The X-Men belong to Marvel Comics

A/N: and in this chapter…SOOOOOO much thanks to Laura (potionsmaster), Bryan and Joe (FightingKirbys)!

Dysis stood with her back to what she referred to as her minions. Her hands were crossed behind her back and she drummed her fingers impatiently. The leader of the gang stepped forward and cleared his throat nervously. Dysis continued to ignore them. If they could see her face they would have seen cold emptiness. Her eyes flashed with anger and changed in color from a dark green to a white-speckled gray. A slight breeze could be felt and seen flowing through her hair. The leader cleared his throat again.

"Dysis, you must understand. Nobody anticipated that the mutant would be aided by other mutants." His voice wavered slightly, but he managed to maintain his composure.

There was a long silence. Dysis finally spoke with her characteristic iciness.

"I made you a Lieutenant because I was under the impression that would make a competent leader. It appears that you have failed me."

"These mutants….they worked as a team. I….I think they're part of that renegade group of mutants….those X-Men. We weren't prepared for that…"

"The X-Men are old and out-of-date." Dysis turned to face them. "Just as you have become."

The Lieutenant's eyes widened in fear. It suddenly occurred to him how seriously he had failed Dysis, and she was going to punish him.

"Puh….Please Dysis….please, give me another chance….I….I won't fail you again, I swear it.…"

"We agree on one matter then. You will not fail me again, ever."

The Lieutenant and the other thugs turned as they heard heavy footsteps from down the hallway. A fairly short individual entered the main chamber with a blank expression on his face. He walked straight up to the Lieutenant and stared at him as a predator watches its prey. Dysis smirked to herself.

"I'd like you all to meet your new Lieutenant, Fatalis. He has been most kind as to volunteer his services."

"You can't be serious. I mean, he's what, twelve?"

The Lieutenant laughed as he looked down at the 5'4" mutant. Fatalis never took his eyes off him. His eyes, which were completely black except for a ring of ice blue, seemed to brighten as his left arm glowed with energy. His entire arm turned steel blue in color, and hardened, providing rock-like armor. His fingers fused together and elongated into three razor-sharp claws. The Lieutenant took a step back in shock and horror. With unbelievable speed, Fatalis drew his arm back and sliced his claws through the Lieutenant's neck. The claws cut clear through, and the head flew backwards and blood spattered everywhere. It landed with a sickening thud and rolled a few feet back, the shocked look frozen forever on the face. The body toppled over lifeless to the ground as blood pooled around it.

Some of the thugs gasped, while others looked away. The rest stood in shock. Fatalis growled and licked the blood off his claws, a twisted smile on his face. His arm glowed slightly again, and reverted to it's human form. Fatalis turned and looked up at Dysis. She looked down at her cloak irritated, as she wiped it clean of some stray blood.  He smirked at her and shrugged. She almost smiled as she looked down on him, but it quickly faded and her icy composure returned.

"I have heard reports of a group of mutants in training with the X-Men. I believe that they are intended as replacements. You, Fatalis, will go and investigate the school. Your past history with the X-Men should get you inside the complex with out any trouble. I will provide a distraction to lead the X-Men away. That is your cue to find whatever you can that's left of the mutant in question. It is my guess that he used his powers to avoid death."

"I understand."

"Excellent. The rest of you.…out of my sight.…and clean up this mess."

----------~~~~~~~~----------

"Logan, place the body in the spare room for now. Scott, bring the lad in here. Can someone get Charles in here?"

Hank McCoy calmly gave orders to his teammates in the midst of chaos in the medical lab. Scott brought the gang member into the examining room and placed him on the table. Dinah walked in the doorway and leaned against the door jam.

"Is he going to be alright?" Dinah asked quietly.

"That's what I'm going to find out right now my dear." Hank replied in a jovial voice. "Do you have some sort of….connection to our dear ruffian friend?"

"No….well.…I don't know. Something about him.…I think something happened between him and the old man."

"Hmm.…fascinating."

Hank continued his examination. The man looked to be in his very early twenties, dark skin and messy black hair. Life on the streets had given him a hard edge. Hank found no major injuries, only minor skin abrasions. Dinah moved into the room as Xavier wheeled in behind her.

"Charles, so good of you to make it. Our friend here seems to be in some sort of coma. Perhaps your mental prowess and dexterity will be able to awaken him."

"As always, Hank, I will do my best. Dinah, can you give me any information on what happened?"

"Well, sir….it's hard to say. Jack kicked him into the old man, and that pushed the old man into the knife one of the other gang members was holding. I still believe that something happened between the two….but I don't know what."

"Hmm….Interesting." Xavier brought his hand up to his face in thought. "Where is the old man?"

Beast pointed to the spare room. Xavier wheeled over to it and took a look at the man. He sighed and shook his head. He came back into the examining room.

"Another senseless death."

He wheeled over to the head of the table and placed his hands on either side of the man's temples. Hank and Dinah remained quiet as the professor concentrated.

Xavier stood in the plains of the gang member's mind. The light was dimmed, and it was difficult to see. What Xavier did see, shocked him. The plains of this person's mind looked as if it had been ravaged by two fierce storms that came together. Xavier moved in for a closer look. He stepped though the astral rubble and saw broken fragments of memories. A few were of the gang member, the rest, unrecognizable to Xavier. He looked towards the other side of the plain and saw fragments of memories, but of a different kind. These memories were from the old man. Xavier furrowed his brow.

"The old man was a mutant….I wonder….Is it possible that the consciousness of that man, is now in this man? No wonder his mind is in ruins….I must repair some of the damage.…"

Xavier focused his powers deeper into the man's mind and pieced together a few memories from both plains. He pulled out of his mind and slowly opened his eyes.

"Dinah…I believe you are correct in your assumption. 'Touch' as this mutant is called, saved himself by taking over this body." Xavier leaned back in his chair. "He should wake up short-"

Touch's body jerked in seizure. Hank ran to get a sedative as the Professor made an attempt to calm his mind. Touch's eyes shot open and he looked around frantically.

iBring him back alive.

Let's go, Casey.

Get out of there now!

Touch? What's happening?

Who are you? What are you?

We have you now.

There is no escape.

Trapped….caged…./i Voices poured into Touch's head. Some he thought he recognized, others he wasn't sure. He thought he was trapped, that somehow he was a prisoner. His mind was in total confusion and he didn't know how to handle it other than run. He bolted off the table and ran out the door, nearly knocking Dinah over.

"Touch…."