Disclaimer: Tell me any avid fan of Mutant X that doesn't know I don't own them. LOL. I don't know how powerful these characters are and I don't even know if they are really like this. All of the actions mentioned below are just my imagination.

Authors Note: Hey!

Special Thanks to:

 Pagan: hi there pal! I've missed your reviews. Anyways thanks for posting your review. Keep it coming. You know how important your post are to me. *smiles*

  la-angele321: Yeah. Emma was not just leaving because Shalimar slept with Jesse. that is one of the greatest reason but that was not the only. It was really mix reason. Emma is sick and tired of being treated like a baby *well I really don't know if Emma is really feeling that way but if I were her I'd be really pissed off.* anyway, about Emma being controlled by someone, well, you have to see it as you read this chapter.  Thanks for the review and please keep on posting.

      Freckles0707 : For a moment I thought of deleting the part where Adam threatened Emma. But then again I thought 'well wouldn't it give more emotion if Emma was threatened by the very man he treated like a father all her life.' And I also wanted to include a part where Emma gets to decided whether or not she should stay with the group. Thanks for the comment. I like Emma this way *POWERFUL* well we all know that Emma is damn powerful. I just hoped that the writers of Mutant X did the same to her character. Ok… I'm sorry. I got a little carried away. LOL. Anyway, thanks for the review.

      spikes-storm: Hi there! Have you received my email? Anyways, it's alright. At least you've posted your review for this chapter. About Emma leaving the group, well that was my original plan then I heard that Emma was really leaving MX, then I thought should I change my original plan? But I said what the hell. I think it's better if Emma star in her own show… ok, I'm blabbing. Thanks. I really love Emma when she's evil. Please continue reviewing.

      Samm16: Well, I too was lazy posting reviews but then I thought the writers really needed them. Oh well, I guess every readers got a bit lazy when it comes to reviewing. What do you mean you don't know how she manage to kick Brennan's and Shalimar's asses? She have been training so long and she have waited for this moment all her life. Well, you have know idea how I am enjoying this. LOL. Thanks for reviewing.

      Aur : Are you sure you want me to continue? LOL! Yeah! I love it every time Shalimar loses control and starts doing something that she would regret in the end. I think it comes with her mutation. LOL. Hope you'll stick around longer. Thanks for posting your reviews. I really appreciates it.

      MsCassy: that was my favorite part too *the part where Emma was extremely sarcastic and confident* anyway. Thanks for the review.

      Bjvision: Hi there! I wish I could know you other than your pen name (if you don't mind) anyway, thanks for the juicy comments. *giggles* It really overwhelms my heart. I honestly don't know how to portray Jesse's angry character. I really hoped it turned out just fine. Well, thanks for the reviews and comments and thanks for putting me in your favorite list. Thanks a lot.

      Enorm87: LOL… I don't know why I haven't thought of that! Maybe it'll be better as a death fic! What do you all think? But then again, how could Jesse and Emma be together if they die? Anyway, thanks for posting your review.

      Goldstranger: Hi girlfriend! You are now one of my official favorite reader! Anyway, as much as I wanted to comment on every opinion you posted, I would choose to remain silent so as not to steal the honor of you finding out yourself. I don't know why you keep on reading me. I guess you know what I'm already planning to do. *sighs*  Oh well, *smiles* I still wanna thank you for posting you review.

      Emma453: hi! I've missed you! Anyway, I hope you keep on reading my fic even if you don't get to post your reviews *but it would be great if you do* (smiles) thanks so much for the post.

Underestimated

            ~Thought ~

            Memory

            /Sounds/

            "Conversation"

Chapter 18

            Jesse sat in front of the computer where he always spends his leisure time. Now he sat there just to forget. He blames himself for what had happen though he really didn't know what took place between him and Shalimar.

            He lifted his eyes from the computer to the dojo. He could see Shalimar torturing herself while Brennan continuously shots tesla coil on the wall. It was obvious that their lives were affected by Emma's absence.

            Jesse shook his head and returned to the computer. Images of Emma begun passing through his mind. How is she doing? Is she all right? ~ Of course she's all right. ~ He told himself. He could not think of otherwise. He should not…

*****

            Adam came in and saw the same picture of his children—Shalimar in the dojo, killing herself; Brennan just below, hitting the wall with his electricity; Jesse in front of the computer, drowning himself with other jobs just to forget Emma.

            "Okay! Stop whatever you are doing now. I need to talk to all of you." Adam exclaimed.

            Without hesitation, the three mutants followed their creator and came to him. Everyone was silent. No one wanted to speak. It has been a week since Emma was gone but it was like forever for them.

            Adam handed a folder to each of them

            "What are these?" Shalimar asked and started leafing over the file while the others do the same.

            "Profiles of the psionics underground?" Jesse exclaimed as he made a questioning face towards Adam.

            "We need to choose among these three psionics in the underground." Adam begun.

            Brennan crossed his arms and shook his head. "You're replacing Emma!" it was not a question. It was a statement! He knew and believed that Adam was thinking of replacing Adam.

            "No Brennan. She's still in the team if she decided to come back." Adam explained.

            "If? If she decided? What is that? Of course she'll be back. We're her only family. She would be back." Shalimar joined in.

            "But we've been waiting for her for a week and she hasn't returned." Said Adam.

            "So you're giving up on her?" Brennan asked.

            "What Adam is saying is that we should try to move on." Jesse responded.

            "You're giving up on her too?" Brennan questioned Jesse as he threw the folder on the stool near him.

            "It's not that, but you guys don't know anything. Emma has another life outside the Sanctuary. Another mutant friends, another house. Don't you see? She could be with them."

            "What are you talking about?" Shalimar asked Jesse. She grabbed him by his arms and demanded for some answers.

            Jesse shook his head and looked at his friends. He didn't know how to begin. "Emma wanted to be let alone, so she took a self-defense class outside the Sanctuary."

            "She what?" they chorused.

            "She paid other people to teach her? Why didn't she just come to us?" Brennan asked. The team looked at Brennan and eyed him. "What?" he asked.

            Shalimar shook her head and sighed. "She tried Bren. She asked us several times, but you've talked us to not allowing her." Shalimar sighed and look at Jesse. "Am I right?"

            Jesse just nodded.

            "I never did that!" Brennan backed off and defended himself.

            The team eyed him as Shalimar crossed her arms across her chest.

            "What?" Brennan asked. "Are you telling me that…"

            "No Bren, it's not your fault. You were just protecting her." Adam consoled him.

            "Damn right I was!" Brennan nodded, as he was proud of himself.

            "But you did your share in pushing her out." Jesse softly said.

            The group was silent to what Jesse commented. He's right. All of them did their share in pushing Emma away.

            "And what are we supposed to do? Leave her to perish?" Brennan added, still not giving up on his beliefs. ~Emma needs to be protected. ~ his mind tells him.

            "But Emma is a big girl. She could protect herself if only we'd let her." Jesse replied.

*****

Meanwhile in the Psi-Power building, Emma sat beside her self-defense classmates while Meg is trying to show them a different move.

"But this should be done only if your mind is at peace." Meg warned. "So those psionics who share their emotions with someone," Meg posed a wicked grin as he placed her hand on her waist and looked at the psionics from her class. "I mean if you have special bond, you should know how to compartmentalize them otherwise the person you share your bond with will experience pain while you're doing this move."

Emma thought for a while. ~How would I break up my connection with Brennan? ~ she asked herself. She looked around as Meg allowed five minutes for the psionics to break their bonds. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate but all she could see is the picture of the Sanctuary, celebrating for her absence. ~Did they care so little for me that they didn't even tried to look for me? ~ her mind screamed and it didn't take long for Meg to call her attention.

"Emma, I wish to remind you that you are not the only telempath in this place." Meg said, arching her brows and posing a little smile.

Emma looked around and saw her telempath classmates eyeing her. "Did I send it loudly?" she asked and they all nodded. "I'm so sorry." She apologized.

"All right. But as punishment you have to do the moves with me." Meg softly told her.

"You mean fight you?" Emma asked, leaning her body forward. She sighed and squared her shoulders, as she has no choice but to obey. "Okay." Emma stood up and face Meg.

*****Back in the Sanctuary******

            "But Emma is a big girl. She could protect herself if only we'd let her." Jesse replied.

            "All she wanted is to show us that she could do it too." Shalimar added, dropping her arms to her side as she let out a heavy sigh.

            "But there is nothing we could do now to change the fact that Emma is gone. We need a psionic in the team and we have to have it now." Adam exclaimed, opening the files again. He looked at his children but they refuse to look at the file with him.

            "I'm not giving up on her Adam. I know that…." Brennan paused and grabbed his chest.

            "Bren? What's wrong?" Shalimar glanced at the elemental and asked in concern.

Brennan breathed in loudly and squeezed an amount of his flesh from his chest, trying to contain the throbbing that he's into but alas, the pain was unbearable. Brennan screamed in pain… "AHHHH! Emma!" he called out.

"Brennan!" Shalimar came running to console him. "What is wrong?"

"Emma! She's in pain!"

*******

Emma landed on her butt after Meg repelled her psionic blast.

Meg walked towards her and gave her a hand. "In repelling your enemies power…" Meg started. "You have to channel all your mind energy and tap it with your opponent's brain. This gives you control of her power the moment she uses it." She explained.

Emma concentrated her power to Meg while she was still explaining. She wanted to try another psi-bolt to her but once she released it, it fired back at her making her fly across the rehearsal room.

"Like that!" Meg explained as Emma landed on her belly this time.

"How did you know I was…" Emma begun.

"My powers are tapped in to you. That's why. Now you try it." Meg ordered.

"How?"

"Just focus all your powers to me. Then tap it in my brain. Come on Emma, you could do this."

And that is exactly what Emma did. Emma concentrated and tapped all of her powers to Meg. Suddenly, she felt very close to her. As if she was breathing with her. She could hear her thought and feel her power.

Meg created a little energy ball from her head. It's a little smaller than Emma's psi-bolt but still could be lethal.

Emma felt a slight sting in her head, as if she was using her psi-bolt but she was not. Then she knew it, this was what Meg was taking about. When she felt the psi-bolt left her, she knew that it is already on its way to her. She faced Meg, lifted her hand and just in time she made the energy ball stopped right in front of her.

Meg's eyes widened. This was not what she expected. She herself didn't know that anyone could control her opponent's power like that. She only thought one could avert it but never control it.

Emma took that energy ball in her hand and allowed it to die in her palm. "Cool!" she exclaimed.

*****

Brennan felt the surge of energy in his brain and felt the sting of pain in his chest. Adam placed him in the med bed for scan. He was surprised to see high activities in Brennan's brain.

"This is impossible!" Adam exclaimed.

"What is impossible?" Jesse asked in concern for his friend.

"You see these green lines?" Adam pointed at the lines. "These are his brain activities."

"Why are there three green lines?" Shalimar demanded.

"That is what I couldn't understand."

"AHHHHHH!" Brennan screamed and then suddenly…nothing…he feels nothing.

"Brennan?" Shalimar called out. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know?" his face was pale and there was no emotion in his expression.

"Look Adam," Jesse called out. "…the green lines are gone. There is only one green line."

Adam run in front of the monitor and begun tapping on the computer keys. Then he faced Brennan. "What are you feeling right now?" he asked.

Brennan looked at Adam for a second then replied. "Emma, I can't feel her anymore…"

*****

"You are doing really great Ems." Meg told her. She had to admit Emma did great. This was something she never anticipated. She never knew any powerful psionic could control someone else's power just like Emma did.

            The class applauded her and Emma's spirit was uplifted and she smiled. "Thank you." She told them. Bowing a little in front of the class.

            "We'll be ending our session right there!" Meg finally announced.

            The students started to leave but Emma chose to stay. Fixing herself, she started walking towards a chair. She loves this place, she had to admit, but the picture of the dojo in the Sanctuary kept on appearing on her mind. Emma sat quietly on the bench as she tried to assess her emotion. Did she make the right decision of leaving the Sanctuary? Will she ever move on?

            "Emma?" Meg called and walked towards her. "Are you alright?"

            Emma didn't answer. She looked at her and shook her head. All right? How could she be all right? This was not what she expected. All she really wanted to feel is that she was worthy of the team but what did she hear instead? A threat. Only proving that she never meant anything for the group. Emma tried to sense Adam and what did she find? ~Huh! They're already looking someone to replace me. ~ she shook her head.

            "Emma! Stop this!" Meg commanded. "You're emitting to much power! Look outside." Meg willed her to look.

            Emma saw her telempathic classmates twist in pain. "Was that my doing?" she asked and Meg nodded.

            "It would be better if you tell me." Meg tried to convince her.

            Emma looked at her, trying to convince herself that it was all right. Trying to tell herself that she could trust Meg.

            "Emma!"

            Meg and Emma turned to face the direction of the voice. It was Cole. He was panting real hard.

            "Are you alright?" he worriedly asked. He ran towards her and took her hand.

            Tears started to appear from Emma's eyes as all hell started to break loose. "Help me Cole. I'm drowning." She threw herself in Cole's broad shoulders and Meg tried at rest her mind.

            "I'm right here. I won't leave you." He told her. He entered her mind and helped her blocked all unwanted emotions, discreetly severing her connection with Brennan..

*********

            ~Oh God! ~ Brennan screamed inside him. ~here it is again. The pain. The excruciating pain! ~ "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed.

            "Brennan!" Shalimar worriedly called out. "What is happening to him Adam?" she asked.

            "I'm not sure!" was Adam's terse reply.

            "You're not sure? What is that?" Shalimar demanded.

            "Stop questioning Adam, Shal. We have to bring Brennan in the scanner bed." Jesse told her. With out waiting for anything, Jesse carried Brennan to the Lab B where the scanner is.

            ~Emma! Where are you? ~ Adam asked himself. She should be here. No other psionic could cure Brennan. It was always Emma. Her power was all they needed. All they needed to protect them, night and day; all they needed to pacify them; all they needed to console them… but now… Where is Emma? Adam never imagined that it would be like this but he has to admit, the Sanctuary has been dull without Emma. They need her. They need her badly! But how could they find her? Where do they start? What has happen to his children? Why does it have to be like this? What had happen? ~Emma! Come back! ~

******

~Emma! Come back! ~ the thought was about to slam into Emma when Cole sensed it. He did his best to steal it away from her and he did it. He knew that it was wrong but he had come this far and he has no plan of turning back. He needs Emma. He needs her badly and he didn't care anymore. For now all he has to do is block away all thought from Emma's teammates and everything would be fine… he would worry about the consequence later, at least by now he has to call her… ~mine, my Emma! ~

MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-X-MUTANT-

***Lyza***

What do you think? LOL. Okay, *ducking from the tomatoes in the air* you could stop throwing those tomatoes at me now… Hehehe! I promise make it up to you. So please keep on reviewing and I would appreciate even if you critic my work. *just be a little tactful, I'm really very sensitive. LOL* okay, see you soon!