Title: Sirens' Song
Author: Sinayah
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy, Angel, or Xmen. They belong to very rich people who don't appreciate them as we fanfic writers do.
Disclaimer 2: The Chapter Title and Lyrics belong to Powerman 5000.
Authors Note: Many heartfelt thanks to my muse Zenura, without her I wouldn't have had the guts to write. If you like this story please review or send me an email, I'd really appreciate hearing what you think. Enjoy!
Chapter 4: When Worlds Collide
"Now this is what it's like when worlds collide…"

The next day dawned with its usual chaos at the mansion. Most of the children woke up cranky and they fought over bathroom time, borrowed clothing and jewellery, and who had to sit next to Wolverine at breakfast. Siren had gotten up early this morning and, in a particularly good mood, had made an elaborate breakfast for everyone. She greeted each teen as they slumped in, still rubbing the sleep from their eyes. No one spoke at the breakfast table but as they piled into the cars to head to school Scott asked Siren and Wolverine, "What do we tell Darkholme if she asks who's coming to the meeting this afternoon?"

Reminded of the forthcoming confrontation Logan spoke loudly, so all their charges could hear. "If the bitch asks just tell her your 'guardians' are coming and leave it at that. I don't think she'll be expecting Serena and me and I wanna keep it that way." Seeing the kids drive off through the front gate the adults returned to the house to get on with their daily chores.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Serena was worried, though she hid her anxiety well. Not about the meeting with Mystique, she had barely any concern on that issue at the moment. The focus of her worry was someone from her past. Her mind floated away in memory as her body went about her daily chores. 'It's been ten years since I first saw him, so long ago, yet not.' She mused.

She'd been barely fifteen when her mutation manifested. Her parents had kicked her out of the house, quite forcefully the same evening, when the priest of her church had phoned them to report that their only child had hypnotised the entire church choir. Her father, until now such a kind, loving man, had struck his daughter repeatedly before throwing her out of her home with only the clothes on her back. Serena could still feel the sting of the slaps and hear her mothers' impassioned prayers to save her devil child.

Homelessness is not easy for anyone, let alone a fifteen year old girl in the Ukraine in mid winter. Her saviour had found her, much as Wolverine had six months ago, huddled in an alley. She'd been starving, and freezing in that dark, smelly alley when out of nowhere a dangerous looking man had appeared. Bleached blond, with chiselled, angular features and piercing blue eyes the man had spoken in fluent Ukrainian with a distinct English accent, "Well now, what do we have here?"

Knowing the man was probably dangerous, but still unwilling to harm him Serena had simply curled into a ball and lowered her head, hoping the stranger would lose interest and pass her by. Another voice sounding from the end of the alley had startled her into looking up again. A sweet soprano had uttered, "She is of the new breed my Spike. The stars whisper that she is not food, that she is of great importance. We must help her!"
The strange man had knelt down and taken a closer look at the dark haired urchin. "Well Ducks, if Dru says we help you then that's what we'll do. Now be a luv and tell us your name." Still wary but no longer fearing harm from the blond man or his companion Serena had made a motion indicating that she couldn't speak. "Cant talk huh? Well then let's get you inside and we'll see if you can write."

Spike had placed his beloved duster around her thin shoulders and guided her to their lair a block away. He'd gotten food for her and Drusilla had dressed her in one of her ancient gowns. Serena had written her name for them and explained what little she knew of her powers. In return they'd told her who and what they were, and she'd been plummeted into the world of demons and vampires.

Serena had spent a year travelling with Spike and Dru and when they parted ways it was with fondness. The vampires had set her up in New Orleans with a new name, an apartment, a huge bank account, and the protection of their bite marks and vicious reputations. They'd kept in touch with phone calls, letters, and the occasional visit. She missed her friends dearly.

Coming back to the present Siren looked around the kitchen, making sure everything was spotless. Satisfied that the last of her chores was finished the petite woman dried her hands and went upstairs to her bedroom. She hadn't heard from Spike in over a month now and was anxious to tell him her news. Opening her address book the raven haired woman flipped through until she found the cell phone number for her vampire friend. The last time they'd spoken the blond had been in Sunnydale California looking for some ancient artifact that would render him unkillable. She dearly hoped the number still worked as Spike wasn't all that great with letter writing.

A moment later, in a top secret lab underneath the U.C. Sunnydale campus a cell phone began ringing, unheard by its owner, who was at the moment banging his bleached head against Rupert Giles bathtub in frustration.

* * * * * * * * * *

After about twenty rings with no answer Serena replaced the receiver. Though her worry increased, the lion eyed woman set her fears aside and started getting ready for the confrontation at hand. She looked through her extensive wardrobe, finally choosing an oversized sweater in violet and pairing it with skin tight tan leggings. Low heeled ankle length boots completed the ensemble and her waist length black hair was smoothed into a sleek chignon.

Siren was anxious to meet the troublesome teens who made up the Brotherhood. She'd heard a lot about the four boys from her team mates. Kitty had a large crush on their leader Lance Alvers, which upset Kurt endlessly. Rogue, having lived with the boys for a time had more detailed information but was reluctant to share her knowledge. Pietro, one they called Quicksilver or Speedy was arch rivals with Evan. The other two brotherhood boys were general nuisances, having no special relation to any of the Xmen.

Serena was most interested in seeing this Quicksilver guy. In the sanctity of Rogue and Kittys' room behind a locked door, girl talk was prevalent, and all her female team mates thought Pietro was the best looking thing since Brad Pitt. Since the girls were surrounded by great looking guys at the mansion the dark haired woman had to wonder what it was about this particular boy that made even the staunchly prim and proper Jean sigh at the thought of him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Grabbing her purse Serena left her bedroom and made her way down the hall to see if Logan was ready to go. 'Now that is a good looking man.' She thought idly, 'The girls might see him as a father or guardian but for me he's right up there with Spike in the drool worthy category. Now let's see if I can get him to wear some decent clothes for this bloody meeting.' Knocking on Logan's door and receiving a grunt that passed for an invitation Siren opened the door and stepped into the big mans bedroom.

Wolverine was sitting on his bed reading. He looked up from his book when Serena entered and had to suppress a growl. 'Doesn't that woman own any clothes that aren't sexy as hell? Christ I bet she could even make a potato sack look good.' Logan was a man who enjoyed beautiful women, but his quiet little friend defied description, at least in his mind. "You ready to get this stupid thing over with?" he asked.

"I am, but apparently you're not. At least put on a clean shirt and pants Wolvie. We're supposed to be playing along with Mystiques charade as the school principal. You can't go to an official parent/teacher meeting in those ratty, filthy old things." Moving to his dresser Serena pulled out a clean pair of blue jeans and a black cotton button down shirt to pair with them. "Now get changed and let's go. I don't want to be late." The petite woman ordered before leaving the room.

Logan growled at the now empty room, cursing women in general and bossy chatterboxes in particular. He looked himself over in the mirror and noted the grease stains and torn knees of his jeans and the grime clinging to his flannel shirt. Accepting his fate, the big badass changed his clothes and made his way downstairs to the garage where Serena was waiting for him.

* * * * * * * * * *

They arrived at the school a few minutes before the appointment and found their charges waiting for them in the parking lot. Noting the somber expressions of the teens Serena pasted a large smile on her face as she got out of the car. "Ok guys," she addressed the group, "we're going to go in there and get this done. I want everything to run smoothly so control your tempers! That goes for you especially Logan. No powers, no insults, no arguments. You'll sit quietly and let Logan and I handle it. Don't let the boys bait you."

Everyone nodded their agreement and they walked into the school building. Outside the door of Principal Darkholmes' office Scott paused and asked the older woman, "Are you going to hypnotize them like you did us or use your computer?" Scott looked down at Serenas' arm, finding it free of the gizmo she used for speaking to people.

"It's too good an opportunity to waste Scooter, I'll hypnotize them all and give them the key word suggestion I worked out with the prof. and Wolvie yesterday." Smiling once more for the childrens' sake Serena nodded to Logan who knocked on the office door. The group tried mightily to reign in their nervous tension as they waited for a response.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Inside the principals office Mystique was giving her gang of rowdy boys the same lecture Siren had given her charges in the parking lot, only without the affectionate tone of voice. Pacing in front of the four boys the shape shifter railed at them. "You four will keep fucking quiet while I talk to Charles. If I see so much as one rude gesture to those morons or hear one insult I'll rip your ears off and shove them up your asses since that's where your freaking brains are located. Just sit still and shut your mouths. The sit still is especially for you Maximoff, absolutely NO jumping up and running around like an animal on drugs do you hear me? Answer me damnit!"

A chorus of affirmative answers and nods were the principals' response. The fierce woman was about to begin another tirade when a knock on her office door was heard. "Fuck, the morons are here. Just remember what I said. Lance go let them in." Mystique hated the idea of talking with any of the Xmen, but she knew this issue had to be resolved, and quickly, for all their sakes.

Lance Alvers opened the door to Mystiques office and with a surly tone, invited them in. Logan entered first; he was after all the groups' protector. He and the mutant disguised as Principal Raven Darkholme regarded each other, both groaning inwardly. The Xmen team came in after Logan and ranged themselves behind the big man. The site of Wolverine and the assembled Xmen had Mystique and her boys glowering darkly, but their worst shock was yet to come.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Serena was livid. She'd half expected Logan to push past her and enter first, but having the teens also put her behind them had angered her. Entering the plush office she rounded the defensive line the Xmen had formed and stood beside Logan, glancing over her shoulder to give her friends a look that could only be topped by 'mothers shaking finger'. Turning her head back to get her first good look at their enemies Siren caught Mystiques gasp of recognition.

'Who's the new chick?' echoed in the minds of the Brotherhood boys. They glanced at their leader and saw her recoil slightly at the sight of the beautiful dark haired woman. Mystique stared at the young woman beside Wolverine. Charles she had been prepared to face, even Wolverine or Storm were expected, but this woman scared the shape shifter. Mystique had no defence against the lion eyed womans' powers and her charges knew nothing of the stranger at all. The retrieval of this woman was Mystiques worst failure in the service of Magneto and the Brotherhood, her failure as a mother not withstanding. When the Siren opened her mouth and began to speak in a calm, clear voice the powerful mutant trembled before falling under the dark haired womans thrall.

Serena was pleased with Mystiques reaction to her, especially the fearful quiver she'd managed before succumbing to the hypnosis. Implanting the keyword suggestion quickly, she watched the five mutants shake off her influence before re stating her previous comments. "Now that that's over with; Good afternoon Ms. Darkholme. Professor Xavier couldn't attend this meeting so he sent Logan and I to act as the childrens guardians."

Taking note of his friend's calm demeanour Logan continued, speaking with the same business like eloquence Serena had used. "Would you care to explain the situation to us Ms. Darkholme? I'm afraid our residents were at a loss as to why you'd request this meeting." Glancing back at his team mates Logan took great pleasure in the shocked stares he received from the group. 'Ha! Shows em how much they know. Just 'cause I usually talk like a dumb shit don't mean I am one.'

* * * * * * * * * *

Raven gestured for the other adults to take a seat in front of her desk before taking her own chair. Dropping the premise of a parent/teacher conference she got right to the point. "I asked you here so we could come to an agreement. Yesterday morning I had to attend a meeting with the district superintendent. He's noticed that I haven't taken any disciplinary action against any of these kids." She gestured at the assembled group.

"Every single one of them is responsible for some form of property damage to the school. They also have a habit of fighting with each other. The little shit is threatening to fire me if something isn't done to stop the fights and the resulting damage to the schools property." Mystique paused, waiting for a reaction from the Xmen team leaders.

Serena could see the mutants dilemma and how having her as the principal benefited both groups. With so many young mutants attending classes here, some unable to keep firm control over their powers or their tempers it was to everyone's benefit to have an authority figure in the school who was also a mutant and would turn a blind eye to the random manifestations of the teens mutant abilities.

"What do you want us to do about it Mystique? It's your group that usually starts any fights and cause the damage." Apparently Logan hadn't seen the ramifications of having a human principal. Serena placed a hand on her friends arm to quiet him and took control of the negotiations.

Looking the shape shifter in the eye Siren spoke, "I see what the problem is. In this particular situation I think we all need to work together." The principal nodded, glad someone understood, even if it was the powerful hypnotist. Mystique hoped the woman could come up with a solution.

Standing and rounding the desk to perch on the edge next to her enemy Serena addressed the two groups. "In case you haven't worked it out yet, we all need Mystique here as the principal. A normal human wouldn't know how to deal with you kids. Take a moment and try to remember all the times each of you has used your powers here. I can imagine the things she has turned a blind eye to."

Pointing to each student in turn Serena recited an incident that could have easily occurred, and some incidents that actually had. "Let's start with the most obvious property damage. Lance, how many times have you created an earthquake that rocked the school? Evan, how many spikes have you accidentally launched? Fred, I remember hearing about a bunch of lockers getting crushed. Scott, how many times have you nearly blasted someone with your eyes?"

She was about to continue, her amber eyes seeking Evans rival, the one they called Quicksilver. Her gaze found the boy and instead of berating him for opening lockers and stealing from them she gasped. Her whiskey hued eyes took in the lanky, muscular frame, the cherubic features, stormy blue grey eyes, and snowy white hair.

'No, it can't be!' She thought. She hadn't taken a good look at each of the boys earlier, but now noticed the stunning similarity of features, and names, the speedster shared with another ghost from her past. As the boys gaze turned curious Siren shook herself mentally and continued speaking.

"Sorry, my mind wandered. I trust I don't need to go on?" seeing the teens nod understanding the hypnotist resumed her seat next to Logan, looking to Mystique to provide a solution. To a casual observer it would seem that the petite hypnotist was concentrating all her attention on Mystique, but in truth her mind was elsewhere, on the snowy haired boy who she should've recognized in an instant, whose name she hadn't connected to a sweet babe she'd never thought to see again.

* * * * * * * * * *

Mystique was in a quandary. She had no idea what to do to solve this problem and keep her job. The two rival groups were enemies, they were supposed to hate and fight each other. The shape shifter was saved from having to admit her inability to come up with a resolution when Logan began to speak.

Wolverine had remained quiet during Sirens diatribe, thinking things over. He realised the benefit of having a mutant as a principal, even if it was an enemy. He'd thought up a plausible solution by the time Serena sat beside him again. "What we need is for the kids to think of this place as neutral ground. They all have to go to school here and everyone profits having you in this position."

Standing and facing the teens the intimidating man continued, "From now on you play by the rules. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. If you can't avoid someone, ignore them. Absolutely no using your powers on school property, I'll make an exception if you have to use your powers to keep someone from getting hurt. I don't want to hear any arguments from any of you, got it?" Finished with his orders Logan resumed his seat, the matter done as far as he was concerned.

Mystique finally spoke up. "That works for me. From now on if I get any reports on any of you kids I'll assign detention or some other punishment. I'll also contact Charles if any of you Xmorons get in trouble so he can punish you his own way. As for my group, you don't want to know what I'll do to you if you get me fired."

Sensing that the meeting was about to break up, Serena injected a final thought. "Before we go I've got a suggestion. What you two outlined should keep problems down to a minimum, but we have to remember that these are kids. Their tempers are bound to get the better of them sometimes, especially if they can't hassle each other like normal teenagers. I think that we need to give them an outlet for their frustrations."

Seeing Logan and Raven nod their agreement and hearing positive murmurs from the teenagers she outlined her solution. "I think the two groups should meet once a week at the mansion. We can put them all in the Danger Room and let them vent at each other under our supervision. We can make sure no one gets really hurt and the regular sessions will make them less likely to antagonize each other at school. Does that sound good to you?" Her last comment was directed at the entire group.

Various agreements came back to her though Mystique was quiet. Finally she asked, "Why do these sessions need to be held on your territory? They could just as easily 'vent their frustrations' elsewhere." The shape shifter didn't like the idea of her recruits visiting the mansion on a regular basis.

"I can't think of a better place to hold 'em Mystique. The kids're gonna be usin their powers during the sessions. Any place other than the mansion it'd be too easy for someone to see 'em goin at it, doin things they shouldn't be able to. You don't have the facilities we do to hide 'em." Logan answered the woman.

Mystique thought about it for a moment before conceding. 'And the Xmen save the day again. Whoo-hoo.' She thought. The shape shifter was pleased with to have her problem solved, but having to work with the enemy to do it pissed her off, especially since they'd come up with the perfect solution without any help from her. "Alright Dog-boy I'll agree to once a week sessions at your place. Now if there aren't any questions from the peanut gallery I think we can consider the matter resolved and go home." Not waiting for any questions or comments that might be forthcoming the dark haired principal crossed the room and held her office door open.