamas, which consisted of a cropped shirt and pink, stripped pants. Quicksilver began to lean towards Kaylee just as Raven entered the room. She was wearing a black tank top and plain blue pants. Quicksilver saw Raven and backed up. Kaylee smiled. It was almost as if Raven scared him.
"Let's go, then," Raven said almost excitedly. As they left, Kaylee whispered to Raven,
"Quicksilver thinks I like him."
"Well you have to tell him you don't...unless you do," Raven smirked.
"No! Of course not, I was only trying to make him feel better. Look, I think he's afraid of you, can you tell him?" Kaylee pleaded.
"Uh uh, I'm not going to get involved in this," Raven murmured.
"You're are my best friend!" Kaylee whined.
"Don't give me that "You're my best friend, help me!" crap," Raven growled. Kaylee looked at Raven and pursed her lips.
"Oh, what the hell. I'll give in eventually, why not now?" Raven grumbled. Kaylee hugged Raven, who choked.
"Thank you, I don't need that," Raven whispered, pushing Kaylee off, "It's hard enough to walk without you hanging on me."
"Oh, by the way. There has been a change in plans. We are going to expose you to the radiation tonight, if you don't object," Quicksilver spoke up suddenly.
"No, why so soon though?" Raven asked.
"Oh, no reason. Just efficient," Quicksilver answered.
They took the elevator down to a basement level equipped like lab. There where tables and machines everywhere with tanks of strange liquids and other strange objects. Quicksilver motioned for them to sit on one of the tables. It was a cold and metallic but they didn't have to wait long.
A woman dressed in red with a white lab coat and black hair came over with needles and flasks.
"Hi, I'm Scarlet Witch or Wanda. You can call me either name," the women grinned, "Really all we need to do for preparation is take some blood. Who wants to go first?" Raven looked over at Kaylee who looked white.
"I will," Raven said. Wanda took three flasks of blood but it wasn't enough to make Raven dizzy. Then Kaylee got her blood taken.
"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes." Wanda left the room and the girls looked around at all the instruments. Quicksilver sat in the corner as if he thought they were going to try to escape. Still, when Kaylee looked over, he grinned. Kaylee turned away.
When Wanda came back, she was holding two vests. She threw one to Quicksilver and put the other one on herself.
"Now you did want to be exposed tonight, right?" she asked. Kaylee nodded.
"Right then. Raven, do you want to go first?"
"Um, sure." Raven was led over to a table with straps on it. She lay down and Wanda strapped her in. She used a lever to raise the table vertically. Then she walked over to a machine that looked oddly like a sunflower in full bloom. She put on a pair of goggles.
"Now, close your eyes." Raven did as she was told. Wanda hit a white switch and the part that would be the flower began to rotate. Once it was at full speed, she hit a green switch diagonally below the white one. Green beams of light began to appear on Raven's body and at her sides, all of them rotating. Finally, they all combined and hit Raven, full blast. There was a blinding light and Kaylee shielded her eyes.
When she opened them again, the machine had been turned off and was slowing its rotations. Raven hung limply on the table with her head at her shoulder. Kaylee would have thought she was dead, except for the fact that she was still breathing.
Kaylee heard someone get off the elevator behind her. It was Toad.
"Sorry I'm late, Wanda," he said.
"Well, we started without you, Toad, " she told him. Quicksilver lowered the table and began to un-strap Raven.
"I'll get her," Toad said walking over. Quicksilver nodded and handed Raven to Toad. He threw her over his shoulder and took her to a cot by the elevator. He laid her down there and then it was Kaylee's turn. She took a deep breath and walked over to the table. She hoisted herself on it and lay down. Quicksilver strapped her down and raised it.
Wanda told her to close her eyes and Kaylee clamped them shut. She could see the white light through her eyelids. Once it was spinning at a constant rate, it became yellow. She felt overwhelming pressure on her body that soon became pain. She wanted to cry out but got hit by the full blast. Everything went black.
