Admit it, I rock. Yes... well, to avoid a lynch-mob I finally finished chapter 11, and am posting it for you. Aren't I wonderful? No?...

This chapter is dedicated to ScarletSapphire, because she rocks my socks. It's also dedicated to my other bunnies, but mostly to ScarletSapphire. She's special.

Unfortunately, there is character death in this chapter. I know crazyspaceystracey and XEvoChick won't forgive me, but I hope the rest of you can. I still haven't forgiven myself. But you all saw it coming, didn't you?

Your reviews are awesome. Keep 'em comin'! They brighten my day!

Anyway, I'll let you get on with reading.

Disclaimer: I own my socks and the socks of my people. That is all.

"I'd better be getting paid over-time for this, Shaw!" a red-haired man, in a white suit with a bright yellow bow-tie, demanded.
Sebastian sighed in annoyance. "Just do your job, and you won't incur the wrath of Emma and Raven."
The red-haired man practically giggled with glee. "Perhaps such succulent and devious divas would repay me 'personally' for my services."
This caused Sebastian to laugh harshly. "I doubt it!"
The man in the white suit growled into the phone.
"A Sucubus lays with another for the sole purpose of gaining more power. I highly doubt you have anything either of the ladies would ever possibly want."
"And how, pray-tell, did you rate such an honour? Human?!"
Sebastian smirked. "I had what they wanted."
"Humph!"
"Just do your job. If you do it right, I'll put in a good word for you with the bosses."
"I don't need no charity from a human."
"Fair enough. I didn't plan on giving you any."
The red-head snarled. He suddenly heard a click, followed by a dial- tone. "Just you wait, Shaw. I'll work my way to the top." he straightened out his bow-tie and smoothed down the front of his jacket. "I'll get the brat... you can't escape ARCADE!"
He swept out of the phone booth, cackling obnoxiously as bystanders looked on in confusion.
"Oh, rapture!" Arcade giggled. He finally spotted his victims. He loved it when the multiple targets were all gathered in one place. It made everything so much easier. "Step one - Ready the transport relic..."

Ilyana tugged on Wanda's sleeve. "Excuse. Wanda, I am having to the bathroom."
Wanda turned around. "Okay." she took Ilyana's bags from her and set them on a bench. "Amanda and I will wait for you here. The bathroom is just over there."
Ilyana smiled and said a quick thanks in Russian.

"Step two - Aim..."

A large crowd of people passed by the three girls. Ilyana had to stand and wait for a moment before she could break away and head for the airport restroom.

"Step three - FIRE!"

As Ilyana dashed around the corner to the restroom, Amanda and Wanda turned around curiously at the loud shout coming from behind them.
"Did you hear something?"
"I think so... Did somebody just say-"
Both teens screamed as they were struck with a blast of energy. Their bodies felt as though they were being twisted and turned inside out.
As quickly as it had started, it was over. Amanda and Wanda were sucked through anti-space; where their shouts of pain were silent, and bright flashes of light and colour threatened to blind them.
They landed in heaps on solid ground.

Arcade whipped out a crystal ball from his jacket pocket and ducked into a dark corner of the crowded airport. He grinned as he rubbed it counter-clockwise three times with his left hand. "Now, my pretties. Let's see what we can do to split up the trio-"
His eyes widened as he viewed the two lumps of human stir. He rubbed his eyes, not believing what he saw. "Okay... there's three of them..." he stared hard into the orb. His brow furrowed in concentration. "One... two..." his voice cracked. "The dark one... the pale tom-boy... where's the teeny blonde?!" he squeaked. He turned the ball in his hands, looking in at every possible angle. "BLAST! BLAST!! BLAST!!!"
The red-haired demon started hopping around angrily, almost dropping the orb in the process. "DARNATION!!! Whoops!" he quickly caught the crystal ball before it smashed into the stone floor.

"Wanda... Wanda get up!" Amanda shook her shoulder. Wanda groaned and rolled over.
"Ugh... What happened."
Amanda looked around as Wanda sat up and held her aching head. "I don't know. But we somehow ended up outside."
"What?!" Wanda's head whipped around. She stared at the clear sky. It was lemon-yellow in colour. "Holy sh-"
Amanda pulled her up by the arms and started walking along a path made of pink marble. "I don't remember being here before."
"I don't think we're in Germany anymore, Mandy."

"What to do... what to do..." Arcade chewed his nails nervously. He couldn't deliver these two to the 'Black Widows', as Emma and Raven had been dubbed. They wanted the young one. Now that he had two teen aged girls trapped in his pocket dimension, what was he going to do?
"Letting them go is out of the question." a grin spread across his freckled face. "I suppose I could make the best of the situation." he traced his finger around the top of the orb. "Follow the white rabbit, dearies."

"Hey, look over there."
A furry white rabbit, that looked to be about the size of a beach ball, stood on it's hind legs and peered over a blue hedge. It blinked it's big red eyes at the girls before pushing off the hedge and scampering off along the path.
Amanda started walking after it, but Wanda grabbed her arm and held her back.
The rabbit stopped in its tracks.
"What's wrong, Wanda?"
Wanda glared after the large rodent. "Ever read 'Alice in Wonderland'?"
Amanda looked at her strangely. "Yeah, when I was nine. But I don't get what that has to do- oh." Wanda started walking in the opposite direction that Amanda was headed. "Hey! What are you doing? Wanda?!"
"We've got nothing better to do." Wanda crossed her arms across her chest. "You got a better idea?"
Amanda was silent. "Fine."
They followed the path for what felt like hours, until they came to a large garden filled with rose bushes, violet daisies and large deciduous trees.
"Pretty." Wanda breathed, reaching out to touch one of the blood-red roses.

Arcade doubled over in laughter. "Hoo boy! This is WAY too easy!" he started tracing his finger over the surface of the crystal again. "You're Majesty, you have intruders on the premises."

"Anymore bright ideas?" Amanda groaned. Her wrists were beginning to hurt from the rope used to tie her and Wanda. They were shoved into a dank cell forcefully by one of the Queen's foot-soldiers.
Wanda grunted as she fell into the stone floor. "I am getting REALLY sick of people tossing me around!"
" 'Don't follow the white rabbit-' " Amanda muttered mockingly. " 'Ever read "Alice in Wonderland"?'... Oh yeah. You're a real genius!"
"It was an idea. I didn't say it was a good one."
Amanda flopped down into a pile of straw by the wall. "This is just a really bad dream." she flopped back, feeling her head hit something solid. "Probably brought on by jet-lag." she rolled over onto her side.
Wanda sighed and leaned back against the cold wall. "I just want to go home."
Amanda looked up. "I know..." Amanda suddenly shot up. "Oh my God!"
"What?"
"We left Ilyana by herself!"
Wanda rolled her eyes. "Well, it's not like we had much choice in the matter..."
Amanda flopped back. "Ororo's going to kill me."
There was a slight shuffling sound. Amanda thought it was Wanda. Wanda thought it was Amanda. However, Amanda jumped and screamed when she felt something brush against her arm. "OH MY GOD! IT'S A SNAKE!"
Wanda jumped back from her seat on the stone floor.
The pile of straw grew in height and let out a pained groan. "Vat is all zis noise?"
Amanda and Wanda scrambled across the floor and huddled close to each other. "It's a talking snake." Amanda whimpered.
Something burst out of the straw, shouting, "Vere! I HATE snakes!!"
They stared at the... man that suddenly appeared. His eyes glowed gold in the shadows. He was spinning around frantically, searching for the snake. Amanda and Wanda saw his warped feet, and deformed hands. But most shocking of all was the blue fur that covered his entire body.
"Y-you're a DEMON!" Wanda choked, pulling away from Amanda.
The demon stopped spinning and seemed to notice his audience for the first time. "Oh boy..."
"Please, don't eat our souls!" Amanda pleaded.
The demon looked at her strangely. "No problem. I prefer cheeseburgers." he replied with what he hoped was a charming smirk.
They blinked in confusion for a moment. "Huh?..."

Arcade observed them in amusement. "Well... I can get rid of all three of them in one quick sweep... I do enjoy my work TOO much!"

"My name is Kurt Wagner." he took a cautious step toward the cowering teens. He frowned when they shied away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Amanda shifted uncomfortably. "I thought demons did that. Y'know... hurt people."
Kurt shook his head. "Nein. I am not like zem. I myself am half- human."
Wanda and Amanda looked at each other. "Sorry...?" Wanda said uncertainly.
"I am not looking for sympathy." he sat down on the floor across from them. "If I had a choice, I vould rather be completely human."
Amanda smiled. "So you're a nice demon!"
"Ja." he laughed. "I suppose you could say zat."
"So, do you know where the hell we are?" Wanda asked impatiently.
Kurt nodded. "Zis vould be a pocket dimension created by a demon named Arcade." a snarl escaped his lips as he bared his fangs. "Ven I get my hands on zat shiste..." he noticed the look the girls were giving him. "Sorry... ja. Ve vould be trapped here."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Wagner. You and my pretty guests won't be trapped for much longer." Arcade cackled, waving his hand over the orb. After he set the stage for their demise, Arcade tucked the ball back into his pocket, feeling assured that their deaths were inevitable.

"Zee important thing is is to look on ze bright side of zis situation."
Wanda struggled with the ropes around her wrists. "I fail to see anything bright about it, KURT!"
Amanda was staring straight in the path of a whirling saw-blade. Whether it had been inspired by divine influences, or Amanda was just panicking, she came up with an idea. She jerked her head to the side - partly to speak to Wanda, and partly to get farther away from the blade - "Wanda! Get out your lighter! We might be able to burn through the ropes!"
Wanda looked over her shoulder. The conveyer belt they were set on was moving slowly, closer and closer to their doom. She let out at whimper. "I don't have my lighter!"
"What?! You have it with you all the time!" she shifted back some more, brushing her shoulder against Kurt's. "You smoke!"
Wanda sighed. It almost sounded like a frustrated growl. "I decided to quit recently! I threw it out..."
Kurt nearly jumped when he felt Amanda's head lean against his back. Wanda was still struggling with their bonds. He looked skyward and closed his golden eyes. "Gott... as much as I love being tied to two beautiful vomen, please. Either save us, or hurry up and kill me. I don't think I can take much more of zeir fighting." he muttered pleadingly.
"I'm too young to die." Amanda groaned.
This was it. Wanda clenched her eyes shut. Of all times to actually focus, this was it. She almost laughed at the irony of it all. Amanda was too panicked to do anything. Kurt couldn't do anything. Somehow his demon powers had been nullified, or he just refused to use them. Wanda was their last hope. "Burn... burn burn burn..." she bit her lower lip in concentration.
"What are you doing?"
"Shut up! I'm trying to focus!" she snapped. She had to think of an incantation and envision what she wanted the end result to be. "Powers of Fire..." she felt the energy rise up inside of her.
"Oh no-"
Wanda breathed deeply, letting all outside noise fade away. "... I summon thee..." her brow furrowed. The incantation had to rhyme. She thought that it was a stupid rule, but that was the way it worked. "... I summon thee to aid me. Heed my call, and send me a... fire-ball!"
She waited for a split second before she opened her eyes again. What she saw brought a smile to her face. A small ball of flames danced in front of her. "It worked!"
Amanda unclenched her eyes as well. "It actually worked?!"
Wanda glared at the fire-ball. "Yes... thank you for your support, Mandy..." she smiled again, despite herself. "Okay, fire-thing. I'm the one who conjured you up, so do what I say, okay?"
The fire-ball bobbed up and down, as if it were agreeing with her.
"Burn the ropes off our hands. Could you do that for me?" she asked sweetly, only just noticing how close they were to the spinning blade.
The fire-ball flew a lap around Wanda's head before doing as she requested. It burned through Kurt's bonds first, followed by Wanda's, then finally Amanda's. Kurt and Wanda hopped off the conveyer belt, and Kurt helped Amanda by holding her arm as she clumsily jumped, landing in his chest. Kurt released her and stretched his arms and legs. Something snaked out of the folds of his baggy pants and extended out behind him before curling and relaxing at his side.
"You have a tail!" Amanda exclaimed, staring at Kurt's backside.
Kurt looked over his shoulder at the prehensile appendage. "Shh..." he placed one of his fingers to his lips. "If you point and stare like zat, you might hurt its feelings."
Wanda was already looking around the torture chamber for a way out. She ignored the two people - well, one witch and one demi-demon. The little fire ball still danced excitedly around her. She ran her hand along the wall, applying pressure every now and then incase she found a weak spot in the plaster. She knocked. She banged. She screamed and threw a large rock. Nothing seemed to be working. "These walls must be reinforced with... adamantium or something!"
"Wanda, there's no such thing as 'adamantium'..." Amanda quipped, thinking that Wanda had finally lost it.
The black haired witch glared at her angrily, as the little spark flitted around her in blissful oblivion. "My FIRST spell worked, Sefton... don't tempt me to try another." she went back to beating on the walls. "There has to be a way out!"
She completely ignored the modest cough that escaped from the blue man's throat.
Amanda joined in on the beating of the walls. "I- don't- see- how- this is- helping!" she stated between grunts.
"It's not hurting!" Wanda threw her shoulder into the wall. "Ow!"
Kurt stepped up confidently and placed a three-digited hand on each of their shoulders. He disregarded the confused and angry looks he was getting. "If you are villing to trust me, I may be able to get us all out."

Arcade strolled proudly through the airport. He felt proud that he had managed to trap and destroy three obstacles in one foul swoop. Now the fun part was tracking down the little blonde girl and taking her without kicking up a fuss.
But how hard could that be? It was just ONE little girl.

"Now, you have to hold on tight." Kurt instructed. Amanda and Wanda had wrapped their arms around his torso, and he placed his hands on their backs. Even he knew that what he had explained to them sounded off and a little fishy, but it was their last chance. He had told them, not elaborating on the fine details of physics that he himself didn't completely understand, he could transport them out if they held him. And while he did like the idea of two women swarming him on either side, the situation was rather uncomfortable. "Alright. Are ve ready? I vill count to three-"
"WAIT!" Wanda shouted, loosening her grip on him. She looked around the torture chamber desperately.
Hollers and clanging armor could be heard approaching. The guards had been alerted of their escape. Amanda grabbed Wanda's wrist and pulled her back. "What are you doing?!"
Wanda collided with Kurt's left side, but her eyes still looked around the room. "Where did the little flame-thing go?"
Amanda sighed deep in her throat. "The spell must've worn off while you weren't looking. It happens! Now, can we please get out of here?!"
Kurt nodded. "Alright. Now, I need your help vith zis-"

"Cold." Ororo placed a damp cloth on Agatha's forehead. The frail woman was past the point of return. Out of respect for the dying, Rogue and Remy stood at the door with their heads bowed.
"Ororo Monroe..." Agatha croaked in a harsh whisper. "I... I leave-" Ororo leaned in closer and took hold of her friend's boney hand. "I leave everything to you. This house and everything in it."
Ororo swallowed hard. She knew that tears were going to start falling from her eyes at any moment. "Yes, Agatha. I'll take care of everything."
Agatha's mouth curled into a half smile. "I know you will, child. I trust you above all others." she took in a slow, deep breath. "Look after our girls. They are coming along very well. I'm proud of them." her head turned slightly, as though she were trying to make eye-contact with the tall African woman. However, Agatha just didn't possess the strength anymore. "And be patient with Wanda. She's maturing into a strong young woman. She'll need your friendship as well as your guidance."
Ororo felt Agatha's hand become cold. "I promise, old friend."
Agatha's eyes drooped. "Perhaps, in another life, we will meet again. Good-bye, Ororo."
"Good-bye..." Ororo sat for several moments after hearing a final breath leave the old witch's body.
Remy felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked to his side and saw that Rogue was motioning for them to leave the room. He nodded solemnly and followed her into the kitchen. He sat down at the table while Rogue poured them two glasses of pigs' blood. She set one of the glasses on the table and sat down across from him. "You f'got, didn't you..."
Remy traced the top of his glass with the tip of his index finger. "It been so long, I guess I t'ought I didn' have t't'ink about it no more."
"Ah know. Ah thought the same thang." she took a long drink of her beverage. "Ah've changed so much over the past twenty-five years."
Remy picked up his glass, like he intended to drink from it, but didn't put it to his lips. "If y'don' mind m'askin', Chere, why you like dis? What be yo' reason f'givin' up human blood?"
Her eyes clouded over. "Ah decided to watch my last victim's fam'ly... And what Ah saw made me disgusted with myself. Ah took their only son away from them without a second thought." a red tinged tear streaked down her face and landed on the table next to her pale hand. "When Ah became a vampire, Ah didn't just lose my life; Ah lost my humanity."
He understood. He understood everything. Remy had spent his years as a vampire killing indiscriminately and not caring about the consequences. Now that he had watched a woman die - a woman that he had severely injured - he understood that humans were more than just cattle, raised for slaughter. He quite possibly could have destroyed the lives of everyone that dwelled in that household.
That made him think about all those others he had killed in his life.
It was depressing.
No wonder Rogue didn't have a sex-drive.
Remy banished the thought as he drank from his cold glass. He didn't think he'd ever get used to drinking it. But after tonight, he didn't think he'd ever think of feeding on a human again.

Arcade had been so caught up with trying to find the girl, he hadn't noticed when his precious crystal slipped out of his pocket and exploded in a puff of thick, midnight-blue smoke.
That is, he didn't notice at first.
After the smoke, that smelled strongly of brimstone, cleared - and Arcade stopped choking - a half-demon and two teenaged girls stood firmly before him. They all looked very, very cross.
He laughed nervously whilst tugging at the collar of his suit. "Herr Wagner, di- didn't expect to see you again." he backed into the wall, trying to get away from the approaching blue-man.
"Nein..." Kurt growled, clenching his fist, "I didn't think so either."
Arcade gulped. "So, uh... how did... how did you get out?"
"Magic..." Wanda answered dryly.
Kurt smiled maliciously at the cowering demon. His white fangs gleamed in the light of the florescent bulbs. He lifted Arcade off the ground and slammed him into the wall. "Now, Arschloch [1], you vill get a taste of hell-" Kurt raised the hand that wasn't being used to hold him against the wall. He held a knife that would've gotten him arrested if he had tried to smuggle it into the airport. His tail had snaked it out of Arcade's pocket while Kurt had him distracted.
Amanda rushed over to him and placed her hand over his. "Don't do it!"
"Huh?!" Kurt dropped the knife and stared at the dark-skinned beauty. Her eyes were pleading with him. "Don't do it." she mouthed again.
She turned to Arcade. "Go back to wherever it is you came from. We're sparing your life, because death would be a kindness for the likes of you!"
Arcade 'hmph'ed. "Don't think you've won, human-scum." and with that, he vanished.
Wanda and Kurt were goggling at Amanda. "What?!"
"Wow, Mandy... I didn't think you had it in you!" Wanda exclaimed.
She was still holding Kurt's hand. "I- I didn't want him to kill him." she watched Wanda look around the corner, then start walking. "Where are you going?"
"Looking for the kid."
"I'll come with you!" Amanda let go of Kurt and was about to run off after Wanda. She stopped suddenly, doubled back, and kissed the half-demon on the cheek. "It was nice meeting you, Kurt." she smiled, "Thanks for rescuing us."
"Vasn't a problem-" he watched her rush around the corner. His fingers touched the spot on his face where she had kissed him. That hadn't ever happened before. The last person to kiss him was a vampire that he had helped reform her life. And that was just on the forehead. Amanda had barely missed his mouth. He smirked as he slipped into the shadows.

Ilyana sat patiently with their luggage. It had been five minutes since she had come back from the washroom. She began to worry about her escorts. Perhaps they had left her behind. But that didn't make sense. They would've taken their bags with them. She finally saw Wanda and Amanda jogging toward her. They looked tired and ragged. Ilyana decided not to ask any questions. It was probably a teenager thing.
They didn't offer to tell her what happened either.
She picked up her bags and followed them to the terminal they would be boarding at. She was excited. They were going to New York!
Wanda was leading the other two. She suddenly felt a shiver run up her spine and a weight drop in the pit of her stomach. She gasped as the feeling of panic washed over her. Something had happened. They had to get back.
Amanda seemed to have felt it as well. "Wanda..."
"C'mon. Let's get a move on. I want to go home."

[1] the translation of 'asshole' from freetranslation . com