FYI:

~Personal Thoughts~

ESP

%The Written Word%

[Flashback]

"Normal Conversation (Duh)"

* Com Link or Telephone *

*Sound Effects (usually just Kurt's bamfing)

{Background noise--music, crowds, etc.}

HYDRA

I continued to glance from one Sam to the other in confusion then realized how easy this was going to be. ~She picked Sam to imitate, the one person that I really know here.~ Even the Scarlet Witch was looking slightly confused by the situation. The first Sam I'd seen picked himself back up off the ground and watched me intensely. ~That's my boy. Now to fool Mystique.~

I backed up slowly towards the Sam imitator keeping my eyes on the real thing and the witch at the same time. "Let's get outta here." I was now standing beside the fake Sam who nodded—too confidently. ~Okay, now I'm positive this is Mystique.~

"Come on, this way." He started into one of the warehouses and I quickly followed. Outta the corner of my eye I could see the real Sam gaping in shock.

~Please understand this message.~ I tapped the button on my belt to turn on the com link as I followed into the inky blackness of the dark warehouse. "You'll keep your promise, won't you Sam?"

"Of course." There was a slight hesitation in the fake's voice as I turned the com link back off again so that the others' confused messages wouldn't come through giving me away. I crossed my fingers hoping Sam understood as I continued to follow. It was the same warehouse that held the now unconscious Pyro and the fake knelt over him. "You really did a number on him."

"Sure…he wasn't so hot once you took out his fire. Just like that Mystique. She's a real whino when her cover's blown." The fake tensed slightly but kept his cool. ~I'm touching a nerve here.~ I smirked inwardly as I continued to toss insults. "I mean what good is being able to look like anyone else if you can't really act like 'em." The fake stood up again and faced me.

"You're right. She's pretty bad." I nodded trying to think of something else to throw her off with. ~If I can distract her enough, I may be able to fight her decently.~

"So come on, tell me. Who do you have a crush on?"

There was definitely some tension at this question. "This really isn't the time."

"Oh, come on. I'll drag it outta you eventually."

"Fine." He paused before finishing. "I like Tabitha, are you happy."

"You bet…" I dropped down and delivered a kick sending the fake to the ground. "…Mystique." The fake quickly turned into a blue woman with shiny yellow eyes. ~So this is Kurt's mother. Yikes, talk about your weird family relations.~

"You're smarter then you look."

She tried to kick my feet out from underneath of me as well but I jumped back nimbly and took on a boxing stance. "Gee thanks. You're a lot dumber than you look and considering you look pretty dumb…"

She gritted her teeth as she struck out at me with a series of punches and ended in a kick. I grabbed her foot but didn't have time to push her off balance before she punched me hard in the gut. I dropped back a few steps clutching my stomach as she came at me again. ~Shoulda seen that one coming.~ "You'll pay for that comment. I don't care how valuable you are." Her words rang in my head as I forgot my stomach and fended off her next series of attacks. I rolled to the side and stood up defensively again more prepared. ~I'm valuable? Why?~

"Sorry, but I'm just a chick from the sticks. Not exactly your diamond in the rough material." She sent a roundhouse kick towards my stomach but I backed away from it and then charged with my own attacks.

"Come, you put yourself down. You're capable of getting into anywhere that has the smallest crack. You're practically invulnerable if you concentrate and the ability to control the oceans is yours if you want it." She easily blocked my punches, which frustrated me.

CANNONBALL

"It's Mystique, she's trying to trick you." I groaned at the sound of my own voice and realized I wasn't talking. ~Someone's getting pretty good at impersonating me.~ I slowly cracked my eyes open and pushed up off the ground groaning at the pain.

"But why? What's going on?"

I pushed myself back up off the ground and groaned. I felt my nose sure that it was broken after tripping at around a hundred miles per hour, however it wasn't luckily. I looked up and saw a perfect likeness to myself and saw that Allison was glancing from me to him quickly. ~Mystique. What does she want?~

"Let's get outta here." I gaped at her as she backed up towards Mystique. I opened my mouth to say something to stop her but found nothing coming out.

"Come on, this way." Allison turned and followed Mystique into a warehouse leaving me alone again with Wanda.

"Cowards. Why didn't you tell me, Mystique?" I gulped as I looked at Wanda who obviously thought I was Mystique. ~Well, she's now off guard.~ I completed the flying tackled I'd attempted earlier and shot both of us through the wall of one of the warehouses. She was knocked out temporarily as I climbed back out through the hole.

* You'll keep your promise, won't you Sam? * I heard Al's voice over the com link and stopped to listen. ~What in the world is she talking about?~ I could faintly hear what sounded like my voice in the background. * Of course. *

There was a crackle as her line died and I scrambled to turn mine on. * Al, listen, that's Mystique. Get outta there! *

There was no response except for Bobby who was yelling his head off. * CannonBall, what the hell is going on? *

* Mystique has Al. I'm going after them. *

* Sam don't, wait for us. *

* It might be too late then. * I had a distinct feeling that she might know that she was with Mystique but there was no way for her to know that Mystique was not an opponent to be taken lightly. I turned off my com link and headed into the warehouse they'd gone into.

It was pitch black in there and I tripped over something laying in the middle of the floor. I looked back and saw that it was Pyro who was slowly coming too. ~Oh shit.~ He stood up and saw me standing only feet away from him. "Well, you might not be that bloody Sheila, but you'll do for now." He aimed his flame-throwers at me and cursed when nothing happened. "Bloody Sheila ruined 'em!" I smirked realizing he must be talking about Al since there was a small fountain of water shooting up from the floor nearby.

"Water over fire every time, man."

"You just stay the bloody hell outta this."

"Must suck getting creamed by a girl, let alone a new one." I hit him hard and he fell back against some crates unconscious again. ~Now to find the 'bloody Sheila'.~ I snickered as I turned and heard what sounded like an argument coming from the other side of some crates. I crept around the stack and could barely make out Allison fighting with Mystique.

"…ability to control the oceans is yours if you want it." ~What's going on?~ I watched for a few more minutes as Allison failed to land a single punch on the older mutant. She was easily getting frustrated and outta the corner of my eye I saw Wanda. ~She's moving again already? Great.~ With a wave of her hand the probability of crates falling on Allison's head suddenly became very good. The stack over the fight began to tip and before I could react she was buried beneath broken wood splinters. Mystique stopped and smiled as Wanda walked out into the middle of the room. "Good work. Now to get her out of here without interference from the others."

Allison rose up from a puddle on the floor and looked at the broken mess of crates then at Wanda and Mystique. "Somebody get a license on that Mac truck?" She was rubbing her temple but stopped as she glared at the pair. "I don't take to kindly to people who try to trick me then kill me."

Mystique stopped dead in her tracks obviously under the impression that Allison should be out cold right now. I was at Mystique's back and I took the opportunity to shoot at her. She went sprawling across the floor in a heap as I grabbed Allison's arm. "Now would be a good time to go." Her eyes were wide at my sudden appearance but she nodded as we ran back out into the bright sunshine.

I could see Ray and Rhane coming out and Ray was looking pretty smug with himself. "Don't think that stupid speedster will be causing much trouble for awhile." Rhane looked like she wanted to spit but was restraining from doing so and I don't think I really wanted to know if she bit anyone. ~Just hope it wasn't Toad. I'd have to burn my tongue off.~

"I thought I told you not to go in alone?" Bobby looked thoroughly pissed as he came out as well. I could hear the Velocity coming as Logan prepared to pick us up.

"Look ev'rything's cool. So let's forget it."

"Why'd you try and fight Mystique alone?"

"I guess I underestimated her. Won't happen again." Bobby kept his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at her. The Velocity landed and the hatch dropped allowing us entrance. Logan said nothing to us as we loaded in and remained quiet the rest of the way back.

HYDRA

"…I'm pleased with your ability to take down the Brotherhood. However I'd be more pleased if you all learned to work as a team. I believe that will take some more working on." I shuffled my feet knowing that the professor's lecture was aimed at me for trying to face Mystique by myself when I should have at least taken Sam with me.

Bobby was still glaring daggers at me as it ended and the professor wheeled away. "If someone wouldn't have been trying to play hero, we may have been able to bring down Mystique as well." I looked down at my combat boots admiring the way they served the same purpose as shin guards yet left me able to move freely.

"Look, she apologized already. Drop it Bobby."

"Yeah, stick up for your girlfriend. Just forget about your best friend." Sam froze at Bobby's cold words and I looked back up.

"I'm not his girlfriend and I don't need you fighting my battles, Sam." I slowly left the planning room to shower and change.

"Hey wait up." I didn't stop walking as Rhane and Amara ran to catch up to me. "I thought you two were…you know."

"You thought wrong Amara."

"Well, you two are awfully close." Rhane piped up quietly from slightly behind.

"We're just friends. And I don't see why I have to defend myself to you two." I kept walking past the locker room where they stopped and continued towards the elevator. I angrily punched the up button and tapped my foot impatiently. ~Stupid prick, Bobby. Can't ev'ryone just accept the fact that guys and girls can be just friends? I wasn't trying to be a hero or anything. I just thought I could handle it.~ I sighed angrily and impatiently at the elevator.

"Please, calm down. You're thinking is extremely loud." I looked up to see the professor and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. I've just got a few things on my mind."

"Yes, I know. Would you like to talk about it?" I panicked slightly and pushed the phone conversation with my mother farther into the deepest corners of my mind.

"Nope, not a thing. Nothing a good punching bag can't clear up." I smiled warmly hopefully getting him to back off slightly or at least not read my mind. He placed his chin on his hands and nodded knowledgeably.

"If you ever need to talk, you know how to reach me."

"Sure thing, 1-800-R-E-A-D-M-I-N-D." He smiled as he nodded again.

"It's often your humor as students that gives me hope for the future generations."

"Wow, didn't realized I could do that." I smiled as the elevator opened and I stepped inside. "Wanna ride on the Spankster express or are you going to wait for the next one?"

"I believe I will wait."

"Okay." I sighed in relief after the doors shut and I leaned back against the back wall of the elevator and sunk down. ~That was too close for comfort.~ I felt bad for avoiding the professor as much as possible lately but I felt that if he knew too much about my father he'd refuse to let me outta the mansion.

I was grateful to find the gym empty and put on the gloves and began a vicious series of attacks on the punching bag. ~Why couldn't I beat her? What was she talking about? Why am I valuable? Why not, Sam or Bobby, or any of the others? Why me?~ With each question I delivered another hard punch to the bag and quickly worked myself into a sweat. I dropped to my knees and put a hand out to stop the bag from hitting me as it swung back. ~Most of all what did she mean by my being invulnerable? I've got bruises from practice to prove I'm far from that.~

I stood up and stripped the gloves off. "Well, if I'm so damn invulnerable, then this shouldn't hurt much." I punched the bag as hard as I could and gritted my teeth to keep from moaning at the pain that shot up from my knuckles as the connected with the tough leather bag. I bit my lip as I looked down and saw that I'd split each and every knuckle open and that they were bleeding freely. ~Well, screw the invulnerability idea. She must have gotten her wires crossed somewhere.~

BEAST

"Now why don't you tell me my dear why you thought you could hit the punching bag without the gloves?" Allison sat on the edge of a med bay bed rubbing the back of her now bandaged hand nervously as she stared at the floor.

"Just something that somebody said."

"And what would be this something and who would be our somebody?" I put my instruments away as I continued talking to Allison.

"Mystique said something about me being invulnerable. I think she's high on something."

I laughed slightly. The teenagers in this mansion never ceased to amaze me. "I'm not so sure if she's high or not, but she might have been slightly right about being invulnerable."

"Well, if I'm so invulnerable why am I down here?" I pulled up a chair and sat down near the bed as I continued talking with her.

"You weren't concentrating on your powers when you punched the bag. Think about it. You're body reacts like water, and water, you can hit it, slap it, punch it, doesn't matter, and it just goes back to how it was. You can't hurt it." She nodded in understanding. "Theoretically, as long as you concentrate on your powers, you should be invulnerable. But that's theoretically speaking, so don't try something dangerous to prove it." She nodded again as she jumped down from the bed.

"Sure thing, doc. Can I go?"

"I suppose so. You've got a clean bill of health, Miss Williams." She exited the med lab as I sat back in thought. ~If Mystique truly believes she's capable of invulnerability, she may be in some trouble.~

"Hank, you in here?"

"Yes, Logan." I stood up and finished putting away my instruments.

"So how's Kicks?" Logan entered the room in his usual gruff manner but I noticed he was beginning to soften. ~Could it be old age finally settling in or is he taking after another student like he did Rogue?~ I mused to myself not daring to mention it.

"Just left. She'll be fine."

"Guess she lost to the punching bag as well."

"Yes you could say that."

"Did she tell you anything about what happened with Mystique."

"Actually yes, she mentioned that Mystique believes she's invulnerable because of her powers." Logan only nodded as he too exited. ~Aww…things are getting quite interesting now.~

CANNONBALL

I'd thought it over for hours and finally decided I should just apologize. I walked to Betsy and Al's room and knocked quietly on the door. I could faintly hear music coming from inside but didn't recognize it nor was there any singing accompanying it.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Sam." The door had opened partly after knocking so I stuck my head through.

"Go away, you shouldn't be here." She was sitting on the edge of her bed facing the far wall with her guitar in her lap. I cocked my head to the side to get a better look at what she was doing.

"Yeah, I know it's after curfew and guys aren't supposed to be in girl's dorms and all…but I needed to talk to you."

"You don't need to do anything except go away." I sighed as I pulled my head back out and was about to turn and leave when Betsy pushed me inside.

Al turned around and glared at Betsy then at me. "Betsy, I don't want to see him."

"Well, maybe I do, luv. Sam, just sit down anywhere." I looked at Betsy confused but did as she said taking a seat on what had been Rogue's bed. Al frowned but turned away to continue messing with her guitar. I then realized I hadn't recognized the music because she was only tuning. She strummed out a few chords then started into what I recognized to be 'Kryptonite' by 3 Doors Down. I could barely hear her humming out the words as she picked out the lead licks and jammed out the chorus. I heard the door creak open behind me and figured it was Betsy leaving.

"You called me strong, you called me weak, but still your secrets I will keep." I didn't sing it or anything just spoke the next line and she stopped playing and stared back at me. "Come on, just forgive me already. I didn't mean to step on your toes or anything back there…"

"You don't have anything to apologize for. I'm the one who screwed up the mission today." She stood up and set her guitar back on the stand. She continued standing with her arms crossed over her chest. I noticed her right hand was bandaged.

"What happened."

"I got my butt creamed by Mystique first then I picked a fight with a punching bag and lost there too." She grinned half-heartedly as she sat back down on the bed next to me wringing her hands in her lap.

"Not a good day, huh?"

"Nope."

"Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"My family's really into music so I just got an ear for it and learned to play by ear. That and a few years worth of lessons helped." She shrugged nonchalantly as I struggled for something to talk about. "I could show you some stuff, some other time when it's not so late though." I nodded. ~So long as she's still not mad at me.~

"So…um…" I mentally kicked myself for not thinking of anything else to talk to her about.

"Yeah." She laughed quietly at our awkward silence.

"I should get going before Logan comes up here to check on everyone and decides to kill me." I stood up to leave and turned around to see my worst nightmare in the doorway.

"Too late, bub. What do you think you're doing?"

"Just leaving." It came out as a squeak as I tried to squeeze past him and into the hall. I saw Betsy was in the bathroom removing her make up. ~Never assume…never. All you do is make an ass out of u and me.~

He looked at me non-believing as he grabbed my shoulder and personally led me back to my own room. "Watch it bub, 'cause if I find out you're keeping something from me…" He made a swiping motion across his neck which spoke louder than words.

I laughed nervously and went in my room quickly shutting the door. ~I promised, but I don't want to lie, not to Logan. I'm not that eager to die quite yet.~

"Man, you look like you just saw a ghost."

"No, just Logan." I looked at Bobby who put down his comic book to look at me.

"You're more screwed up then I thought, man. You honestly didn't go crawling to her with an apology, did you?" I didn't answer as I pulled sleep clothes out. "You're beyond help now and for a while we thought you'd never fall. Then you hit rock bottom." He snickered as he picked up his comic book and kept reading.

"So we're still friends?"

"Duh, you can't get rid of me that easily. Besides, I have to make sure you still have some guts to ask her to the prom by the end of the year." I groaned as I dropped onto my bed. "Like I said. KERSPLAT! Rock bottom."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Sorry, I haven't posted in a really long, long, long, long time! I've been really busy lately and every single frickin' day has had something going on. I simply haven't had time to do much other than sit down and type a paragraph or two and forget the time it takes for my slow computer to log on to the internet.

I'd like to wish everyone a happy holidays whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza or anything else. HAPPPY HOLIDAYS!