Disclaimer – I own no part of X-Men Evolution.

A/N: Well it has been a long time. Sorry about the wait. I have been busy completing my degree but now that I have time I can continue my writing.

Chapter Fifteen

Lance woke with a start. Apparently his sleep wasn't as dreamless as he had hoped. The dream was so achingly vivid that he almost thought he had gained the ability to foresee the future. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling the uncomfortable shortness of it. A short stab of pain ran through his chest reminding him of a multitude of events, many he would like to forget.

Lance lowered himself to the floor and welcomed the harsh reality that the cold of the floor brought him. His mind was clear and he was relieved that Aidan believed he didn't need any drugs. He grinned inwardly, thinking of all the evil things he would do to him once he was at full strength.

He made himself walk around the room several times before dressing in the only clothes that Aidan left for him. He shuddered as he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like one the prep-boys that he despised.

"Good morning, Joshua. Are you ready to see some of our unfortunate patients today?"

Lance spun around sharply, surprised at how easy Aidan had snuck up on him. "Yes, brother."

He saw Aidan raise an eyebrow in a questioning way and Lance offered him a weak smile.

"Have you had any more of those strange dreams about that girl?" Aidan asked him as they walked down one of the never-ending corridors.

Lance feigned ignorance. "Which girl?"

Aidan didn't reply and the rest of the walk was made in silence. This gave Lance more time to look around the place and, as he walked, he attempted to commit details to memory. He knew that he might have to escape from here by himself.

"We will start off by introducing you to some of those less affected by the X-Gene before moving onto those who we have labelled chronic cases," Aidan spoke suddenly.

Lance looked at him and, not for the first time, he wondered what was going on in his head. He didn't look like your run-of-the-mill psycho. He was always immaculately dressed and held himself with a strange sense of dignity but, at the same time, there was something about him that made even the slowest people wary of him.

"How do you decide who has a more chronic case, brother?" Lance asked, hoping he didn't sound any different.

"We haven't designed a scale or anything that advanced. Instead, we go by the strength of their abilities. Those who have more devastating abilities are the ones that we label 'chronic'."

Lance nodded but held back on saying anything. He couldn't trust himself at the moment. He watched as Aidan walked up to a large glass door. As he approached Lance felt a sudden chill go down his spine and he wanted to stop where he stood but he knew that if he did that he would give his memory gain away.

He walked up toward the glass until he was standing right next to his brother. He stared into the room and felt his breath catch in his throat. Sitting on a bed, looking more than lightly drugged was a much thinner version of Fred Dukes.

"What's his ability?" Lance asked, feigning innocence.

Aidan stared straight ahead. "His body mass is normally a lot bigger than this and it seems to protect him. At the same time he is very strong. At the moment, however, our drugs are keeping all the abilities under control. Unfortunately, they have some strange side effects." Aidan finally looked at him. "With some people it changes their appearance dramatically."

Lance felt a fine trickle of sweat creep down his neck. "Isn't that a good thing. I mean, if you are wanting to heal us making us look normal is part of the process, right?"

Aidan stared at him for another few moments. "Very good, Joshua. I am glad that you are thinking straight again. I was awfully worried when that girl nearly got you killed."

Lance offered a thin smile and turned his attention back to Fred, who hadn't moved from the bed. He looked stoned and Lance felt a strange urge to laugh. He knew that he was getting too close to becoming hysterical. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"Are you all right, Joshua?"

Lance could hear the coldness in Aidan's voice. "I'm fine. Still a wee bit tender."

From the corner of his mind her saw Aidan nod in understanding.

"Can he hear us?" Lance asked.

"He can see and hear us but at the moment the drugs are too strong. We have to start the doses off rather strong before lowering them as his body adjusts to them. You have to understand, Joshua, that many of these people don't even realise that we are trying to help them. Many of my men and women have been killed in the attempt to help these poor people."

Lance wanted nothing more than to beat the self-righteous look off of Aidan's face right then and there but he knew that the minute he started toward him there would be fifty people shooting at him. He had already been shot and he wasn't willing to go through the experience again any time soon.

"What the hell do you mean that Lance isn't dead?" Scott exclaimed.

Rogue stared at him in disbelief. Scott wasn't one to give into his emotions so easily.

"Exactly that, Scott," the professor replied without reaction to Scott's outburst.

Rogue saw Jean interlock her fingers with Scott's, instantly succeeding in calming him down. Rogue smiled grimly because she had a fair idea of what was coming next. The room had broken into a series of muted conversations, creating a buzzing sound that seemed to be swelling.

"How is Kale using him to his advantage?" Rogue asked.

The room fell silent again and everyone turned their eyes expectantly towards Professor Xavier.

"From what I could understand from his mind it seems as if he has convinced Lance that he is, in fact, his little brother named Joshua. That was all that I was able to get without him becoming aware of me."

"Aware of you?" Rogue felt her eyebrow shoot up.

"He is one of those people who can sense these things. It is as if he is 'hyper aware' to what mutants can do."

Rogue saw the distaste that the professor felt for people such as Kale as he spoke. She felt someone rest a hand on her shoulder and she knew, almost instantly, that it was Kurt. Ever since they had found out that they were brother and sister he had always kept an eye out for her and, in her own way, she had looked out for him.

"So, the question is do we tell Kitty?" Rogue drawled.

"I think we should." The professor was staring directly at her and she knew that Kitty would handle the news better coming from her rather than him.

"I'll do it," Jean volunteered.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Jean. Ah'll take this one."

"Thank you Jean and thank you Rogue," the professor murmured before leaving the room.

Rogue gave Jean a small smile and, to her surprise, Jean smiled warmly back. Rogue nodded her head in acknowledgement. They might have their differences but Rogue was beginning to realise that Jean wasn't as bad as she thought.

"Do you want me to come with you, sis?"

"That's okay, fuzzball. Ah think Ah can handle it."

Kurt nodded once before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Rogue stood where she was for a few minutes, trying to organise her thoughts before going off in search of Kitty.

She was going to try the danger room first and was heading in that direction when she saw Lorna coming towards her. She was hard to miss with her vivid hair. It made Rogue all to aware how lucky she was to at least have a few year of normalcy before her powers erupted. Others, like Kurt and Lorna, were different from birth.

"Lorna, have you seen Kitty anywhere?"

Lorna looked up, her eyes widening in shock as she registered the fact that she wasn't alone.

"Sorry Rogue, I didn't see you there. What did you say?"

"Have you seen Kitty?" Rogue repeated.

Lorna cocked her head to one side. "I think she is in her room."

"Thanks, Lorna," Rogue called over her shoulder.

"No problem."

As she neared the room that Kitty now lived in she was surprised to hear some very familiar sounding music. None of it was Kitty's favourite. When they had shared a room Rogue had become use to hearing the Diva's blaring through Kitty's headphones.

She knocked on the door and stood there for a moment, wondering whether Kitty heard her or not. After a few minutes she tried again. When Kitty didn't reply Rogue got a sinking feeling in her stomach. She tried the door handle and wasn't surprised when it turned easily. She pushed the door open and found herself standing in a room that was decorated in her tastes but a room that was empty at the same time.

"Damn it." She swore under her breath as she moved over to Kitty's bed. It was there that she found the note.

I have to go back. It's my fault that Lance was killed and there are others there that I have to help. If anyone is going to kill Aidan Kale it will be me.

Kitty.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it."

Rogue stared around the room and was surprised to see a pair of familiar boots lying on the ground. She was even more surprised when she heard a groan of pain. She moved to the other side of Kitty's bed.

Gambit sat up slowly, rubbing his head. One of his eyes was already turning a brilliant shade of purple.

"Don't tell me...there were several of them and they were seven feet tall." Rogue tried to hold back the laugh but she couldn't. He had been beaten by a former Valley-girl.

He looked up at her and grinned sheepishly.

"We have to tell the professor," Rogue said, trying to hide a grin.

"At least you can laugh about it, Chere."

Kitty slipped through the gates easily. Eve since she had been back she had been drilling herself in the danger room. Kale had done one thing right, he had taught her some new tricks and he had taught her not to care about anyone or anything. She was determined to finish what Lance had started. She was going to kill Aidan Kale and she was going to enjoy it very much.

To Be Continued...

A/N – Hope you enjoy...