Chapter 12- The Wreckoning
It's another long morning in first period AP Physics. Mr. Harkin stood up front and took roll.
"Donald Rollins?" Mr. Harkin called.
"Here."
"Chris Smith?"
"Here."
"Claudette St. Croix?"
"Present." She answered in an angelic Southern accent.
"What's with the voice, luv?" St. John whispered, leaning toward the next table.
She cleared her throat, and then answered in her native accent, "I have no idea. It's been happening a lot though."
Mr. Harkin kept calling the roll. "Nicole St. Croix?"
No Answer.
He called again, "Nicole St. Croix?" He looked up to see Damia sitting at their table by herself. Nicole's seat was empty. "Humh? Nicole's not here. It's not like her to miss my class."
"Mr. Harkin, my sister hasn't been feeling like herself lately. I told her to stay at home and rest."
"Oh. Then, tell her I said get well soon."
As Mr. Harkin began class, all Claudette could think about was Nicole and what she might do, after their enhancing. God, I hope Summers gets here before Nicole sees him.
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Scott stood in front of his locker, trying to retrieve his Physics book. How could I have been late this morning? He shrugged it off, and searched for his book. He kept hearing faint sounds of airy breathing, around the hall. But everytime he looked at this direction, he never saw anything.
Scott was about to go to class. He closed his locker, and on the other side of it, stood Nicole, in all black, leaning against the locker next to him. She had kind of a bad girl yet sultry presence about her. "Hey Nicole." He said nervously.
"Well hello there Mr. Summers." She answered playfully, in the same manner as Claudette earlier.
"I thought you were sick."
"Well, Scott there are a lot of things we think about each other that aren't exactly true. Am I right?"
He laughed nervously.
"So how have you been in the last month that we've been split up?"
Scott was tense about what to reply. "Ok. How about you?"
"Better than I expected, actually."
"That's good. I don't want to sound rude, but I have to be going."
"Hey, Hey Now. What's your rush, hon? Don't have time to talk your ex? Can't catch up, and see how your old flame is getting along now?" She stood in front of him, stopping him from leaving, with his back to the lockers.
"It's not that. But I was just planning on graduating this year."
"Me too. But I have time to talk. Why don't you?"
"How do you? You're a Junior."
"Oh, you didn't hear? I took a test, now I'm a grade higher."
"Oh ok."
"But that's not all that's changed about me. I have discovered new things about myself. And I was wondering if you wanted to explore them with me." She pushed him against the lockers, running her fingers across his chest.
"Nicole, I have a girlfriend now. You know, Jean Grey."
"OH YEAH.... The bitch you left me for. Well it's ok. I mean I have a new lover as well. I'm sure they won't mind if we catch up on a few things. Will they?"
"Actually, I think they will." Scott tried to push her hand away.
"Scott. Just hear me out ok?"
"Alright."
"Recently, I've gone through an awesome revelation. I've been endowed with an extraordinary gift. You do not believe how intense this feels. All this fiery energy flowing throughout my body."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I'm offering you to be a part of this. You can share this amazing gift with me. Things would be better than before. Just think about it."
"Sorry, I can't see it."
"You can't see it?"
"I just don't, sorry."
"Summers, you can't deny what we had before. Now can you?" Nicole began running her fingers across the back of his neck and leaning into him.
"No I'm not denying what we had. But it's over now."
"Are you sure it's over....?" She moved in closer to his face. "And not just on a break?"
Nicole looked into his eyes and Scott stared back. As he looked into them, was lost for words because, he'd began falling into Nicole's temptation. He didn't know why but he was going into a trance of her.
"Scott Summers, I've been longing for so time now to get you alone and tell you how I felt about you. Every night that I'm at home alone, I'm imagining that you're there to help me with my loneliness. I watch you with Jean, and I don't see Jean, I see myself. You and I both know that's how it should be." She gently caressed his face.
Scott was completely lost in thought by her. He whispered as Nicole moved in much closer, "Nicole. I can't...."
She put her finger over his lips. "Shh... It's ok, baby. Let Nicki handle everything." She leaned in and gave him the most passionate, intense, erotic kiss either of them had ever had experience. Scott wrapped his arms around her, as Nicole threw her arms around his neck. He picked her up and propped against the lockers, placing his hands beneath her skirt. She let out soft, airy moans as he sensuously kissed her neck.
"I want you right here, Scott." She whispered in his ear just before, kittenishly nibbling on it.
"Me too, Nic." He replied caressing around her inner thighs.
As she threw her head back, she saw an illusion of Claudette standing behind Scott. Claudette had been watching what Nicole was doing, through Nicole's mind; she was disgusted by her sister's actions so she wanted to speak with her mentally. "Nicole, stop it." She told her with an upsetting tone.
"Get the hell out of my head, Claude." Nicole retorted.
"Nic, this isn't right. You have no right playing with his emotions like this."
"It's not his emotions I'm playing with."
"You are unbelievable."
"What's with you? You used to be all for things like this."
"I guess I opened up my eyes to reality."
"That's nice. Now watch as my magnifcent scheme unfolds."
Claudette's image faded. Nicole and Scott were so into each other that they didn't notice the bell sound off, and all the students inside that building crowd around them. Scott was lost in Nicole's seductive rapture, nothing could bring him out of it, only the person controlling it. And she did so, as she watched the crowd; and the one person peer through it that she wanted to really see them. "Scott?" A feminine voice called to him. Scott dropped Nicole on the floor as she let out a squeak. He panicked after hearing the familiar voice. He turned around to a teary eyed Jean. Nicole stood up and fixed her clothes. Scott was baffled as to what got into him.
"How could you?" Jean squeaked, just before running off.
Scott was just about to run after her, but Nicole called out to him. "Hey Summers."
He turned her.
She was smiling mischievously. "Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"
Scott ran after Jean.
Claudette snatched Nicole, and responded. "Yeah, especially when that bitch is your twin sister. Come with me."
They walked to the car, where Wanda had already been sitting in the passenger side. Claudette was lost herself now. Nicole got into the driver's side.
"Wanda, what is all this?" Claudette said.
"Claudette. Get in the car." Nicole orderly calmly.
Claudette read her mind. "No. Oh hell no. I'm not doing it. And you shouldn't either."
"Claudette, please?" She begged. "Your my sister. My significant other. My better half. The yen to my yang. My first love. My one and only confidant. Please? I need you."
"You know I'm there for you always. But not for this."
The tribal markings started sketching on Nicole's face as she ordered. "Claudette. Get your ass in the car!"
She hopped into the back. And the girls drove off.
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Jean ran off away from Scott. She had gotten into her car, and drove the spot near the woods, where she went to clear her head. Once there, she cut the car off, and rest her against the steering wheel as she let out her cries of heartbreak.
Jean sat there crying, when she heard a rap on her window. She wiped her tears, and looked up to see Claudette standing at her car door. "GO AWAY ST. CROIX!" She shouted. "HAVEN'T YOU AND YOUR SLUTTY SISTER CAUSED ENOUGH EMOTIONAL DISTRESS FOR ONE DAY?!"
"Jean, I'm so sorry about what happened today." She told her. "I have no idea what's gotten into Nicole. She's not herself lately."
"That's really gonna help me out here Claudette."
"Look, I know you're hurting. So if you could just step outside, maybe we could talk about it, ok?"
"Why should I? It is your sister that caused all this."
"Because I know my sister and I can help you deal with this."
Jean thought about it. Well it wouldn't hurt to talk to her. So she opened the door and got out of the car. She stood next to Claudette, and folded her arms. "So...?"
"Jean you have to...." She trailed off, because Nicole sent her a mental note, Don't you dare. You better go with the plan.
"I have to what?"
"I'm so sorry, Jean."
As Jean looked at her confused, she saw feathers appear on the silhouettes of her face, and her wings sprout from her back. Before she knew it, Claudette had lifted her off into the air with claws like that of a falcon. Jean struggled to break free, so she froze Nicole mid-air, just above the deserted highway. Claudette let out a loud bird screech, signalling her sister and Wanda to come out; But, no response.
Jean looked down and saw no one around so she lowered Claudette and herself down. She left Claudette frozen and screeching to run back to her car and make her get away. Unfortunely, her plans were foiled when she saw Nicole and Wanda leaning against her car on opposite sides. Nicole with a fiendish smile across her face and Wanda with a totally serious expression on hers. "Going somewhere?" Wanda called out. Jean panicked as she saw Wanda throw a hex at her. She stopped her by reversing it, knocking her to the ground. Nicole cackled and moved toward her direction, "What you got, Red?" Jean rose up and began hovering; she sent a telekinetic toward. The force was so strong Nicole went flying backward into woods.
Jean floated over to see if Nicole was unconcious. She hovered over her as she stared at her insensate body. When out of no where, a great force sent Jean flying backward. Jean caught herself; startled, she didn't know what to do. She looked out at where Nicole had been lying, and there stood Nicole, shrouded around thin bolts of electricity. She began hovering just as Jean was. "Sorry, Red." She said with wicked tone. "You're not the only telepath in town anymore. So you're gonna have to come a little more correct than that." Jean was baffled, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. Jean sent another force attack like before. But this time, Nicole stopped it, forcing her own right back at her. The two held off the other's attack. Jean struggled to hold it off, while Nicole was worked unfazed. Jean's grasp was getting weaker, and Nicole sent an even stronger force to blast through and knock Jean out of the air.
She tumbled to the ground, she attempted to crawl away but no luck. She was so weak that she couldn't move. Nicole grounded herself around Jean. Jean faintly begged, "No. Nicole. Please, Don't do this. Stop please." Nicole looked down at her, smiling; she squatted down, and whispered to her, "Nighty-night, Jean." Nicole placed her hands on Jean's abdomen, sending a sharp electrical charge throughout her body. Jean was out, and would be for sometime.
Claudette was unfrozen, she zapped over to her sister. "Nic, How could you do that?" She pleaded. "She was so weak that she couldn't even run away." Nicole slowly stood up, not taking her eyes off of Jean's lifeless body. "That's how it's gonna be from now on, Claude." She answered. "So get used to it."
Wanda was waking up, when she saw the twins standing over Jean. She got up and stood next to them. "Nice work, Nicki!" She complemented her.
"You know what Nicole." Claudette stated. "You're a real piece of work."
"Thank you, sister dear." Nicole commented. "Now lets get her in the trunk. Mags wants her at the base, pronto. The bossman wants her on his side."
The girls then tie Jean up, and toss her in the trunk of the twins' car. Nicole sped off on the highway towards the army base. As they drove off, Claudette remained quiet in the back. Thinking of what was to come later that evening. She knew Nicole wasn't in her right state of mind, and she was helping Magneto lure the X-Men into a trap. But there was one X-Men poster boy that she had it out for. Knowing her sister, she knew that nothing could stop her from luring him there.
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"Professor, what's wrong?" Scott said, barging in conference room, along with the other X-Men.
"It's Jean." He said, as calm as he could possibly be at the moment. "She's been taken."
Scott was worried. "Who did it? Where is she now?"
"I can't contact her, nor can I get an exact reading of her from Cerebro."
"It's as if she's dissappeared." Ororo stated, uneasy herself.
"She did manage to send a distress message just before disappearing. She sounded like she was being attacked."
"Nicole." He said to himself. "Professor, I have an idea of who took her. Can you locate someone else?"
"Yes. But who?"
The doors flung open, and all eyes were on them. "There's no need for that. I know exactly where she is."
"Claudette? What are you doing here?" Damia asked. Claudette stand before them, suited up as Hawkeye. A brown leather sleeveless top, with matching skirt and boots.
"I'll explain later. Professor Xavier, I'm Claudette St. Croix. An accomplice of the kidnapping. I know where Jean is and she's in grave danger if you don't save her."
"If you an accomplice, why are you here?" Damia asked.
"Because my sister's out of her mind and I can't stop her alone. You all were the only one's that can help me...."
"Claudette, I know what you're saying." Professor X stopped her. "We must get there immediately. Young lady, you lead the way."
"But here's the thing, I can't bring everyone. Or else We're done. I know which of you should come."
"I don't care who comes. I'm going to save Jean." Scott demanded, barging out to suit up.
"Ok. I need Rogue, John, Evan, Kurt, and Damia. Everyone else, I need you on standby in case things go haywire."
The professor agreed. "Hurry students. Jean needs you. Storm and I will be watching you from the Blackbird."
With that they were off to save one of there own and stop the now diabolical acts of Nicole and the Acolytes.