CHAPTER 3

Sirens Reborn

16 years later

'Hey Kitty, alright fruit salad, my fave.' Tabitha Smith reached down to grab the food only to wince with pain as her hand shot straight through it and slammed into the table.

'Like get your own Tabby I'm busy right now,' Kitty Pride grumbled without looking up from the large, heavy book laid out in front of her.

'Man what is that' Tabitha whistled as she looked at it, 'even the pictures look complicated.'

'It's my Geometry book, Mrs Grange set another test out.'

'Another one!' Tabitha exclaimed 'but that's the second one this month!'

'I know,' Kitty groaned she like totally has it in for us kids.'

'Aww poor kitty cat' Tabitha grinned at her 'don't you worry I got a little r n r planned, I'll tell you when the others get here.'

'Others?' Kitty started 'what are you…never mind,' she sighed seeing who was coming, 'I think I can see where this is headed.'

Tabitha looked in the direction Kitty was pouting at and grinned. Jean Gray, Amara and Rogue were walking towards their table. The three took places opposite Tabitha and scowled, or at least Jean and Amara did, Rogue however was staring at the table apparently lost in thought.

'Alright Tabitha' Jean groaned 'I know what you're about to say and I…'

'Sorry to interrupt Red but trust me you'll enjoy this,' Tabitha said. 'And anyway what's up with Rogue?'

'Don't know but she's been doing it all day' Amara said darkly 'but stop trying to change the subject, it's not going to happen Tabitha.'

'What's not going to happen' Tabitha sang back.

'We're not reforming the Sirens that's what' Kitty growled at her. 'The last time we almost got arrested.'

'Well we would still be the Sirens if you had just let me take care of that cop!' Tabitha shot at her.

'Attack a police officer!' Jean almost screamed 'we were supposed to be stopping criminals not helping them out!'

'Hey keep it down, you want the whole mansion to hear about this?' Tabitha shouted back. 'And anyway' she said, struggling to regain her composure, 'this is to stop criminals. Last night some girl from that circus Evan's been bitching about disappeared, I'm thinking that maybe she got kidnapped. So we go out and look for her.'

'Now listen Tabitha' Jean said, clutching her head with both hands, 'this is a job for the police, listen to me' she said again seeing the blonde girl snort sceptically, 'even if we could help, we can't since we don't know her name or even what she looks like.'

'Erika Wagner, fourteen years old, blonde hair and German.' Amara supplied. 'What? It was on the news this morning.' She said defensively noticing everyone else's stares

'Come on Jean' Tabitha smiled winningly at her 'don't tell me you haven't still got those clothes hidden in your closet.'

'All right, all right I'll do it' Jean sighed resignedly 'but only for tonight okay. If we can't find her by then that's it.'

'Sure' Tabitha said 'what about the rest of you, Kitty?'

'Fine'

'Amara'

'Yes'

'Rogue… ROGUE!' Tabitha snapped 'have you heard a word we said, God what is it with you today.'

'Never you mind what's with me' Rogue said angrily waking up from her strange trance like state, 'I heard and I'm in.'

'Alright Sirens reunited, let's go' Tabitha shouted and ran out the room, followed less excitedly by the others.

'Why did that girl's name make me feel like that' Rogue thought to herself, remembering hearing the news from the radio that morning. A brief missing persons request on an Erika Wagner. 'It's almost like I knew her, or we both knew the same person.' Shivering she hurried up hoping to catch up with her friends, she had a strange feeling about this, and something told her it wasn't a good one.

'Get out ya worthless bum, go on get!'

Clyde Farthing was dumped unceremoniously into the gutter outside the 'Happy Oyster Bar' 'And don't let me see your drunken corpse in my bar again!' A formidable looking woman shouted at him before turning around and stamping back inside.

'Bitch, Slut!' Clyde staggered slowly back to his feet muttering to himself. 'Goddam Bitches won't even let a guy get a drink' he slurred turning around. 'Just because I…' Clyde stared, rubbed his eyes and stared again. There was a figure walking towards him dressed in what looked like a monks habit except that the bottom had been modified so he had trouser legs instead of the wide robe. The thing also covered the person's entire body so the head, feet and hands were impossible to see.

'Excuse me' the figure said in a German accent. The tone of voice indicated that whoever was under the robe was a teenage male.  'I am looking for a friend of mine she went missing yesterday.'

'What's with the getup buddy' Clyde interrupted sneering, 'its to early for Halloween.'

The figure hesitated, then replied 'I have a disease, don't worry it's not contagious but I'm not pretty to look at. But please have you seen my friend, she has blonde…'

'Let me see!' Clyde demanded interrupting the figure again.

'Was'

'Huh' Clyde grunted clearly not understanding what the figure in front of him was saying. 'Come on let me see your face.'

'Nein' came the shocked reply. Now Clyde didn't understand a word of German but he knew a refusal when he heard one.

'Goddam Nazi let me see!' He roared lurching towards the figure. Unfortunately for Clyde whoever was under the robe was not under the influence of several bottles of alcohol. Quicker than the eye could follow the person darted forward and lightly touched Clyde's outstretched arm. Clyde himself had barely enough time to register this before something out of a nightmare happened, the world vanished in a flash of sickening light, sound and smell. Clyde's head connected painfully with the wall across the street, collapsing to the pavement he vomited loudly four times before his somersaulting stomach settled enough for him to even move his head, looking up he saw that he was alone, the mysterious figure vanished as if he was never there to begin with.

'Must have imagined him and ran into the wall,' he muttered standing up. 'Yeah jus…' Clyde froze; the smell was still there, that strange acrid smell. Clyde turned and stumbled away as fast as he could go, trembling so badly he almost threw up again, and behind him the vile stench of brimstone rose to the sky.

'Come on Tabitha' Amara pleaded for the twentieth time that night 'we've been at this for hours and nothing. Who else wants to go home?' She asked looking around the red and white sports car. Tabitha scowled at her, Rogue had drifted back into her own little world and Jean was too busy scanning the minds of pedestrians to notice, but Kitty sat up and said.

'Yeah let's go back to the mansion, I've got stuff to like do you know.'

'You mean call Lance.' Tabitha sniggered

'No I don't mean that,' Kitty snarled at her 'and even if I did it's none of your business.'

'Oh what's the matter Kitty?' Tabitha said sarcastically, pressing her advantage. 'Oh I know Mr Lance the perfect got a little too close for comfort isn't that right, and now he's threatening to dump you cause you got scared and phased away.' 

'Gee sounds like someone's jealous,' Kitty said in a too sweet voice while alternating death glares at Tabitha and the now giggling Amara. 'You know maybe if you stopped dressing like a five dollar hooker someone would want to go out with you.'

'What did you just call me?' Tabitha screamed at the top of her lungs, taking both hands off the wheel and turning to face Kitty.

'You like got a problem with it?' Kitty said smugly 'I'm only telling the truth aren't I?'

Tabitha let out a wordless growl and cupped both hands together; a glowing white orb appeared and began to grow. Kitty stared at it for a second and then a look of concentration grew over her features, the seat belt dropping through her as she began to phase. Suddenly both girls let out surprised yelps of pain and clutched their heads as a psychic jolt hit them; Tabitha's energy orb dropped onto the road and exploded leaving a large pothole behind them.

'Will you two cut it out' Jean said 'I need to concentrate on the people outside the car, not in it!'

'Jesus' Tabitha muttered 'did you have to do it that hard?'

'Yes' Jean said vaguely, her mind back to scanning the public 'now be quiet.'

'That guy!' Rogue exclaimed waking up from her stupor, 'the guy in black t-shirt, scan him!'

'You're right Rogue' Jean said in a puzzled voice 'but how did you know'

'I…I don't know' Rogue said looking at the other sirens, 'I just knew.'

'Oh come on!' Kitty sighed loudly, 'haven't you got like enough powers already? Considering you can like already take ours.'

'Shut up!' Rogue snapped as the car slowed down 'Can we just do this and go home?'

The car came to a complete stop and the five girls got out, the man had left their vision, swallowed by the darkness but this proved to be no problem as Jean simply concentrated for a second and pointed. The sirens took off after their target trying to make as little noise as possible. Behind them one of the shadows from a nearby wall seemed to take form and the robed figure stepped out.

'How strange.' He whispered and ran silently behind the sirens.