Chapter 4
The simulation suddenly stopped and Scott came running into the room with Storm hot on his tail.
"Why'd ya end it?" asked Serpent, starting to put away her extra limbs. Everyone walking over to her and marveled at her wings.
"Why didn't you tell us about these?" Rogue asked, reaching out to touch them. Serpent watched her and had to laugh.
You would think she'd be used to wings with fairy boy over there. Elect said, skipping out of her bubble and popping a piece of gum into her mouth. Serpent looked confused and tried to connect with any of them telepathically so she didn't have to ask who fairy boy was out loud.
That's what we all call Ramses. Ty answered, reading the inner thoughts of Serpent. Usually Serpent could block the mutations out of her personal thoughts but Ty can almost always get through somehow. Serpent nodded and went to answer Rogue's question.
"I didn't think it was that important at the time." Serpent said, drawing her wing back when Ramses went out to touch it. "Aren't you used to wings by now?"
"Yes although I have never seen wings of metal. Can you fly with them?" Ramses replied. For his answer, Serpent jumped up and flew high about them with a few seconds.
"Who did this to you?" Storm asked as Serpent landed.
"I – I can't remember." She replied looking at her feet as she put her spikes and the wing part away but left the bone part out.
"Quite extraordinary." Xavier said, wheeling into the room as Serpent put away the bone part away too, leaving no rips on her clothing of where her spikes and wings had come out. "And you say that you don't remember who gave them to you?"
"I can't remember a lot of things about my past. I'm lucky to know about some of the things I do." Serpent replied.
"Stryker." Logan said quietly, causing a few painful memories to open up in her mind.
So that was the password… Ty said, wildly attacking her computer as she unlocked more about Serpent's past.
"Yes, I do believe that was him." Serpent whispered, before running out of the room leaving a room full of questions behind her.
"She is very mysterious and she has a wise feel to her." Storm said, watching Rogue and Kitty run after her.
"She has many past experiences to account for that. She is, in fact, quite old." Xavier started as the others listened carefully to what he was telling them.
"Serpent! Wait!" Kitty called, causing Serpent to stop and slowly turn around to face the shorter mutant.
"What do want? Because what I want is to go to sleep and forget about today." Serpent said walking into their room and flopping onto her bed. Kitty sighed and walked away to find her other friends.
It's all right Serpent. Hope said, trying to calm Serpent down as she started crying.
"No it's not. I have more memories of my evil past, I've found my brother who I've been searching for since he went missing nearly forty years ago who doesn't remember me and to top it all off they're not going to leave me alone now!" Serpent said wiping a few tears away. Truth was that she wasn't a very strong person; she got her strong personality from her voices, while inside she was just a scared little girl who wanted her brother and her normal life back.
He is our brother too, Serpent. Both Ty and myself are just as upset that he does not remember us as you are. Hope stated.
Stryker did this to you. Blaze said, who had been lying down in her bed before, now she was slowly walking over to the large screen. You should revenge your suffering.
If only he wasn't dead already. Ty said sourly. Serpent was surprised that she had said that, she was usually so calm.
Then take your anger out on humans. Remember what they did to you? They tried to kill you. Now kill them. Blaze hissed with her red eyes holding so much pain and anger in them. Serpent curled up into a ball and tried to block Blaze out but she was more powerful somehow, probably because Serpent was at a weakened state of mind at the moment.
"No! I won't listen to you!" Serpent cried, sitting up quickly. Hope, who usually just sat in a corner reading or meditating, grabbed her weapon of choice, a long white staff, and knocked Blaze out with it.
Leave her mind alone. Hope stated with her voice filled with hatred and determination. Everyone else backed away and went their separate ways.
"Thank you Hope." Serpent said laying back down. Kiya jumped onto her stomach and started purring.
Were they talking to you again? She asked. Serpent nodded and turned her back to the others as they entered the room.
"Should we wake her up?" Kitty asked.
"No, we can ask her tomorrow." Rogue replied. Serpent slowly drifted off into a fitful sleep, her mind plagued with dreams of her past.
Next morning…Serpent groaned as sunlight hit her eyes from the open curtains.
"Wake up sleepy head." Rogue said, shaking Serpent's shoulder. Kiya swatted Rogue's hand with her paw before jumping down onto the ground in search of food.
"Rogue…" whined Serpent. "Why'd ya have to wake me up so early?"
"Because the professor is letting us three well five go out shopping today and show you around New York." Kitty said, grabbing the covers off of Serpent that they had probably put on her last night while she was asleep.
"Fine, just let me get changed first." Serpent said getting out of her bed and walking over to her bag. After grabbing a baggy dark green sweater, tight purple T-shirt and another pair of baggy black pants.
"Let's get something to eat first." Rogue said after Serpent got out of the bathroom, changed out of her clothes form yesterday.
"I'm starving." Serpent admitted as she let Rogue drag her along the long hallways with a gloved hand.
Wait for me! Kiya called as she ran up beside her master.
"Well look who finally decided to join us." Bobby said as the two girls and Lynx entered the room. Rogue made a face at her boyfriend before sitting down beside him.
"Am I ever hungry!" exclaimed Serpent grabbing a waffle and starting to stuff her face with any food she could get her hands on. Kiya was content with the pieces of bacon Kitty kept phasing through the table to her.
Serpent, you have a phone call. Please come to my office now. The professor's voice rang out inside Serpent's head, waking up all of the little voices at the same time.
Oh for Pete's sake! Can't he be at least a LITTLE quieter! Some people – er – voices are trying to sleep here! Elect yelled after she had fallen out of her bed and got tangled in her purple bed sheets.
Serpent groaned and stood up. "Sorry to bail on you guys but I have to go see the professor. But I'll catch ya later." As soon as Serpent left Kiya jumped into the vacant seat and started to devour what was left of Serpent's breakfast.
"You said there's a phone call for me?" Serpent asked opening up the door to the professor's office. He didn't look up from his papers as he motioned to a phone on his desk. She picked it up cautiously.
"Hello?"
"Do you have any idea how hard you are to locate girl?" the voice asked on the other end. Serpent laughed.
"Miss me already eh Lisa?"
"No, it's just that you were my main attraction here! And you are famous girl! All of the papers from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie are talking about the mutant that saved the school! You did great for us all Serpy. Okay, so you are kinda old news now because of that icy thing breaking up in the cold place and whatnot."
"Why are you calling me? And I thought I said no more calling me Serpy."
"I have one more mutant…" Serpent groaned. "She's offering to pay you triple of what you usually charge. And I'll even throw in a two hundred dollar gift certificate for as many stores you want. Just please come back!" Lisa begged, and from what Serpent could picture, she was actually on the floor begging the telephone.
"Fine, I'll be there in less than a few hours and I'm possibly bringing more customers you way too. See ya in a bit Lisa." Serpent hung up the phone.
"Might I ask who that was, Serpent?" Xavier asked.
"Do you think you could get the X-Men to drive us to Sudbury for the day? My friend really needs my help." Xavier looked her straight in the eye for a few seconds before calling Scott and Storm with his mind.
"Meet Storm and Scott by the Blackbird in a few minutes, they will drive you there." Serpent squealed in delight and lost her mind for a second as she hugged the professor.
"Oh my gosh, I am so, so sorry." Serpent stated stopping immediately. "But thank you so much and I'll see yea later!" she said before running out of the room with her multi-coloured hair flowing behind her, trapped within the small hair elastic as it held it in the shape of a ponytail. Xavier chuckled as he watched her, then he started for Cerebro where, about a day ago, had found a strange reading in the far north.
"Why'd ya have ta leave?" Kitty asked walking towards Serpent with the others following her. Kiya jogged over to her master and jumped up into her arms.
You left me! Was it Lisa again? Kiya asked yawning.
"Yes it was and we have to go see her too." Serpent replied to her little Lynx. Kiya, who was nearly asleep, bolted upright at Serpent's statement.
Really? This is the best! Can you make her give me another collar? Kiya bombarded Serpent with lots of questions before Ani had it with her.
Oh will you PLEASE be quiet! Ani yelled into Kiya's mind. Kiya shut her mouth pretty quickly at that. Thank you little Lynxie. Kiya growled before jumping down as they reached the TV room where Ramses, Rogue and Bobby were watching a movie.
"Come on peoples! To the mall we shall go…!" started Kitty when Serpent interrupted her.
"Actually Storm and some Scott person are driving us to Sudbury in the Blackbird because of – um – a bit of emergency involving one of my friends."
According to her a big emergency because money is involved. Elect stated zapping her short purple hair with electricity to give it more of a spiked look. Serpent did her best not to laugh.
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Ramses asked getting up and putting his black trench coat back on. Rogue stopped the movie and grabbed her coat too, Bobby following her.
"How are we getting there again?" Bobby asked. Serpent thought for a second.
I can teleport us to the dock. Tele stated sitting inside her little bubble, filing her nails.
"I don't know where it is." Serpent muttered turning her back to the others for a few seconds.
Just get – um – Rogue to think of where the loading dock is and I'll make Tele a picture of it. Ty said hopping into her wheelie chair and rolling over to her computer."I can get us there in a second all Rogue has to do is think of where the loading dock is and I can teleport all of us there." Serpent said, turning back around. Rogue looked a bit puzzled but thought of it just the same.
I'll just stay here. Kiya said walking away towards the hallway in search of someone who could talk to animals or who at least liked Lynxes. Serpent read Rogue's mind and Ty began to make a mind picture for Tele to go by.
"Okay if I were you I would take a step backwards because sometimes this doesn't go as well as planned." Serpent stated holding her hands together out in front of her. The others looked at her strangely again but took a step back, just incase. Serpent's irises changed from dull brown to dark blue as she slowly opened up her hands and pointed her palms up to the ceiling. A large dark blue portal suddenly appeared up there.
"What is that?" Kitty asked. "And why are your eyes blue now?"
"This is what we like to call a teleportal. It's so I don't have to touch you to teleport all of us." Serpent explained. "And also my eyes change colour depending on which mutation I'm using."
"Another question, why do you sometimes refer to yourself as more than one person a lot of the time?" Ramses questioned, causing Serpent to go pale.
You blew it. Ani stated as she was playing solitaire on her computer.
"Umm… well… I maybe will tell you some other time. Teleport through Rogue's mind," Serpent commanded. The teleportal started glowing and soon all five of them were sucked into it and they appeared at the loading dock for the Blackbird, scaring the whits out of Storm and Scott.
"Oh my!" cried Storm nearly falling over if it wasn't for Scott.
"Who are you again?" Scott asked helping Storm to her feet.
"I'm Serpent, it's nice to meet you under more technical terms Scott." Serpent said, getting up and brushing herself off before outstretching her hand towards the taller mutant.
X-Men, please report to the Blackbird. I have located a very powerful mutant just now and I would like you to go and retrieve him. The professor's voice rang out through all of their heads. Kitty groaned.
"Does this mean that we can't go to the mall after all?" she whined. Storm nodded her head before running into the jet. Scott nodded his farewell and walked into the jet after Storm. Serpent got a cheeky look on her face.
"Teleport to the entrance of M's mall." She commanded, clapping her hands together before waving her right hand towards a wall where another teleportal appeared out of it. "It's much faster than going in the jet anyway. After you peoples because I have to go inside last." The other four quickly jumped through the portal and landed at the entrance of a sewer pipe.
"I think you got the wrong address Serpent." Bobby said glancing into the dark tunnel. Serpent shook her head and started walking down the large tunnel.
"This thing here hasn't been used for nearly fifty years so don't be afraid of it being flooded." Serpent said, flaming up her hand and using it as a torch to light the way.
This is booooooorrrrrrrring. Why can't you let us out? Please? Ani asked.
"Not at the moment," Serpent muttered, hoping that the others hadn't heard her talking to herself again.
"Halt! Who dares come into the tunnel of the mutants?" a voice demanded, making them all stop dead in their tracks. Rogue latched herself onto her boyfriend's arm and Kitty hid behind Ramses while Serpent unleashed her tail and crouched down in the ready position.
"Show yourself coward!" Serpent called into the awaiting darkness.
"Serpent? Wow, I never thought I'd see you in these parts ever again." The mutant stepped into the glow of the fire, revealing him to be a tall, well-built young man with sandy blond hair and greenish eyes.
"Shock-wave!" Serpent squealed rushing forward and hugging the said mutant, making sure that she didn't set him on fire with her right hand. "Been to long my friend. Shock, this is Kitty, Rogue, Bobby and Ramses, they came with me to see the M mall."
"Hello to you all, right this way and get ready for what could be the biggest shock of your lives…" Shock started.
"Oh get on with it!" Serpent interrupted punching him playfully in the arm. Shock did as he was told and quickly started walking towards the wall of the tunnel.
"Is he crazy or is it just me?" Kitty asked following.
"No, he's crazy." Serpent said as Shock opened up a secret passageway that lead into a brightly lit hallway and started to walk down it.
"Welcome to the mall for mutants." Shock said opening yet another door revealing dozens upon dozens of mutants crowding the large hallways leading to various stores, foodcourts and theaters!
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SUPER sorry for not updating sooner! The computer, and myself, were not satisfied with the outcome of it earlier so it was back to the drawing board. I've decided to not reply to each individual reviewer because I'm a bit lazy today, but I will say THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! Expect the next chappie… sometime next week, I'm not sure when. REIVEW!