After that night the school seemed to learn just exactly who the real Wanda was. In the months that followed she won the students over with her rebel antics and the teachers over with her charming facade. Her amazing powers were all anyone ever talked about anymore and Rogue hated her more than ever. Rogue had been trying everyday to master her own powers, but with no luck. Wanda had offered to help only once and Rogue immediately shot her down.
Wanda was the most popular girl at school all of a sudden and there was nothing that was restricted to her, of course if it was she found a way around the rules. It wasn't fair. She had a lunch date with a different boy almost everyday and hung out with all the girls at night. Rogue had a sneaking suspicion that the only reason Wanda hung out with everyone but her was because she wanted to try out a new power and after all Rogue's was old news to Wanda. She had tried to tell Wolverine this but even he dismissed the idea immediately and told Rogue to stop being so jealous.
After two months had passed Rogue finally gave up on her mission to master her powers and she told herself that they would just evolve with time. Her decision however, seemed to coincidentally come along with more important news to the Mansion. Wanda had disappeared. It started with her just not showing up for class one day and then the next as well. No one knew where she was. Professor Xavier announced a teacher's meeting with all the X-MEN which of course meant that someone on the student's end would be ease dropping.
A week passed before anyone saw her again. She showed up one morning for breakfast. She sat drinking her black coffee just as she had done all the weeks before, when some of the students filed in. Secrets are hard to keep in the Mansion so almost immediately following them was Professor Xavier and Storm, Scott; even Wolverine poked his head in.
"Wanda are you alright? Where have you been for the past week?" questioned Ororo.
"Around. I had some things in my life to put into place before I leave tomorrow," she answered aloofly.
"You're leaving us? So soon?" questioned Professor Xavier.
"Why, didn't you already know that Professor? Can't you read my mind?" she tapped mockingly to her right temple. "It's hard to spy in my mind when I can just block you out."
"I don't understand. I was under the impression you were enjoying it here."
"Oh and I was, but now my stay is no longer necessary and I've gathered what I need to go after my father."
"Your father?" said the Professor, looking confused.
"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. What would you do without your telepathy Sir?" she teased out loud. And then inside Xavier's head, "My father, as I mentioned, used to be a great friend to you. Didn't you ever wonder who it was? Can you not see the family resemblance? Even if I don't wear a stupid helmet over my head?"
"Magneto," whispered Xavier out loud. "Magneto is your father?"
"What?" came from shocked students and teachers alike.
"Unfortunately it is true, but the bastard deserves what's coming to him and I've finally gained enough knowledge from you foolish mutants to know where to find him. Plus I have all your powers now too." She laughed loudly at this.
"That's why you've been here for two months. You've just been gathering things. Not only can you "borrow" powers as you so eloquently put in, but you retain them for the rest of your life as well. I knew I was right damit," spat Rogue.
"Very good. If you hadn't been so damn jealous we might have made a good team. You should have listened to Xavier, I could have taught you more about your powers than you'll ever learn in this god forsaken school." With that she turned to pick up her backpack and placed her coffee cup back down on the counter. "Now then, I'll be taking my leave. It's been fun X-MEN."
"Where the hell do you think you're going," growled Wolverine. "You don't think we'll just let you walk out of here."
"Of course I don't think you'll "let" me. I'm prepared to go with a fight," she smirked.
"Bring it on," he said as his Adamantium claws slid out from his knuckles.
"With pleasure," she raised her hand, muttered something in Latin and Logan flew across the kitchen slamming into the wall. "There's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm more powerful now than even I could have fathomed. I'm going to find my father and he will pay for putting me in that horrible institution as a child. If any of you stand in my way I will kill you." She turned to leave the kitchen and then quickly spun back around to look Xavier in the eyes.
In his head he heard Wanda's voice say, "You should know better than to be making those kind of plans. Come after me and your precious X-MEN will be no more."
Rogue took this silent opportunity to slide her glove off and sneak up behind Wanda. She placed her hand on Wanda's neck and expected to feel a surge of power but instead felt her own energy quickly being drained.
"You silly little girl. I am your power but one hundred time stronger. Do you really think you could hurt me?" She dropped her backpack to the ground, turned to face Rogue and locked her fingers around Rogue's throat, lifting her off the ground.
"No," shouted the bystanders.
"Back off," bellowed Wanda. "Or I will kill her right now in front of all of you."
Everyone in the kitchen froze and Wanda let Rogue fall to the floor, gasping for air. Wanda straightened out her long coat and picked up her backpack once more. She turned again to face the whole kitchen and said, "You ignorant mutants, you should really learn who you can trust." Her eyes were burning as red as the tips of her hair now. "Don't look so sad. Now you can understand why Magneto needs to die. Now you can understand what it feels like to be betrayed by someone you trusted."
With that she turned and headed for the door leading outside, but before she went through it she raised her hand to one of the square panes of glass. Under her hand a red light glowed for only a minute and then she took her leave. She disappeared almost immediately after exiting to the outdoors into a cloud of black smoke. Everyone turned to eye Kurt who was sheepishly staring at the floor.
"Sorry but I'm not the only who mistakenly let her try out my power," he said defensively.
"Never mind about that just now. She's gone and we need to warn Eric as soon as possible," said Professor Xavier. "Rogue are you alright?" She nodded yes.
"Do we really? I mean what's the harm if this girl takes him off our hands? He's a danger to the world and everything you're trying to work for Xavier," mentioned Logan.
"It's what we're all working for Logan. Even if Magneto is forming a brother hood of rebellious mutants that's no reason to kill him," declared Storm.
"She's right," pointed out the Professor. "As much as Eric's and my opinions differ I can't just sit here and do nothing knowing that his daughter is on a crazy rampage to brutally murder him and anyone that stands in her way."
"Hey, look at this," interrupted Jubilee. She had walked over to the door leading outside, curious to see what had glowed red under Wanda's right hand. The words "Scarlet Witch" were etched in red on the glass.
After everyone had taken a look at what Jubilee had discovered Professor Xavier turned to a kitchen full of his pupils and said in the most serious voice any of them had ever heard him use, "I think, unfortunately, the X-MEN made one more enemy today."
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