Author's Notes: Hey I'm back.
Notes to Cat2fat900: I'm glad your back, I was wondering where you went.
Sheisbeautiful-sheisnotme: I did not think about DareDevil when I created Nightmare. I thought DareDevil was blind and has really good smell and hearing. Nightmare can litarely see without his eyes.
Enjoy this chapter.
Nightmare lied motionless on the hospital bed as his mind wondered into another dream.
He found himself in his old home. The house was just as it was when he lived there.
The furniture was handmade, most of it by his own father. His dad took his hand in carpentry when he had time off from the police force.
The moon light shined through the window revealing everything in a beautiful white light.
Nightmare looked around himself. There were pictures of him as a child and his family all around him.
"I'm home," he said to himself.
A sense of joy seemed to boil in his heart. Sadly that feeling vanished when he looked down on the floor.
There in front of him lied the dead bodies of his parents; exactly as they were the day they were murdered.
Standing over them were the two thieves that had done the horrible deed. They stood looking at a young boy sitting in the corner. Fear in every aspect of his body.
They approached the boy, one holding a butterfly knife in his hand.
The boy just sat in his place, too petrified to even move.
Nightmare knew they boy instantly as himself as a child.
"No," he said, pulling his axe out from its holster. "Not again. I won't let you."
He ran forward, hitting one of the thieves with his ax, in the face. He turned to the second one and finished him off swiftly. The two men were killed in less then thirty seconds.
Nightmare held his ax tightly. He ignored the red liquid as he turned back to the boy that used to be him.
However there was no boy. It was himself as Nightmare. A perfect copy of him.
"Look at you," it said. "You just butchered two men with your ax. And you think you have over come your killing instincts."
Nightmare looked at the apparition of himself and said, "I never thought I could over come my killing ways. But that doesn't stop me from trying."
"That is true," the apparition said. "But you are well aware that you can't overcome it, and you will never overcome me."
With that the spectral Nightmare swung its ax at the real Nightmare.
Just when it was about to hit, Nightmare woke up in the infirmary.
It was late. The night had been taking its coarse across the world for quite some time. However this did not matter to Nightmare. Not now.
The young madman was relieved that the X-Men had not removed his costume as he had wished.
He stood to his feet and saw that his weapons were laid next to the bed. He wondered why the X-Men did not try to hide them again while he was unconscious.
As he placed his weapons back in their holsters he heard an accented voice from the doorway.
"Well you recovered quicker than Ah expected."
Nightmare turned around and saw Rogue in the doorway.
"I'm as shocked as you are," he said. "You powers hit me pretty hard."
"Yeah," Rogue said as she entered the room, "Ah'm sorry about that. Ah just got a big piece of your mind, and there was a lot of stuff Ah couldn't handle."
Nightmare nodded as he placed his ax back in its holster. "That's what I was worried about."
He then remembered that Rogue had planned to tell the X-Men what she had seen in his mind.
"How did your friends react to what you told them," he asked.
It came as a shock to Nightmare when he saw the smile form on Rogue's face.
"Why don't you asked them yourself," she said.
At that point all the X-Men entered the room.
They had all piled in too the infirmary. None of them seemed nervous now. None of them seemed afraid. There was a sudden change in their attitude.
"What's going on here," Nightmare asked.
Scott stepped forward. Now he didn't seem to be so afraid of Nightmare either.
"Nightmare," he said, "Rogue had told us everything that she saw in your mind. We know everything now. And I just want to say that if we had know what we know now we wouldn't have treated you the way that we did."
"Is that so," Nightmare asked.
"So what I'm trying to say," Scott stated, "is, on behalf of all the X-Men, we apologies. It may take some getting used to, but we will try to be more understanding of your ways."
Nightmare listened to this. It sounded truthful, and not with a bit of force. It seemed as if Scott had meant what he said.
"I accept your apology," Nightmare said. "But I beg you to not expect me to change my ways. I am a killer at heart, and mind. And now that The Crimson Hands are in this town I will have to use my murdering instincts to their full potential."
And with that he left the room.
None of the X-Men were offended by his leave. They now understood that those were his ways. They felt they could trust him now that they knew all about him.
The Professor interrupted the silence that filled the room.
"Well students, it's late. I believe we've all had enough excitement for one evening. Go one up to bed, you still have school tomorrow."
And so the students all went to bed. They needed their rest for tomorrow. The dance was tomorrow night, and they needed a little fun after what had happened.
The next morning was unusually quiet at the institute. All the students were at school and that left the instructors to enjoy a peaceful morning for once.
Jean walked into the kitchen that morning, still somewhat angry about last night. Ororo, Logan and Xavier were already there.
Ororo and Charles were discussing expanding the institute to a greater size, allowing more room of new mutants that wished to join. Logan ignored the conversation and kept his face in the morning paper.
Jean was prepared to sit with them when she heard the phone ring.
She moved over to it and picked up off the hook.
"Hello," she said into the receiving end.
"Put Nightmare on the phone," came a strange voice on the other end.
"Who's this," she asked.
The voice did not answer.
"Put Nightmare on the phone now," it demanded, "or I will hunt down your friends and gut them one by one."
"Who is it," Ororo asked from the table.
Jean's eyes were wide with fear.
"It sounds like one of those Crimson Hand guys."
"Very good," the voice stated. "You are perceptive. Let me guess, I'm speaking to the bitch with the red hair am I correct."
Jean became angry, but she tried not to show it.
"He wants to talk to Nightmare," she said to the Prof.
Xavier turned to Ororo.
"Storm, go find Nightmare. Get him in here immediately"
Ororo nodded and left the room without further hesitation.
Jean continued speaking on the phone.
"How did you get this number," she asked.
The killer spoke; his voice was very unnerving.
"Let's just say I had to borrow a phone and a phone book from a sweet little old lady. But of course she was not to pleased when she found me in her house. So I had to negotiate rather intensely, with my pitchfork in her neck."
Pitchfork. This clarified that it was Stalker Jean was talking to.
After a few minutes Ororo came back into the room with Nightmare behind her.
He did not ask for the phone, he simply snatched it from jean and began to speak.
"Why are you calling here," he asked rather harshly.
There was a sudden raise in Stalker's voice, as if her were pleased.
"Ah Nightmare," he said, "how delightful to hear your voice again."
"Stalker," Nightmare said. Fury oozing in his voice.
"Oh come now," Stalker said, "is that any way to talk to an old friend?"
"What do you want," Nightmare demanded.
"Calm down," Stalker said. "This is just a harmless conversation."
Nightmare calmed himself down. He knew that the more anger he showed the more Stalker would mess with him. He wanted to know what his old comrade wanted quickly.
"How are those people treating you," Stalker asked. "They do seem like a nice bunch. Be a real shame if they were to be found hanging from a meat hook with their guts spilled onto the floor."
"Leave them out of his," Nightmare asked calmly, but it was still obvious that he was angry.
"Why," Stalker asked. "Shouldn't I get to know these people that have taken you in. After all they do seem rather interesting. Especially that girl with the pale skin. I wouldn't mind getting to know her from the inside out."
"ENOUGH," Nightmare yelled. "Tell me what the hell you want."
Stalker paused before answering.
"Very well," he said. "I have had a vision. A vision that concerns you, and you newfound friends as well. If you wish to know this information you will meet me at the construction sight of the new bank at 8 o'clock sharp."
Nightmare hesitated. How did he know this was not a trick to get him out in the open? Still for reasons only known to him, he wanted to trust Stalker.
"How do I know the others won't be waiting to tare me to pieces," he asked.
"You don't have to worry," Stalker answered. "I will come alone. And I want you to do the same. Otherwise I will leave you and your friends to fend for yourselves in the chaos to come."
And without another word he hung up the phone.
Nightmare wanted to release all his rage right now, but he managed to suppress it.
He hung the phone back up. His hand reached for his ax and he pulled it out.
"What did he say," Charles asked. He did not enter Nightmare's mind to hear the conversation.
"I have to meet him at the new bank construction sight," Nightmare said. "He has information. Some that we may need."
"What kind of information," Ororo questioned.
Nightmare began to leave the kitchen. "He didn't say. All he said was that it concerns me and all of you."
Before he could exit the kitchen, Logan stood in his path.
"Hold it bub," he stated, "we can't let you go there. After we saw how hostile you guys react to each other, it wouldn't be a good idea."
"He's right," Xavier said from the table. "We can't allow you to take this risk. You know these killers better than we do. If we have to fight them again, we will need you. I can have Logan and Hank go in your place."
Nightmare strongly objected to this. "He won't talk to any of you. None of them will. They have been raised to see all people as cruel hearted bastards. They live life believing they must kill as much of mankind as they can. It doesn't matter if you are mutants, they will see you the exact same way as everyone else."
Xavier closed his eyes. He understood what Nightmare was saying.
"I understand," he said, "but still I cannot have you go alone."
"I must," Nightmare said, "that's what he instructed me to do."
"That doesn't matter," Xavier stated. "In a situation like this, you shouldn't go alone. Just let a few of the X-Men accompany you. They will remain hidden unless things get hostile. Please Nightmare."
The young madman tried to think of a way to convince Xavier that he should go alone. But he could not.
"Very well," he said, "but they have to stay perfectly hidden, or Stalker will tell us nothing."
Trask kept his focus on the Sentinel. Construction was almost complete. In only a matter of days he could set forth on his knew mission.
The large robot stood in the silo. Its eyes seeming to survey all that it stood over.
The men worked very nonstop to make it perfect. Better than it was before. For the battle it would soon be placed in, Trask would not allow any mistakes.
Nothing would stop him. Not until the X-Men were destroyed.
The sun had gone down a long time ago. It was almost 8 o'clock and there was still no sign of Stalker.
Nightmare kept his ax in his hand. He wanted to be ready for anything.
Not to far away from where he stood, Logan was hidden with Ororo, Hank, Scott, and Jean.
They had been waiting very long, and a few of them were getting impatient.
Nightmare had wanted to get to the construction sight a good deal of time before 8 o'clock. That way he would be ready and Stalker would be unprepared.
"This is so stupid," Jean said. "Why do we have to stay hidden just so Stalker can chew the fat with his older killing buddy?"
"We don't know what kind of information this Stalker guy has," Logan stated. "Plus if we're seen then we won't learn anything."
Back out in the open Nightmare pulled out his machete. He began to use it to sharpen his ax. He found the noise calming.
"I didn't think you would get here before me," came Stalker's voice from behind.
Nightmare turned around quickly to see his old comrade.
Stalker had his weapons in their holsters and his hands behind his back, showing that he did not want to fight.
Nightmare slowly put his weapons in their holsters, but he was ready to take them out again if he had to.
Stalker began to move closer to Nightmare.
"You haven't changed much," he said. "You still sharpen your ax as a way to relieve stress as you did when you were still with us."
"I guess old habits die hard," Nightmare said.
Stalker laughed a little to himself.
"I guess not hard enough," he said. "Why do you still ware the outfit you wore when you were a member of The Crimson Hands? I would figure that you'd want to get rid of anything that reminded you of us."
Nightmare clenched his fists. "This is my identity now."
Stalker began to speak. The hostility was raising in his voice.
"I wouldn't think as much. You have become a disgrace to your hunting name. You have disgraced your weapons, and you have disgraced our father!"
Nightmare raised his voice to a level of violence.
"Shamen is not my father," he said, "not any more. And he never was my rightful father. You know that as well as I do."
"I don't believe that," Stalker claimed. "He took us in when we were alone. All of us had nothing. You know that Nightmare. If it wasn't for him we would have all died on the streets when we were little."
"And if he hadn't taken us in he wouldn't have blinded you from the truth," Nightmare stated.
"What truth," Stalker began to let all his rage fly out. "He showed us the truth. That mankind was nothing more then a mass of hatred. Made only to make those less fortunate suffer. Shamen saved us from becoming one of them. He showed us the true meaning of the existence of humanity."
Nightmare's heart was beginning to feel as if it were sinking. Stalker truly believed what Shamen had taught him.
It was true that Nightmare felt that way once. And that hurt him every day.
"That isn't true Stalker," Nightmare said. "No all humans are cruel at heart. Not all humans care only about hurting others. The reason you believe that is because Shamen has shown you only the bad. None of the good."
"There is no good," Stalker claimed.
"Yes there is," Nightmare clarified. "I was shown kindness by those people the day I was injured during a hunt. I have seen love and care every day since that. Shamen just wouldn't allow me to see it when I was with him."
"No," Stalker said. "That not the truth. Shamen is our father.'
Nightmare immediately disagreed. "My father was Mathew Hoffstra."
"Shamen protected us," Stalker said back.
"Shamen lied to us," Nightmare retorted.
"HE DID NOT," Stalker yelled out.
"What has changed you so much Nightmare," Stalker asked a little softer, but still upset. "You have grown different. You used to be an excellent killer. Now you'd rather save mankind, like those bastard mutants that have taken you in."
Nightmare shook his head trying to keep calm.
"They are good people," Nightmare claimed.
Stalker then exploded with rage.
"GOOD PEOPLE! YOU SPEAK OF THEM AS IF THEY ARE YOUR NEW FAMILY. SHAMEN IS YOUR FAMILY! THE CRIMSON HANDS ARE YOUR FAMILY! I'M YOUR FAIMLY! WE'RE THE ONLY FAMILY YOU'VE HAD SINCE YOURS WAS TAKEN FROM YOU!"
There was a long silence.
The X-Men kept watch from where they hid. This was so astounding. It was like there was sadness in Stalker's voice. As if it hurt him to be fighting against Nightmare.
Nightmare was struck with silence for a very brief moment.
"I know you are my family," Nightmare said. Sadness swelled up in his voice as well.
"You have been like a brother to me Stalker. And I still feel that way now. That is why it is so difficult for me to fight you. It is hard for me to fight you, Butcher, Clowny, every one of you. Even Shamen. But I will keep fighting you, because it is the right thing to do. And if I have to kill you, I will."
Stalker could not hold back his anger anymore.
He pulled out his butcher's knife and lunged at Nightmare, pinning him against a bulldozer.
Stalker raised his knife up, ready to stab his old friend.
He was shocked when a thin beam of red light shot from out of nowhere and knocked his knife out of his hand.
Stalker looked around him, and saw the few X-Men that had accompanied Nightmare all around him.
Logan stood with his claws ready.
"Put him down," he said in his gruff voice.
Stalker looked at Nightmare.
"I told you to come alone," he said.
"I couldn't stop them," Nightmare stated. "They wouldn't allow me to face you alone."
Stalker became very angry. He reached down to his hammer and pulled it out of his holster, ready to bash Nightmare's face in.
"I don't care if they kill me," he said, "just as long as I put an end to you."
The X-Men readied themselves, to attack.
But Stalker did not strike Nightmare. He just stood with his hammer raised.
"You can't do it," Nightmare said, "can you Stalker?"
Stalker slowly lowered his hammer.
"I can't," he said. "I want to. Believe me I want to. But I can't."
He took his hand off of Nightmare.
"Damn you," Stalker stated. "Damn you for reminding me how close we were. A traitor you maybe. But you are still my brother in my eyes."
"Very good," Nightmare said.
Stalker looked to the ground and saw his butcher knife. He walked over to it and picked it up.
"Don't get me wrong," Stalker said. "The next time we meet, I will kill you."
And he began to leave.
None of the X-Men tried to stop him. Something made them not do so.
Before Stalker left he turned back to Nightmare.
"I said I had information for you," he said.
Nightmare nodded. "I remember that."
Stalker nodded as well.
"I have come here to warn you," he said.
Nightmare paused, waiting for what was to be said.
The X-Men stood and listened as well.
"I had a vision," Stalker said, "of a red giant made of metal."
"Red giant," Logan asked himself quietly, only to answer himself with, "the Sentinel."
"I saw your friends," Stalker continued, "being crushed below his feet. All of them were in pain."
Nightmare did not know what this meant, and he was unaware that the X-Men knew.
"A red giant," he asked.
"There's more," Stalker claimed. "Because I have revealed this information to you, one of the X-Men is going to join our side. That is why I was debating telling you this. But it would be good to have another member in The Crimson hands."
Then Stalker left. The only words that passed by his lips as he walked out of the construction yard were, "watch your back."
The X-Men were left in shock. Not only was the Sentinel going to return, but also one of their own was going to betray them.
"This is unbelievable," Ororo said. "How can we reveal this information to the others if it means one of them will join those killers."
"Well we can't keep it from them," Hank stated. "We have to let them now that Trask is rebuilding the Sentinel."
The mutants began to discuss what they were to do.
Nightmare could only watch as they discussed. He did not know what this Sentinel they were referring to was.
"Well one thing is for sure," Scott stated. "We have to go back to the institute and let the professor know what we found out."
They were all in agreement on that and with no time to spare they began to head back to the institute.
However Nightmare did not move.
As they walked Logan noticed that the cloaked madman was not moving. He walked over to the boy.
"Come on Nightmare," he said, "we gotta move."
Nightmare looked at Logan as if he just saw that he was there.
"You go back to the institute," he said. "I just need a little time alone. I just need to think for a while."
Nightmare was ready for Logan to disagree. But instead he heard the man say, "just don't let anyone see you. If you're spotted outside the institute the Prof. will have Hell to pay."
The music filled the air at the dance that night. All the High School students danced happily together as all worries fell from their bones.
It was a perfect night. No one was staring hatefully at the X-kids as they enjoyed a wonderful evening. It was as if no one remembered that they were mutants.
Rogue just stood against the wall as every one had a good time. She did not want to go to the dance tonight, after all she was the only person without a date.
Still all the students encouraged her to go, and they would not except ",no" for an answer.
Rogue even wore the black dress Kitty encouraged her to ware.
It was a very beautiful dress, made of black silk, with long sleeves. The only thing that threw Rogue off was that it had a short skirt. Luckily she found some stalking to ware along with it.
The other thing that through her off was that it had glitter on it. But sill she wore it to get Kitty off her back. Sadly it seemed that she had worn it for nothing.
As she stood against the wall she watched as Tabitha danced with Remy.
They looked so happy together, and that only made Rogue more depressed.
As she stood Kitty walked over to her. Lance needed a break from dancing, so he stood by the snack table. The poor boy was being run ragged by Kitty.
"Hey Rogue," she said, "like how'd it been going?"
"Ah don't have a date, and Ah'm stuck standing against the wall," Rogue said somewhat annoyed, "how do you think Ah'm doing?"
Kitty's eyes turned to sorrow as she saw her friend miserable. It seemed like every one was having a good time except the Goth.
"If you want I can let you dance with Lance for a while," Kitty said, trying to make Rogue happy.
"Ah don't need a handout," Rogue said rather rudely.
Kitty looked sadly to the ground.
This only made the Goth feel worse. She did not mean to be hurtful to Kitty, she was just having a very bad night.
"Look Kitty, Ah'm sorry," Rogue said. "Things just haven't really been going good for me these past few days you know."
Kitty looked up at her gothic friend, and saw the depression in her eyes
Finally Rogue said, "it was a mistake for me to come here, Ah should probably just go home."
"No Rogue," Kitty disagreed, "just stay and try to have a good time."
"Ah won't be able to," Rogue said. "And Ah don't want to make the dance less fun for you, because you have to worry about me. Ah'm just gonna go."
She didn't even let Kitty say another word. She just left the gymnasium.
Outside Rogue once again leaned against the wall.
She had remembered that she had gone to the dance with Kurt and Amanda, so she did not have a ride home. And she was not in the mood to walk home with the dress she had on.
So she just sat on a nearby bench and rested her head on her hands.
Her depression was growing worse. She could still her the music from outside, and she could only picture all those couples in the gym having a good time.
"This is so unfair," Rogue said to herself.
It had just occurred in her mind that she was the only one of the group that was not hooked up with anyone. And it only made her heart hurt more.
She raised her head up and looked to her said. It was then that she noticed a dark figure leaning up against the building by the door of the gym.
It was Nightmare. He was standing near the door and watching the students dance the night away.
Rogue stood to her feet and walked over to him.
"What are you doing here," she asked him.
Nightmare jumped suddenly and turned to Rogue.
Rogue could only laugh at this. Nightmare did not seem like the kind of person who would jump like that.
"Marie," he said, "never sneak up on a man with an ax. You're going to get yourself killed if you keep it up."
"Sorry," Rogue said. "But that doesn't answer mah question."
Nightmare relaxed himself. "There were things that happened tonight that have made me very nervous. I just came here to try and unwind."
Rogue crossed her arms and asked, "by spying on the kids at the dance?"
Nightmare looked at Rogue and could tell she was teasing him. He laughed slightly to himself and moved away from the door so no one would see him.
Rogue followed him out of view.
"You must forgive me Marie," he said. "I was just curious."
"About what," Rogue asked.
Nightmare paused and looked at the building where the kids were dancing inside.
"I never got to experience things like a dance," he said, "because of what I had become. I have kept myself away from people for so long, I just wanted to see what it was like."
Rogue leaned against the wall and looked at Nightmare.
She could not have imagined how difficult it was for him those many years with The Crimson Hands, and the short time he has been free of them.
He did not know what it was like to have fun with other teenagers, or the simple joys they held.
And at the same time Rogue admired him.
Nightmare was not in denial about what he was, yet he placed all that, and his difficult life aside, to try and do good in the world.
"Ivan," Rogue stated.
The young killer turned to her.
Rogue continued. "Ah don't have a date tonight. And I was wondering, since you are here, if you wanted to dance?"
"I cannot allow any one to see me," Nightmare said.
"We don't have to go into the gym," Rogue clarified. "We can stay right out here. After all we can still here the music, can't we?"
Nightmare did not answer at first.
Rogue smiled and said, "come on Ivan, dance with me."
Nightmare smiled under his black mask and said, "only if it's a slow song."
And then, as if fate had just intervened, a slow song began.
Rogue smiled at Nightmare, and gently pulled Nightmare closer to her.
The young madman was hesitant at first. He had never danced before in his life.
But soon her took Rogue's hand, and put his left hand around the Goth's waist.
And so the two danced.
It was as strange feeling for Nightmare, but in a way, he liked it.
Rogue began to feel joy in her heart. For the first time n a long time, she felt happy.
Soon she leaned her head on Nightmare's shoulder.
The two continued to dance in the night air. All there worries seemed to vanish.