Marvel Comics Inc. owns all original X-Men characters. Marvel does not own Kiley and Cheryl, and neither do you, so don't use them. Ghost Recon isn't mine either. There. I said it. On with the story!

Good God, someone actually reviewed! OO Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! Please continue to read, I can't give anything away, but I promise it will be an exciting adventure! Heh-heh…such fervor! ;; Incidentally, I'm working on several different parts of the story at a time, so it takes longer for me to complete the next chapters. Don't worry, this story isn't over until I say it is!

I'm usually not a fan of the Mary Sue "sob story" pitch, but I think that in the case of antisocial mutant criminals, it's pretty much unavoidable. -.-

So I'm getting them both over with quickly and moving on with the story. HUZZAH!

Classes starting again soon, also working during the week. Not a lot of time for writing, but I'm trying my best!

Also, the first five chapters are being revised for grammatical reasons and such.

Game Over! (but the beginning of something new…)

Also titled "Family"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Kiley cursed to herself. Before she realized what she was doing, she had begun running for her injured brother. She stopped when she felt the ground begin to shake. The Misfit looked back at her partner, who was now fighting to keep her balance. They both felt the same force rippling through the very air, disturbing their equilibrium. Considering that the metal objects around them were getting the brunt of the force, they realized what was happening.

Magneto tore through the broad street, ripping out piping and streetlamps in his wake. When he found that something was in his way, he simply used his extraordinary genetic gifts to rip it from his path, violently hurling it into the buildings lining the thoroughfare. Watching the expressions of absolute horror coming from the small group assembled in the vicinity of his destination pleased him, and had he not been so irritated, he might have been enjoying himself.

"Enough!" he roared, "I won't tolerate these evasions any longer! I will take whom I have come for, whether they have had second thoughts or not. If you will remember our covenant, ladies?" The Misfits nodded and hurried towards the strange metallic sphere once again. Cassidy reached for them and began to protest once again before collapsing to the ground in agony. The Misfits pitied him, but they did not look back.

"Take your companion and go, Wolverine," Magneto continued, "I am allowing the both of you to leave with your lives. Do not tempt my patience." Once again using his powers, he extracted scrap from a demolished vehicle nearby, forming it into a thin sheet. Using the iron in Cassidy's blood, he lifted him from the street, extending his leg. The metal sheet floated from the mutant terrorist's hand, finding it's way to the injured appendage. The Misfits cringed when they heard another crack and scream of pain from behind them as Magneto set the bone back into place and splinted it.

Paying the X-Men no more mind, he turned back to the Misfits. Taking the hand of each woman, he helped them step into the tall device, and with a wave of his hand, the opening disappeared and the wall was made solid. Lifting himself back into the air, he gestured to the device to follow, and it did.

Logan watched them go. He wasn't sure why he cared so much that Magneto had found two more mutants to bring under his wing. It possibly had something to do with the grief-stricken Banshee, helplessly propped against a mangled hot dog stand nearby, cringing in agony and anguish. Logan was careful not to get too close to too many people, but Cassidy was one of those people he had grown to like after years of antagonism through differences. He cursed and spat onto the ground.

"C'mon, Irish," he muttered, "we've gotta get you home." He walked to where Cassidy was leaning, turned, and collected him onto his back. He stood, paying careful attention to the broken leg, making sure not to disturb it too much. To his surprise, Cassidy didn't even wince. Magneto had done an excellent job with his makeshift splint.

"What is he now, a surgeon?" Logan mused.

"Yeah. Regular saint, that'n…"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"You never told me," Cheryl looked empathetically at her friend, who sat across from her, brooding. After a long silence, the younger Misfit had finally decided it was time for a talk.

"We agreed we never would," Kiley said, uncrossing her arms and eyeing the wall next to her, which was bleak. Being inside of Magneto's contraption was exactly like being inside a metal ball, for that is exactly what it was. The Misfits had had the good fortune to never be put into prison for their crimes, but both had the unnerving feeling that this was pretty close.

"I know," said Cheryl uneasily, "but now that I know, it's just… it sounds almost exactly like my history. It's awful." She hung her head, remembering her own adoptive parents, for both young thieves were orphans, thrown onto the street when their genetic secrets had been discovered.

"Tell me," Kiley said bluntly, interrupting her thoughts.

"What?"

"You know what happened to me. Tell me what happened to you."

"I…okay." Cheryl wanted to keep her story to herself, but she couldn't hold out, knowing Kiley was hurting because her own was out. It would only be fair, and they may even gain something from sharing their experiences. More than likely, they were stuck with each other for life, and neither would have had it any other way.

"Who were your parents?" Kiley re-crossed her arms, watching Cheryl search for words.

"Well, you know that I was adopted like you, but I didn't find a 'permanent' home until I was six. They were a middle-class couple. Uncle Earl and Aunt Dora had a ranch outside of Odessa with horses, cattle, and a few barn cats," Cheryl began, but Kiley interrupted her.

"'Uncle and Aunt?'"

"Yeah," Cheryl shrugged, "it was strange, but even though I couldn't remember anything about my real parents, I could never bring myself to call them 'mom and dad.' They were really nice people. But like I was saying," Kiley grinned mischievously, "Whenever one of the mares gave birth, they always let me name the foal. Uncle Earl taught me how to herd cattle, and he took me with him when he led them to pasture. I was allergic to cats, but I played with them a lot. I grew up working in the stables, so I was always around them. But the horses were my favorite. I had two of my own that I had named at birth. Shimmer was a mustang appaloosa and Fawn was a palomino," a tear began to form in her eye, and Kiley moved a bit closer to her friend, "but you probably want to hear more about…more recent events. Ten years ago, before I met you in Montana, my family found out about mutants. They considered my uncanny luck with healing dying animals. I even helped Uncle Earl take care of a welding burn once. It was completely gone two days after I touched it. They tossed me out for what they once considered a blessing." She began to cry, and Kiley was beginning to join her. Despite the different settings of their accounts, she was beginning to see that the accounts themselves were essentially the same. Cheryl buried her face in her hands, sobbing. It was the first time in years she had thought about these memories.

"For a while," she continued, "I just wandered around Odessa as a street-urchin. No one really knew me because I spent most of my time on the ranch. No one knew I was a mutant. My family hadn't told anyone. Except, they decided they were going to tie up some loose ends. They thought I was a freak of nature. Eliminating me would be an act of mercy; a service to the rest of mankind. They came after me. I was cornered in an alley, with Uncle Earl's shotgun shoved in my face, when the police intervened. They were arrested, but I ran away before the policemen could start asking questions. I drifted for several months before ending up on that train to Montana." Cheryl stopped talking. She didn't have much else to say. From that point on, Kiley knew the rest. She had been there through it all. They stayed partners, best friends, ever since.

Now, that best friend was next to her, trying to subdue her own tears.

"We've got more in common than we ever imagined," Kiley wiped her eyes, looking up at Cheryl. Another silence ensued.

"Kiley?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad we got to know…everything."

"…Me too."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

It seemed to the Misfits that they had been sitting in the device for nearly a full day before, without even realizing they had landed, the metal irised open again, revealing a lush garden of some estate, high in a mountainous area. Magneto stood there, waiting for them to exit. As the entryway opened fully, Magneto's hands were ceremoniously placed behind his back, and his head was held high. Once he could see them both inside, he smiled, and Cheryl heard Kiley inhale sharply. She jabbed her amorous friend in the side before taking Magneto's hand, which was now stretched out to her, offering help down from the tall craft.

As she stepped out, Cheryl suddenly smelled roses all around her. Sure enough, the garden was filled with them. Tall bushes climbed the sides of the stone walls, filled with red blossoms, each one of them perfect. The scene was made complete by the expanse of blue sky, lightly inhabited by fluffy, white clouds at the time. Cheryl never imagined Magneto to be much of a green thumb, but the entire garden was well kept, and it stretched for several acres behind the enormous house she had just then noticed. Mansion, she corrected herself, awed. It was light-colored brickwork with white trimming, just like the expensive homes she had seen in her own travels. She started when she noticed that Magneto was moving toward it, motioning for the two to follow.

Kiley walked beside her as they went, just as bedazzled as she. They tapped each other, pointing out particularly beautiful arrangements the entire way, making very little noise, as if they thought it might annoy their new boss to ogle at his home, if that was indeed what they were approaching. Instead, Magneto began to chuckle when he heard their excited whispering.

As they reached the cobblestone path leading to the house, something leapt out of the door on all fours. At first, the girls suspected it was a dog and brightened at the thought of having an animal around, but as the creature came closer, they discovered it was actually a man. He was short and thin, and his legs looked elongated, making it possible for him to leap about like a frog. His hair was long and black, and his eyes seemed almost empty, like a fish's. Magneto held up a hand for him to halt, and so he did at Magneto's feet, perching.

"You've returned with them then, master?" he said, cocking his head back to look up at the considerably taller man.

"Yes, I have, Toad. These are the Misfits, mutant thieves whom I have recruited. Their names are Cheryl and Kiley," he indicated each with an open palm, "Frauen, this is Mortimer Toynbee, better known as Toad. You would do well to avoid his company, for he is wicked and unclean."

"You shame me, master," whimpered Toad, but his brow furrowed, and he glared at the women, grinning and saying, "Pleasure to meet you, my darlings. Perhaps you would like me to give you a tour of our home?"

Before Toad could say anything else, or the women still behind him could respond, Magneto ordered Toad, "Go and find the others and bring them into the foyer. I will introduce everyone presently."

"Yes, master," Toad didn't dare hesitate even a moment when carrying out orders, "I shall fetch them at once."

The Misfits looked up at Magneto.

"You mustn't allow him to frighten you. He is mostly harmless, but as I said, he is wicked. I do not know what happens in the recesses of his mind, and therefore he cannot be trusted. He is uncouth and he is a coward, but he makes an excellent lackey. For now. I suspect one day he will decide that it is no longer in his best interest to remain here and he will betray us." Magneto paused, watching Toad scamper back in the doors.

"And he's a mutant like us, Magneto?" Kiley asked.

"Yes. Toad's gifts make him like his amphibious namesake. His leg muscles are strong and allow him to hop like so, and he can produce slime to spit at his enemies. Very unsanitary. And he smokes. I suspect you will want to keep yourselves away from that as well." An eyebrow rose on his forehead, as if the last part of his statement were a question.

"Right. Neither of us can be around the smell of cigarettes for very long before our stomachs start turning," Cheryl stepped forward, facing away from the house for a moment.

"And I, as well," Magneto nodded, walking again. He placed an arm over each girls' shoulder, leading them beside him. "You will like the other Acolytes, at least. You will be the youngest additions to my ranks, but you could possibly be two of the most vital. As I said when we first met, you won't have to take orders from anyone but me. My son Pietro usually acts as front man, but the two of you will most likely have separate tasks, much more delicate in nature from the rest of the Acolytes," he stopped to open the glass double doors for them, "I will need your thieving skills for espionage and collecting certain items from time to time."

"We have no problem with that, Magneto," Kiley passed through the doors, looking around the interior of the building, which was equally as amazing and ornate as the outside, "that's what we've been doing for the past ten years. We haven't had any screw-ups yet, and we won't under your command."

"You forget, my dear," Magneto began gravely, seeming to suddenly appear in front of her, and she nearly collided into him, "your little run-in with the X-Men on the night I first found you was dangerously close." He stared down at them both, and they looked up at him in turn, wondering whether or not they should be terrified of his looming figure at that moment. His features softened, however, once he had studied them. "Do not worry about that. It was merely a matter of time before Charles found you with Cerebro. Now that he has done it, I think you will only see more of them as time goes on. Here, you are protected with a magnetic shield that hides us from Cerebro's prying 'eyes.'"

"Kiley told me of this Charles, or what she heard from the X-Man, Logan, at least, but what is Cerebro?" Cheryl inquired, standing behind Kiley, whose path Magneto still blocked.

"What Wolverine probably did not tell you was that Charles Xavier was once a great friend of mine. Although we both had dreams for mutant freedom in society, we had very different ideas of how to go about obtaining it. Charles and I searched the world over for a place Mutantkind could call home, away from the humans that persecuted and exploited them. Sometime after that, we had something of a falling out. However, that was not before he and I devised of a mechanism that could track a mutant psyche and direct a telepath to its whereabouts."

"And that would be Cerebro?" Kiley interrupted.

"Yes," Magneto's brow creased, "we had it built so that it could amplify Charles' telepathic abilities significantly, and so we could find more mutants to rescue from the world and bring to our safe haven. When we went our separate ways, Charles kept the machine. That is what he used to find you at that bank. You need not worry about having tripped alarms, or anything of that sort. You are both far too talented. However, now that Charles knows each of your signatures using Cerebro, you will be all the more easily found in the future."

"Why hasn't he used this machine to find you, sir?" Cheryl asked him.

"I have my ways of evading its power," he said, tapping the helmet on his head, "I did help build it, you know. And you must both call me Magnus while we are at home and in town, Frauen. It is my name, after all."

"Oh?" they inquired.

"Erik Magnus Lehnsherr is my name," he gave a gallant bow, "but no one calls me Erik unless they are selling something." Both women stared at him awkwardly. "Or unless their name happens to be Charles Xavier. But he and I have not spoken in quite some time. Come." Magneto quickly turned and moved on, walking to the atrium of his magnificent home, once again waving them forward.

Passing through one last long hallway, they reached the most expansive room in the structure. The front doors were tall and made of a dark oak wood. The walls were as white as pearls, and the chandelier at the ceiling offered ample light to those just coming inside. The floor was made of polished marble, and the newcomers gawked at the lavish gold crowning on the walls.

It was a moment before they noticed they weren't the first to arrive. A tall man in a long, black coat awaited them, with long gray hair slicked back into a ponytail. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, and he stood very straight. His head turned when he heard them come, then he faced them completely and waved, smiling amiably from behind his sunglasses.

"This is Jason Wyngard, or Mastermind. He has the ability to impose illusions on any but the strongest of minds."

"How do you do?" he said with somewhat of an accent. They smiled and responded before noticing Pietro enter with another young man of his own age. Pietro they knew, or at least had met before on the night Magneto first came to them, and they had in fact met him first. He grinned at them and waved, leading his companion toward them. Magneto nodded to his son, and Pietro walked to his side.

"Hello again, ladies," he smirked, "I see you've been brought into the fold nicely. I'd like you to meet my friend, St. John Allerdyce. His ability is pyrokinetics, thus his codename is Pyro." St. John smiled and nodded.

"G'day, sheilas!" His accent was thickly Australian. St. John stood just about the same height as Pietro, and their charismatic, almost arrogant grins were practically identical. While Pietro was a perfect copy of his father, albeit younger, St. John was a very different looking sort of young man. His hair was short, but thick, and bright orange in color. It shot upward like the fire he held control of, and it completely offset his impish green eyes, which were intense and alert. His smile was wide, but dark; his eyebrows seemed furrowed at all times. He had the appearance of a madman. Not only would Magneto later confirm their suspicions of this speculation, but they would also learn for themselves that this was true, not merely an aphorism.

It was then that Toad hopped back in. With a distraught look on his face, he leapt right to Magneto's side.

"I could not find Sabretooth, and Miss Wanda is out for the day, master," he said, looking up with his pearly, fishlike eyes.

"I told Wanda to be here for this…but I suppose an introduction can wait until tomorrow. Sabretooth, on the other hand, can't have gone far. He hasn't completely recovered from his previous injuries," Magneto began to move out of the mansion's atrium, and motioned for everyone to follow. He instructed his new recruits to follow him, and Pietro and St. John to search outside. Toad slowly padded behind Magneto and the two women.

"About those injuries, master," Toad began hesitantly, "I don't think it would be too surprising if you saw what he did to the rec room just this morning." Apparently, the rec room was what they were passing at that moment, because Magneto stopped dead in his tracks after double taking a glance into the room. The girls stopped behind him and looked in as well; what they saw was a mess.

The rec room was in fact mostly a weight training room of sorts, but it contained other fitness equipment as well. Or at least it had at one time. The entire room was in shambles. Barbells were scattered everywhere, equipment lay bent, cut, and crushed on the ground, and there were slashes in the walls as if made by a blade, but the cuts were uncannily spaced like fingernails. The four of them stood staring into the room for several minutes. Magneto saw nothing but several hours of repair work ahead of himself to piece all of the equipment back together with his extraordinary gifts. It was either that, or spend several thousands of dollars to replace it all. Before he had the chance to stifle an angry roar, Pietro appeared behind him suddenly.

"I've found him, father. He's out past the gardens in the forest... Heh-heh, I see you've found it. He's not in a good mood today, so I suggest you keep your distance," he said aside to the girls before running off again.

Magneto stood still for another moment, then with an irritated expression, motioned for them to follow again. Toad trailed behind, although his enthusiasm considerably weakened.

"They talk about him like he's some kind of monster," Cheryl said indignantly.

"As he prides himself in being so," Magneto responded, still agitated, "like his namesake, he is wild and unpredictable. Anger rules his heart, and violence his soul, as you have seen." Before continuing, he made a low growling noise. "Although difficult to deal with at times, for the time being, he works for me. I suspect the only reason for that is that I can pay him better than most, steadily, as long as I need the muscle. He's not without intelligence either, particularly concerning survival. He certainly is useful."

They were walking through the garden once more then. The Misfits once again looked around them at the beautiful plants, stone walls, and now noticed a large fountain in the middle of the space they had not seen on the way in. Their previous bliss, however, was ruined by apprehension. For one, there was the sniveling creature still skulking behind them. For another, there was Sabretooth. The way the others seemed to regard him and the way Magneto had described him made them wonder why, if he was so dangerous, they were being introduced to him at all. Neither spoke, but they had the same fears. They stared ahead of them at Magneto's back, following obediently.

Outside of the garden, it became apparent without doubt that the mansion sat on a mountainside. The ground sloped downward from the garden walls, the incline covered by deciduous trees. Magneto stopped momentarily to judge which direction they should take. Cheryl and Kiley eyed each other, but Magneto moved decisively toward the left, giving them the impression that he actually knew where he was leading them.

Down they walked in silence until they reached another flat plain, where the trees grew farther apart. They could see the glistening water of a wide lake ahead of them, and Magneto paused once more. He scanned the area of the lake for a moment, until finally he glimpsed what he sought. They moved again, and the two women noticed that Toad was trailing further and further behind. Cheryl looked at Kiley, distressed, but Kiley shrugged. Magneto seemed to be unafraid, and had said that Toad was a coward. She thought they should see this man for themselves before they develop an irrational terror of him.

Cheryl sneezed. Kiley looked at her partner once more, who rubbed her nose lightly.

"It must be pollen," Cheryl said, using her sleeve to rub her nose once again. That was enough for Kiley. They walked ahead, unconcerned about the matter. Then she sneezed again. Her senses were being assaulted by some unseen foe. She could suddenly barely breathe, and her eyes watered. When Kiley noticed, she stopped, almost as if she meant to catch her friend if she should fall. With the next sneeze, it almost looked as though she would. Magneto paused and looked back, looking at them strangely. He came closer, inspecting them.

"Are you quite all right?" he asked Cheryl. Covering her nose with both hands, she nodded, and sneezed tremendously once more. She sighed.

"That one hit the spot. I think I'm much better now, thanks," Cheryl waved her friend away, and told Magneto to lead on. They stared at her. Hesitantly, they complied. Magneto walked ahead once again, and soon, they were at their destination.

Up ahead, in a small cluster of trees, was a rather large man with his back to them. He was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, looking impartially at the water in front of him. His hair was long and feathery like the mane of a lion, and his entire form seemed to be packed with muscle. He was preoccupied with his thoughts.

Then, when they were barely one hundred paces away, he turned his head slightly, then stood, facing them. His arms hung loosely at his sides, his head tilted. As they came closer, they all noticed that the bottom half of his face was covered by a black mask. Magneto's eyebrows rose, and Toad flinched. Cheryl and Kiley uneasily halted with Toad as Magneto walked closer to the man, raising his arm in welcome.

"There you are, Creed, we've been searching for you. So this is where you disappear to, eh? No matter."

As Magneto spoke, the newcomers could hardly help but notice how tall the man was. Magneto was considerably taller than they, and this man, several inches more than that. His shoulders were broad, and his muscles considerable but lean, adding to his intimidating appearance, but he had as of yet still not spoken. He merely stared down at Magneto, who was now next to him, talking about other things. He had just gotten to discussing the catastrophe that was once the rec room when Cheryl sneezed again.

"Gesundheit," said Toad.

"Ah, yes," Magneto turned back towards them, smiling once more, thinking that the rec room could wait until later, "I'd like you to meet someone, Creed. These two young ladies are our newest additions. Cheryl and Kiley, the two Pietro and I went out to search for," he waved them closer. Covering her nose once more, Cheryl followed Kiley slowly.

"Cheryl, Kiley, this is Victor Creed, better known as Sabretooth," Magneto introduced them, and the big man nodded to them both. "Unfortunately, Sabretooth has recently been engaged in a fight from which he received considerable damage. One of his mutant gifts is an extraordinary healing capability, which has, as of yet, not pieced his jaw tissue back together. We are unsure as to the reason for this; his healing factor should take care of all wounds simultaneously, no matter the severity. Because of this, he cannot speak for a time. He's been keeping to himself mostly since then, but must have donned this facemask for your sakes. It wasn't a pretty sight." Sabretooth once again nodded to this, his eyes perceptive, but unaffected.

"There were still holes straight through his cheeks this morning. Disgusting," Toad stuck his long tongue out. Sabretooth glared down at him and snarled. They heard a squeak from Toad, and nothing more, for the remainder of their visit in the woods.

Kiley suddenly noticed the talons. Each of Creed's fingernails were an inch long, and black as charcoal. They came to a point, and looked as though they could tear through steel. Both Victor and Magneto noticed her staring at them.

"Another of Sabretooth's mutant gifts, my dear," Magneto spoke for him once again, "grafted with the indestructible metal adamantium. Under the service of Canada's 'Weapon X,' Creed has gone through the same agonizing procedure as your friend Wolverine. His entire skeleton is now unbreakable, save by very powerful fields of magnetism, such as the ones I am able to create…" Magneto paused. Creed looked sideways at him. Cheryl felt a chill. And then she sneezed again.

The other four mutants in her company stared at her. It had been a loud one.

"God bless you," Kiley said after a moment.

"Thanks," Cheryl said, covering her nose again, "I think I need to go inside." She turned around and began walking away.

"Lead her back up the trail, Toad," Magneto ordered, "and take her into the house. Get Pietro or St. John to show her around. We shall follow momentarily." Cheryl cringed, and looked pleadingly at Kiley, but allowed Toad to take her back to the mansion. Kiley stayed behind simply because Magneto's hand was on her shoulder, holding her there. Being restrained, she watched Toad like a hawk until he and Cheryl were out of sight, and Magneto began speaking again. She saw Toad eyeing her friend, but nothing more, so she began to pay more attention to her boss.

Magneto decided to leave the rec room incident for a time when Sabretooth could explain himself. The mutant Master of Magnetism did not expect his most obstinate henchman to do so, but he had other things on his mind for the moment.

"I wasn't completely honest when I said my son was the only member of my Brotherhood with any sense of stealth," Magneto explained, turning back to her, "Sabretooth is very crafty, and akin to a feline hunting prey, it comes naturally to him." The cat reference concerned Kiley, but she wasn't sure why. "I would like the two of you to get to know him better, once he is capable of speaking again. You may be teamed up often in times when stealth is necessary."

"It'll be a pleasure, Mr. Creed," Kiley smiled, reaching out to shake his hand.

Quickly, Sabretooth lifted his hand. His companions looked up at him, and coming to a realization, Magneto nodded.

"It is simply 'Creed,' fraulein. There is no need for such formality. Unless he has decided he likes you enough for you to refer to him as 'Victor.'" He looked up slyly at the taller man, who glared at him. "Yes, I suppose that would be pushing it, wouldn't it? Creed is like myself. No one calls him by his first name, save those he is close to. Also like myself, those people are few. However, no one knows Creed's middle name, and so he is known thusly." Kiley had gotten the impression that Magneto liked to talk. Of course, he was speaking for someone else now. Even if Creed could have spoken for himself, Kiley saw him as a man of considerably fewer words.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Inside the house, Cheryl had managed to escape Toad, only to find herself lost. She had never seen a house so large, much less been inside one, and she was beside herself with confusion. She remembered the way from the garden to the atrium, but did not know where to go from there. She thought to herself that it might have been worth following Toad a few more minutes to be given a tour by the two most attractive Acolytes, Pyro and Quicksilver. She plopped herself into a cushiony chair, wondering if she should explore by herself.

It had seemed to her that she had been sitting for half an hour, debating whether she was technically still a guest, therefore making further exploration on her own rude, or if she was now a resident, when the front door opened. She stood suddenly, not knowing what to expect. Following several large shopping bags came a tall brunette woman wearing headphones. Closing the large wooden door behind her, fiddling with the bags on her arm, and listening to her music, she took no notice of Cheryl whatsoever. Cheryl remained still, waiting for something to happen.

Indeed, in a rush of air, Pietro suddenly appeared in the room, taking the bags from the unidentified woman, who smiled and removed the headset. Pietro looked up, waving to Cheryl. St. John entered then, having followed Pietro from another part of the house when they heard the door.

"Cheryl, this is my twin sister Wanda! Wanda, this is one of the girls father has found. I suppose Kiley is still with him," Pietro had an arm around his sister and was holding the bags with the other.

"How do you do," Wanda smiled warmly, shaking Cheryl's hand, "father has talked about you two for days. I'm glad you're finally here, I hope you're comfortable."

"Bewildered, actually," Cheryl confessed, "this is a bit more than what I'm used to."

"I realize you and Kiley haven't exactly been living the debutante lifestyle up to now," Pietro started, to be interrupted by Cheryl.

"I believe the term you're searching for is 'street urchins,'" she muttered.

"But we're going to take care of you now," Pietro went on, seeming not to notice, "The Acolytes will provide you with what you need. We are a family."

"So that makes Magneto some kind of mutant Godfather?" Cheryl joked with a skeptical expression. Pietro didn't seem to get it, but St. John was roaring with laughter.

"Ach," St. John sighed after the outburst subsided, "Europeans…" Pietro ignored him.

"I, eh, gather you've met Creed then?" the silver-haired heir went on.

"Yes. He's an interesting sort," Cheryl understated, nodding. "And very, very tall."

"That he is. And very, very mean. Usually, he doesn't mean anything by it when he's around us. But he could pick someone your size up with his little finger, so don't make him angry," St. John grinned, in all seriousness.

"I'll keep that in mind," Cheryl nodded once again, not surprised.

"Well then," Pietro clapped his hands together, "how about we show you around your new home?"

Cheryl smiled at the word. She had never truly had one since she was forced to leave Texas. She and Kiley had had to relocate every few months since the time they first met. She took Pietro's and St. John's offered arms and allowed them to lead.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

That evening, Kiley sat alone in the mansion's enormous library, reading Dostoyevsky. Magnus had had other things to take care of, and he took Creed with him. He had asked her what her interests were. Kiley had many, but when she said "books," Magnus smiled and nodded, and led her here and left her to her own devices, saying dinner would be in a few hours.

Glad that she would once again have time for reading, she kicked her shoes off, curled into a large chair and engrossed herself in the first text she could reach, which happened to be Crime and Punishment. The room contained hundreds of manuscripts; almanacs, encyclopedias, classical literature, historical documents, and other things, in several different languages. Kiley could speak very little of three languages aside from English, and so decided to devote some of her free time to learning more. There was no shortage of material here to help her on the way.

A giddy smile spread across her face. Finally, she wouldn't have to depend on theft to stay alive. She wouldn't have to worry about her best friend's safety when they were separated. The two of them would probably never have to pickpocket in the streets to buy their next meal ever again. In fact, they were now living in one of the largest houses either had ever seen. It wasn't quite as big as Cassidy Keep, but Kiley was content not to be reminded of the place. She felt safe here, in a way a young girl could not in a big, drafty castle full of restless spirits.

Kiley owed Magnus a great deal, and she liked him. He seemed an old-fashioned gentleman, but had a dark past that at one time had probably driven him mad. He still suffered from that madness. She could see it during their confrontation back in Chicago. The saying goes that "power corrupts," she thought, and that "absolute power corrupts absolutely." Magneto was supposedly the most powerful mutant alive. What, then, had those awe-inspiring powers he possessed done to his mind?

The door creaked open. Kiley looked up to see Creed coming in, closing it behind him again. Seeming not to pay her any mind, he sat in a chair across from her and picked up a novel from the table between them. She read "Tom Clancey" from the spine, but quickly averted her eyes before Creed could notice her watching him.

"I bet it hurts," she caught herself saying aloud, thinking about what might be underneath the mask he still wore. She suddenly remembered Magneto saying that Creed had excellent hearing. "Oh, shoot!" she blurted, "My big mouth! I'm so sorry…" Creed shrugged.

After watching him from lowered eyes for a moment, he waved his hand slightly, as if to say, "a bit." The distant, disaffected look remained in his eyes. He didn't look irritated, at least. Deciding to go on, she looked up at him. Not sure what to say, she allowed herself to think out loud.

"Everyone's been very kind," she began, noting that he was paying attention, "I hope that I won't disappoint Magneto on our first mission. Although his methods of employing us were a little unorthodox, we owe him our lives for bringing us in. We've managed on our own up until now, but I've been afraid to admit that I didn't think we would survive that way much longer." Creed was now looking at her directly rather than listening to her over his reading. She swallowed nervously. She had decided from the beginning that she wasn't going to be afraid of him until he gave her reason to, but his appearance was very intimidating. His being unable to speak seemed only to add to the illusion of a wild beast sitting across from her.

"Er, I gathered from the others that you're somewhat of a loner. If you don't mind my saying so, it does seem like you're very different from the rest of them," she watched one of his eyebrows raise and lowered her gaze, starting to feel panicky, "I mean, the others seem to know where they stand with each other, but they seem to avoid you," she felt she was making things worse, "they all just seem so," she was perspiring at this point, and had to pause to breathe, "together."

"You sayin' I don't fit in, frail?" came a gruff, deep voice from out of nowhere, and Kiley actually shrieked and recoiled. Realizing the voice came from the man across from her, her heart started beating again, and she forced herself to breathe. Creed chuckled, pulling the black cloth from his face. There was no trace of whatever had been done to his lower jaw, and he took it in his palm and began flexing it. Determining it was as good as new, he looked back at Kiley and smirked. "Well?"

After staring at him another moment, she regained her senses. "But…I thought you couldn't move your jaw this afternoon!"

"I couldn't." he said simply, still waiting for an answer.

"Magnificent…"

"There are many advantages to possessing an accelerated healing factor. But you have yet to explain yourself." He continued to smirk.

"Well," she paused, "I just meant that…you remind me of myself."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Wanda placed two extra plates at the table. Pietro and St. John insisted on cooking that night. Jason had joked that if all else failed, he could trick the entire dinner party into thinking it tasted like chicken. Wanting to give the two a chance, she shot back with "that would seem a bit odd, considering we're eating salmon tonight." It made sense, Pietro and St. John in the kitchen. With the two of them preparing meals, the household would never need various appliances again, including, and probably most obviously an oven.

Cheryl was helping her set the table. The younger woman had been wondering where her friend had gotten off to. Magneto had shown himself again not too long before then, but without Kiley. He stopped long enough to inquire whether Cheryl was comfortable yet, but hurried along afterward. His son explained that Magneto often got this way during the evening hours, having many things to think about, many things to get done, and retreating to his study on the second floor where he would often remain for hours at a time. Cheryl was honestly beginning to wonder if he was eccentric.

When food started being brought out, Magnus reappeared again, dressed in a suit more conventional than his costume. Thinking to herself, she would have barely noticed his entry, had he not spoken.

"Pardon my saying so, mein kinder, but doesn't this look strangely like Chinese take-out?" Magneto inspected the layout of the table.

"That, 'vater,' is because it is indeed. St. John sort of over-did the fish," said Pietro, bringing in several of the small, white containers that seem universal among Chinese take-out restaurants. Magnus sighed.

"It can be eaten raw, you know," he said, and then dryly mumbled, "at least you're feeding yourselves."

Across from where Magnus had entered, Toad leapt in, followed by Kiley and Sabretooth. Cheryl brightened, nearly hurdling over Magneto to get to Kiley. Before she got to her side, Cheryl was halted by a sneeze.

"Bless you!" Kiley caught her before she took a nosedive.

"Oh, I'm fine," Cheryl sniffled, "I guess it's just back, that's all."

"It wasn't that cold in Chicago, I wonder where you caught this cold," Kiley mused, then shrugged and led Cheryl to the dinner table.

"I don't know that it's a cold. Either way, I'm hungry. Let's just eat now and think about it later." To that, all agreed, and so dinner was on.

"Take out again?" Toad mumbled, looking at the table with disgust. Cheryl looked over at him. His voice sounded completely different from the sniveling little creature he had been. When she realized she was staring, she tried to forget it. Perhaps it was a figment of her imagination.

She grabbed Kiley's hand and pulled her into a seat next to one she was taking. Pietro quickly pushed St. John into the seat next to Cheryl, while he took the one opposite Kiley. St. John stared at him bewildered until everyone else had taken their places and began shoveling food on their plates. Pietro didn't hesitate to begin dumping large quantities onto the girls' plates of all the things they should try. Magnus would have commented on how rude his son was being, except that as he watched, he realized that, as far as the younger Acolytes were concerned, the girls were already a part of their family.

Wanda, sitting across from the newcomers, went on ceaselessly about the villages and nearest cities to the reclusive mansion and all the places she would have to take them to see. Having been the only woman among them until now, Wanda had accepted them outright, to Magnus' pleasure. Jason chuckled in sympathy for the girls throughout the entire meal, amused at St. John and the twins for talking as much and as fast as they could, competing for their attention. Magnus laughed a bit himself at his children's antics. Toad continued to mutter to himself.

When Magnus looked at Creed, he noticed something different. Creed was usually quiet when he was eating, unless he was annoyed. This night, Creed smiled a bit to himself. Also something he rarely did. He seemed almost content. He listened to the chattering of the younger people, watching the new girls, and laughed with a soft, placid expression. Magnus continued to eye Creed until he eyed him right back, grinning at a comment St. John had just made about Pietro's power, which Magnus found entirely inappropriate.

Still, the entire table howled with laughter, and Pietro gave them all dirty looks. He was smiling, however, making it difficult to take him seriously.

"Just wait," he pointed menacingly at John, "I'll get you for that." A few laughs and it was left at that.

At his place at the head of the table, Magnus watched his small band of mutants with pride. Each and every one of them, even his own two children, had been chosen because of their abilities to join his band of outlaws. Careful thought and planning went into every decision. Still, even with the diversity of personalities, the rag-tag band of loners and Misfits seemed to click. This was everything Magnus had ever wanted for mutant-kind. They were a family.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Kiley found Creed outside once again, watching the twilight sky on the veranda. Somehow she knew he could sense her, but he said nothing until she stood right next to him.

"Isn't your friend looking for you?"

"Wanda and Pietro and the others asked us to hang out for a while. I thought I'd come visit for a few minutes while Magneto finishes showing Cheryl around the grounds. You spend a lot of time outside, don't you?"

"Whenever I've got a spare moment. Things have been pretty quiet around the mansion, thanks to you girls. Magnus' been focusin' a lot of energy on finding you." Sabretooth turned, leaning on one arm on a stone wall.

"I still don't know if we should be flattered or terrified," Kiley replied candidly.

"You've got nothing to fear from Magneto. He'll take care of the both of you for as long as you're employed here. He believes being brought into the Acolytes is an honor."

"And you don't?"

"I prefer to work alone. Gotta make a living somehow though. I do a lot of work for various clients, some more regular than others, but Magnus offered me a roof between jobs. Here, I'm free to come and go as I like. To me, that's what's good about being an Acolyte." Sabretooth said gruffly.

"But what about Magnus' principles? Do you believe he's right about the human-mutant situation?"

"I couldn't care less. Do I look like a man who gets along with the general public, frail? Although I do believe the humans have it comin'." When he finished, Kiley said nothing. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"What do you think?" Sabretooth went on, now curious.

"I think a lot of mutants feel the way I do," she said, letting a sigh escape. Her shoulders slumped a bit.

"Got someone you're lookin' to pay back?" he finally looked at her, looking for an honest answer.

Kiley thought on it a moment, looking down. Finally, she replied, "no. Anyone I had a score to settle with is long since dead."

"What about Cassidy? I hear he made quite a fuss when Magnus came to collect the two of you."

"You know my-" she stopped short, and after taking another breath, corrected herself, "…you know Cassidy?"

"'Course I know Cassidy. Back in the day, he and I worked together while he still worked for Interpol. I was with the Canadian and American governments. Can't say we catch up on old times too often…" he chuckled, "so, what about him? What's he to you?"

Creed's candor made her wince.

"He's my adopted brother. All that's left of the family. I hadn't seen him since before the Cassidys ran me out of their home. He did try to stop Magnus from taking us."

"Man's got some nerve."

"He certainly does," Kiley mumbled, "hey, enough about that. Why don't you come with me to the lounge room? Pietro and St. John were talking about some video games for an all-nighter. I'm sure there's room for one more. Even room for you."

Creed stared at her for a moment. It was strange for him to feel so placid toward anyone, but the girl's straightforward, unrelenting attitude toward him calmed him. She wanted to get along with all of the Acolytes, with the possible exception of Toad, but Creed could tell that she felt the closest connection to him. Oddly enough, despite the fact that in all his years, he'd never truly warmed up to anyone, especially not the other Acolytes, he felt the same.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

When Kiley had shown up with Creed, no one even batted an eyelash in protest. It was all fun and games now that the whole gang was together, with food and cider and fun. Pietro pulled Kiley in, sitting her down next to Cheryl and himself, and they played several different card games, not least among them was one of Kiley's favorites, Texas Hold'em. Kiley was supreme in the poker tournament, but was usurped by Cheryl at Hearts. They were both beaten at Spades terribly,

The younger Acolytes then played a large group game of Ghost Recon 2, and even Creed and Jason were pulled in. Creed seemed bored, even in a trance-like state, and he was better than any of them had expected. Some of the Acolytes then remembered unsettlingly that Creed had experienced combat not unlike in the game for decades before becoming a mercenary.

When they'd had their fill of war and guns, they moved on to 3-D fighters. At first, they all took turns fighting each other, but soon it became a personal vendetta between Pietro and St. John.

"It always turns out this way," Wanda had whispered to the other girls, "the rest of us have learned to live with it. Besides, it gets good when their blood pressures start to rise."

When the girls began to yawn and think about bed, Creed had begun jeering the two young men. They growled and challenged him to see if he could do any better. Creed then shoved them both aside and soundly beat their high scores into submission. The two gawked in disbelief, then tried to lure Creed into a duel against both of them. Creed scoffed and exited, wounding the boys' pride not just a bit.

After the riot that had caused, Cheryl and Kiley announced they were heading to their room. Pietro stood up and gave them both a big hug and sent them on their way. On the stairs, they heard Magneto calling them from behind. He was also on his way up from a long night in his office.

He called to wait on him, and they did. Smiling as he caught up to them, he walked them the rest of the way.

"I take it from the ruckus I heard that the party went well?" he chuckled.

"With a grand finale to boot," Cheryl sighed, barely lifting her feet high enough to climb the next step, she was so tired.

"I guess no one ever knew Creed was that good with video games," Kiley snickered.

"Creed?" Magnus started.

"Sure. He handed Pietro and St. John their figurative livers at every game they tried to challenge him with," Cheryl yawned and laughed at the same time, making for a bizarre noise. As they reached their door, Magnus opened it for them.

"Is my home to your satisfaction, frauen?" he asked, bowing in the doorway.

Both smiled and said that they approved highly. Magnus laughed and said good night, shutting the door behind him. When he had gone, the two collapsed into the beds.

"Geez, my nose has really been itching like crazy today," Cheryl said drowsily, warding off sleep as best she could, "maybe I'm allergic to Europe."

"Allergic? You mean you still don't think it's a cold?" Kiley turned on her stomach to face her friend.

"Not at all."

"Wait a minute!" Kiley quickly sat up, startling Cheryl, "Magneto told me something earlier that I thought sounded strange! Well, there are a lot of strange things going on around here, but this was just weird. Magneto said something like, 'Sabretooth is crafty, like a feline hunting prey.' You're allergic to cats, right? Well…I think Magneto keeps a pretty big one."

"I think Magneto was using that as a figure of speech, Kiley." Cheryl added, aghast.

"He may have meant it that way, but you saw Creed too! He looks a lot like a cat."

"But he's a human! I mean, a mutant!"

"Yeah. A mutant."

"I'm allergic to Sabretooth." Cheryl responded after a brief pause.

"Seems so."

After another pause, Cheryl sank back into her pillow and sighed. "I'm going to be sneezing my head off for the rest of my life, aren't I? I mean, assuming we do stay."

"Seems so."

Kiley watched Cheryl for a moment, and then likewise settled back into her own mattress.

"You two seemed to be getting along anyway," Cheryl glared at her.

"What do you mean? We started talking in the library this afternoon. He was interesting, to say the least."

"The others told me he's psychotic."

"I believe them." Kiley shrugged. She had gotten the impression on first meeting Creed that he was dangerous, but even before that, looking into the recreation room, she could have believed he was ballistic. "But we got along. It's too bad he gives you hay fever; you might actually like him."

"Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm beat. And my nose is starting to feel normal again. I don't want to waste this opportunity," Cheryl's eyes were drifting shut as she spoke. Kiley didn't feel much like sleeping, but still thought it would be a good idea.

"Right. We should probably take this to Magneto in the morning. I don't know if his plans for teaming the three of us up are such great ideas now," she looked over at Cheryl again, who was already asleep. Kiley smiled. She buried her head under the warm, cushy blankets and drifted off as well.