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Scott narrowed his eyes, "Not mutants? How do you explain their abilities then?"
Lucretia and Nicky merely stared at him blankly while both Rogue and Remy tried, hopelessly, to explain.
"Well," Rogue began, "They're not mutants in th' same way we are."
"What do you mean?" Ororo asked.
"Perhaps I can explain it better," Hank volunteered. "The normal x-gene is absent from their DNA. Instead, there is a highly complex and mutated gene in its place. Not only that, but their entire DNA is mutated. Each chromosome is responsible for their mutations. Basically, they are the mutation. It's a slight difference, but it's large enough to be noticed and large enough not to consider them normal mutants. I've seen it before it other young mutants. They call themselves 'Beta Mutants' or sometimes post-mutants. They usually exhibit at least two or more mutant abilities and are very powerful, usually a level three or higher. Many don't…"
Gambit interrupted, "T'anks, Henri. As you can see, mes amis, dey are still mutants after a fashion, just wit' a lil' sumt'in' extra, non?" He smiled.
"I've never heard of it," Ororo answered.
"It is very difficult to detect, my dear," McCoy said, "It takes a very skilled and trained eye to detect the differences, but the truth is still there."
"How did you find out," asked Jean.
Gambit and Rogue shifted uneasily. Nicky stepped forward, "Routine check," he volunteered, "Some o' dose mutant services centers got real good doctors." Logan could see the two elder southerners relax. What were they hiding, he wondered? What didn't they want to say? If they didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't going to push it, but he would find out one way or another.
The team nodded at their explanation, but Gambit could see that they were unsettled by it. Many looked as though they did not want to believe it. He understood, but he hoped they would try and be understanding in return. Beta mutants were not popular among most humans and mutants. Humans saw them as a more dangerous mutant while normal mutants saw them as a threat to their continuing freedom. They had risked a great deal by telling the X-men, but still, if Lucretia and Nicky were to live here, they should know.
Everyone slowly filtered out of the room, leaving the Lebeau clan last to leave. Rogue turned to her daughter.
"Yoah not gonna hold this against Cyclops, are ya, Cretia honey?"
She shook her head, "Non, he's not wort' it. Easier just to keep him on his toes." She smiled wickedly.
"Lucretia," her mother warned. The smile faded when she glanced at her father's scowling face.
"I wasn' gonna do anyt'in' to him, not bad, just give him a good scare is all…"
"I t'ought we taught you better dan dat, petite. Treat ol' one eye wit' a bit o' respect and t'ings'll be easy fo' you."
She nodded, "Alright, I'll be nice t' him, but dat don' mean I'm gonna like him."
"We're not expectin' ya to, honey. Just try and get along with him's all."
She let out a heavy sigh, "Fine, I'll play nice."
"Good."
Lucretia split off from her family to think by herself. It had been close today, too close. She could have died, but she didn't, fortunately. Once again, fate had smiled on her. She had told the truth to her parents, she wouldn't try to get Cyclops back, but she did really want to give him a good scare. How to do it without getting caught though? Her thoughts were interrupted when she ran into the Summers twins.
"Hey, Lu!"
She glared at them, "Call me Anne, only my family calls me Lu."
"Anne?"
"Oui, Lucretia Anna-Belle Lebeau."
"Okay, Anne it is."
"Are you ready for your first session?"
Her face softened into a faint smile, "Sure, Doctor Chris. Where should I sit?"
Rachel giggled when her brother blushed and pointed to a bench beside the front porch. Lucretia nodded and walked to the bench the girl had indicated. The twins sat down on either side of her and she snatched up their hands immediately. They both looked at her quizzically slightly surprised as well.
"Nobody can enter my mind ot'erwise. It gets real messy an' I wanted t' make sure you didn' make a mistake by tryin' first. I have t' guide you t'rough."
They both nodded and closed their eyes. Lucretia felt their presence immediately, or rather a presence. In the mind, Rachel and Christopher formed into one entity. The figure was shadowy but solid. She could feel the power coming off. It was like waves of psychic energy.
Let's find Xavier's block…
She nodded to them and gestured for the entity to follow. They passed through several landscapes, many with large doors with the bolts thrown shut and large chains wrapped around them.
What are those doors for, the entity asked.
"Dat's what I'm protectin' y' from. Dey're booby traps I set up fo' telepaths dat come in uninvited."
It nodded, And the place we're in now?
"Dis is my meditation plane. Dis is where I go when I want to relax."
It's lovely.
"T'anks."
Are those your memories?
Lucretia turned to the direction indicated. She saw a small raven haired girl next to a tombstone, crying heavily. The name said 'Tante Mattie." She nodded, "Dere's a bunch like dat. Dat's de price you pay fo' bein' a guild member."
How old were you when she died?
"Five. She was my grandmere. I t'ink Pappa took it harder dan I did. I don' know, he never said anyt'in' much when she left us."
What's that way?
"My dreams, not much else. You don' wanna go down dere, trust me," she smiled broadly.
No, I don't think we do.
She laughed, "You're so naïve, non? You'll find out one day."
The entity was silent for a moment, then, Where are your nightmares?
She stopped for a moment, "Dat way," she stated, pointing to a placid ocean, "Dey isolate demselves after I have dem. Dey don' like de light."
The entity formed a row boat on the lake and they climbed in. The boat propelled itself across the waters. Lucretia was rigid in her seat.
Are you alright?
"I'm fine, jus' don' like de noise."
What noise?
"De voices, can' you hear dem? Dey're so loud…"
Should we turn back?
"Non, keep going. I want to know what's dere."
The entity nodded and pushed the boat further across the ocean. A small island was forming in the distance. Wind blew ferociously across the trees while lightning crashed above. The beaches were covered in large shop rocks that had several corpses strewn across them. As the got closer, Lucretia's state worsened.
"Turn around," she pleaded, covering her face, "it's too strong."
What?
"De smell? De rotting flesh, it's stinkin' up everyt'in'!"
I don't smell anything.
"Just turn this god damned boat…" she stopped, staring at one of the bodies on the shore and then suddenly turned to the edge of the boat and dived in.
Chris and Rachel snapped out of their connection with Lucretia. She pushed herself away from them, staggering across the ground on her hands and knees. Finally she stopped and brought her knees up to her chest and began talking to herself. Occasionally, she shook her head, cursing at the air. Rachel approached her timidly.
"Anne, are you okay?"
She snapped her head up and stared at the girl, wide-eyed. Her eyes softened when she recognized her. "De bodies," she muttered, "dey were mutants, I knew dem.."
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