Disclaimer – I do not own X-Men: Evolution in any way, shape or form. They all belong to their most respected owners who have my full appreciation. Any quotes that you recognise are not mine; they belong to their respected owners.
A/N – I do apologise for the very late update. I swear every single time that I tried to write something it just didn't come out right. Then there were all the interruptions with exams and essays and all that. Thank you all so much for all the reviews and I am trying to find time to read and review your stories as well. If I haven't reviewed yours yet I am sorry but it is more than likely that I have read your stories, if that helps! Lol.
Chapter thirteen.
He surveyed his surroundings and was disappointed to see that his prize pupil was not there but there were two condolences. A shock of green hair told him that Lorna was there and he saw the still figure of Rogue in the arms of some tall mutant. He watched the mutants to see what their reaction would be.
"You do not have permission to be here," Charles was the first to speak.
He admired that in his own strange way, Charles was the father figure who protected all his young ducklings.
"I have to disagree; you have no permission to be here. You are not even human" he replied in his calm but formal tone.
He held back a laugh as one of the mutants took a step forward, as if he could stop all of them by himself.
"I wouldn't move any closer," he warned, "one of my men might accidentally have real bullets in his gun. They are really rather messy weapons, wouldn't you agree Charles?"
"Why are you here, Mr. Kale?" Charles asked.
Aidan looked at him for a moment before answering.
"You have something that belongs to me."
He smiled as he heard the mumbles of anger and surprise move through the group of mutants but at the same time, being so close to so many disgusted him.
"We have nothing of yours," the tall boy with glasses growled.
"I'm afraid you do. You see her parents gave Lorna there to me. They did not want a mutant for a daughter and they thought that I could help cure her."
"She is her own person, free to do as she wants," Charles replied.
Lorna had her head bowed and Aidan nearly jumped with glee at the misery he was causing her bringing up all the old memories.
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool," (1) he heard one of the mutants mutter. It was the large animal like one.
"You know Shakespeare but you have applied it to the wrong person. I am no fool nor have I claimed to be a wise man. I am just trying to save the world from the trouble that you have caused" Aidan replied, loosing his cool slightly.
The whole reason that they had come to the Institute now was to gain some more test subjects but he had not expected so many mutants to be there. He didn't know if he was losing his nerve but he was not stupid. He could feel the tension growing and he knew that it was probably time to leave. He glared over at the mutants and tried to show that he was superior to them but he knew that at this point in time they outnumbered his men in more ways that one.
"I'll come again another time. I see that you are awfully busy at the present time," he concluded trying not to sound as if he had lost anything.
He nodded curtly to his men then turned his back on the group of mutants leaving them to ponder his departure and him in general. He did not like surprises and was not willing to wait around to see if they had any more. He walked briskly but he was angry. He heard some of the soldiers muttering and he knew that he would have to sort them out when they got back to the labs.
~*~
"The guns would not have hurt us," Magneto told Charles as they watched the departing figure.
"I know but there is always that one chance out of a hundred and I find that not worth the risk," Charles replied.
Magneto frowned. He was angry but he knew that, on some level, Charles was right.
"What do we do now? We know that he can get his men past the defences," Scott interrupted.
Magneto looked at him and at the rest of the mutants, his eyes as cold as ever.
"We stay where we are," Charles began, "He may be able to get past the mechanical defences but he has not faced all of you."
Magneto sighed inwardly. Charles was too patient and too caring. He waited while the rest of the mutants returned inside before pulling Gambit towards him.
He was still holding the still form of Rogue.
"Yes?"
"I want you to follow them," was all he said.
Gambit nodded his head and gave the girl to him.
"Take care, chere," he whispered before taking off into the night.
Magneto watched him go before returning the girl inside. He left her on a couch and went in search of Charles; they had much to discuss.
~*~
Kitty was still in the Danger Room, she had not even realised that something had happened. Leaving the room, she made her way upstairs to find everyone in a strange sombre mood.
"Kitty, where were you?" someone asked but she ignored them.
Looking around she spied Rogue lying on a couch.
"Is she all right?" she asked, indicating Rogue. Even her voice sounded strange, gruff and harsh.
"Kale attacked," she heard Jean say.
Whirling around, she faced the rest of her teammates.
"When?" She asked her tone angry.
"Not long ago. They just left after a few threats. Something about the attack didn't seem right. It was too suspicious," Scott, answered.
"I got that same feeling," Jean said.
Kitty felt her anger rise as they began discussing the event. She was angry with them but she was angrier at Kale for even trying to attack her home and her friends. He had no right, just because he was a sick, mutant hating, freak.
Images of Lance flooded her mind as she thought about that last remark. His eyes opening wide as the bullet hit him. Her rage was suddenly replaced by enormous guilt. Guilt that she could not get rid of, guilt that was slowly making her angrier and more unlike herself. She was no longer Kitty Pride…she didn't know who she was.
She looked around the group at all her friends and realised that she didn't felt right there anymore. She felt out of place and very much alone. She knew whom to blame for this, Aidan Kale. He had ruined her life and the life of many others. She looked up at the group when she realised that they were no longer talking. All of them were staring at her strangely and Jean had wide eyes.
"It's not your fault," Jean told her.
"What?" Kitty was confused.
"You just told us that it was all your fault," Scott said, his face as expressionless as usual.
"No I didn't," she replied.
"Yes you did," Rogue said. She was awake now thought she still looked highly groggy.
Kitty stared at them all, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. Things were coming to a head.
~*~
Lance was angry but he knew how to control it. What he really wanted to do was shake this place right down to nothing but he knew that that was not a good idea at the present time. He didn't know when Kale would be back and he didn't want him to realise that he knew he wasn't actually his brother. The cogs in his brain were turning and he knew that he could save some of the other people that he knew where down there.
He looked around his room, getting familiar with it as Lance, not as Joshua. He reached a hand up and ran it through his hair, freezing in surprise as he found that it was short.
"What the hell?" he muttered to himself.
He remembered getting it cut but he didn't remember. It was as if he was two different people in the same body.
He sat down on his bed when the doors flew open and Kale stormed in with a look of fury on his face.
"Hey brother," Lance said in a falsely cheerful voice, "how was your day?"
"Don't ask, Joshua" was the only answer he got back.
Lance watched as Kale stormed around the place looking as if a thundercloud would burst over his head.
"I'm feeling much better," Lance, told him, trying to work out what was wrong.
"That's great," came the sarcastic reply.
"So I was wondering when you could start to help me get rid of the x-gene," he said.
"You want to help find a test subject?" Kale said.
Lance watched as he stopped in place and his eyes lit up. He knew that he had dug himself into a hole.
"Sure," he lied.
"Actually I think you can help us get a few test subjects. How would you like to go to Bayville? There are some troubled children there who need help getting rid of their x-genes," Kale told him.
Lance gulped, realising what Kale wanted him to do…
To Be Continued…
Notes: (1) Shakespeare's As You Like It V.i.31