Shout outs:

Mark C: Your completely wrong about the events of that meeting with Shaw and Xavier. Xavier may not like him but there was nothing to indicate he was involved either in the writing or implied, you just read too much into it. Scott and Remy will be up for the fight just wait.

Loganson: You make some good points (but keep in mind Shaw wants them all physically functional so mutilation is out) I'll see what I can do although it was Slickboy that suggested what Rogue went through. And yes Shaw wants Jean to himself. Also Vince has so far gone a full week of being Selene's little play thing and that adds up after awhile and you only saw a little of what she does to him too.

Lil Jean: Actually he doesn't have any idea that Shaw was behind this, where did you ever get that idea?

Episodic: Yes they are ruthless, you don't get the power they have by being nice.

TheLegendaryManHimself: Yes he is, and he'll get his in the end trust me, but the end of this is a long way off. What lead? He still has no clue.

Chica De Los Ojos Café: There's still a few chapter to go before they find her. And she will have some trouble getting over what happened to her but she'll slowly come around with the others to help her.

Fudje: No he doesn't not this time, but Tessa dose have a major role soon.

Wen: I think it was self-explanatory what Shaw wanted with Jean. Logan is kind of a loner and doesn't like to get out his

Sparky Genocide: Yes he is and you know he'll be pissed.

Xc00lcomic: Jean and Rogue will go a little evil at one point.

The Uncanny R-Man: Emma and Vince later on, but this chapter will focus on Rogue, Jean, Tessa and Deathstrike.

Thanks to: X0001

CHAPTER 10: MIND GAMES

Hellfire Club – Holding Cell

Jean didn't know how long she and Rogue had been at the club now. A serious lack of sleep and Jason's psychic manipulation was definitely starting to take its toll. It was now hard to discern from dreaming and reality. The line between sleep and consciousness was practically non-existent to her. She tried to stay strong in order to help Rogue, who was still having a hard time recovering from her 'punishment.' The stale look on her face and the constant bouts of sobs were almost too much for her to handle and she knew that if the collar was off she would be bombarded by images and feelings from her mind.

Rogue's horrible ordeal with Selene was hard enough to handle, but Jean knew that she could only do so much in her weakened state. However, Emma and a new purple haired girl named Betsy had done a lot to help both her and her friend as they struggled to keep the club from breaking them. But the longer it went on, the harder it got.

Jason had spent another couple of hours working on Jean's mind and was only was lucky to get a brief rest at this point. Her fragile shields and fading will power waned more with each session and she was definitely starting to feel the effects. Now, her memories were in a strange, jumbled mess. She had no idea which were real and which weren't. She was even going increasingly uncertain of her own name and was forced to reassure herself of who she was.

'My name is Jean Grey. I am an X-man. My name is Jean Grey. I am an X-man.'

Over and over again, Jean kept reciting to herself her name and who she was. But her mind was still a mess. She had so many memories floating around in her head that she couldn't make sense out of. But among the strongest…Were the ones of Scott. As ambiguous as things in her mind had gotten, he seemed to be the one true constant. Sometimes she would see him as a sinister, sadistic, power hungry madman while other times she would see him as a kind, gentle, caring person that would try to help and hold her with a deep, limitless, and comforting love. Her eyes would tell her that they were the same person…But every other sense said that they were two different people.

In her head, the opposing forces struggled for dominance, but more and more the sinister Scott was beginning to gain the upper hand and the kind and loving Scott was fading fast. She struggled to hold on to that kinder, gentler Scott all she could…But like the rest of her memories, Jason's manipulation was quickly causing them to fade into obscurity as her will to resist was increasingly faltering.

Jean was in a state of half consciousness and half sleep. After Jason's little 'session' and trying to help Emma and Psylock lull Rogue to sleep, she was completely exhausted in every possible way. But she didn't want to sleep. She knew that they would only bring more horrible nightmares that only worked to further weaken her state. So now she was trapped in this strange daze, uncertain whether or not she was awake or sleeping.

"Jean…"said Scott's voice as strange images swirled before her eyes, "Jean…Come to me."

A strange mist formed as Jean felt herself standing in a strange void. The sky was crystal clear and the stars shined as if they were sparkles in a river reflecting the suns light. Soon, the image of the institute formed before her and everything seemed to move in a strange, wavy state.

"You know it's your destiny Jean," said Scott as he approached her from behind.

Jean quickly turned around to see Scott in a strange dark version of his Cyclops uniform. The way he looked at her…The way he touched her, it just…Made her feel so weak and hurt. She had tried to tell herself that he wasn't real, but as her memories faded so did her faith.

"Come Jean…" said the dark Scott as he snaked his hands roughly down her body, "Be my queen…"

Just then, another voice echoed through the strange void and quickly drew Jean's attention.

"NO! Get away from her!" yelled another figure of Scott wearing another, light blue version of his Cyclops uniform.

"You again!" said the dark Scott angrily, "You cannot win! You will not have her! She is mine!"

"NO! I won't let you hurt her!" yelled the light Scott as he angrily tackled the dark Scott to the ground while Jean was left in her weakened paralyzed state.

She could only watch as the light Scott frantically tried to fight the dark version of himself down, but his efforts proved to be futile as the dark version easily knocked him off and threw him to the ground. The light Scott tried to respond by using his optic blasts, but quickly discovered that his powers were gone in this strange place.

"When will you learn?" mocked the dark Scott, "This is my world! Only my rules apply! And you will not deny me my queen!"

"I don't care if this is you're world…" said the light Scott as he prepared to attack again, "I won't let you take Jean!"

"Fool…" the dark Scott scoffed.

Suddenly, a strange cage of energy formed around the light Scott and he was trapped within a strange barrier that he could not break out of.

"Scott…" said Jean weakly as she reached out to him.

"It is a trick my dear," said the dark Scott as he stood before the helpless light version of himself, "He is an imposter trying to fool you. He is trying to hold you back while I am trying to protect you and nurture you to your full potential."

Jean's memories were still hazy and her ability to think clearly was severely clouded because of Jason's powers. The strange cage surrounding the light Scott then suddenly sent strange electrical surges through his body and he fell to the ground in a smoldering heap. Jean wasn't sure why…But as she saw this, tears formed in her eyes.

"No…Scott please…" said Jean as she desperately reached out to him.

"Jean…" said the light Scott weakly as his image began to fade like a ghost.

The light Scott reached out to her as if he could touch her through the barrier as he faded. Tears streamed down Jean's face and she couldn't stop them. Some unknown force from within her was causing this to happen, but she didn't know what. Then, as he faded…The dark Scott approached her possessively as she felt an overwhelming weight press upon her body.

"My beautiful queen…Forget about that annoying nuisance. I…Am the real Scott. I…Am the only one that can bring you peace and make you strong. Come with me Jean…Be mine…Be mine…"

"Scott…AHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly Jean snapped out of her dazed state much to the shock of Psylock and Emma. Rogue was still out cold and Vincent was still sleeping off his latest injuries which looked worse and worse all the time and out cold also, but nothing seemed to register in her mind now as she clutched her head in agony trying to make sense out of her thoughts.

"Jean…Are you all right?" asked Emma as she and Betsy slowly approached her.

However, her words didn't seem to register in the redhead's mind as she broke out in a cold sweat from what she had just experienced. Even when she wasn't sleeping, Jean was left to suffer from these horrible nightmares. She didn't know how much more of them she could take at this point. The more she had them, the weaker she felt and it was really beginning to show.

"She's getting worse…" said Emma, worried that the redhead would break soon.

"So what do we do?" asked Psylock in a frustrated tone.

"There's not much we can do," replied Emma, equally disheartened by this development, "I don't know what she's seeing in her mind. But whatever it is, it must be pretty bad to put her in a state like this. I don't know how much longer she or Rogue for that matter will last." Then looked over at the sleeping form of Vincent with a sadden look. "Or how much he can take either."

The situation for all of them was getting bad. If Jean broke, then her powers would be at the disposal of the Hellfire Club and they would all be in danger of facing another powerful psychic in addition to Tessa and Jason.

For Jean, it remained an increasingly hopeless cause. She knew she was losing the battle even if she didn't know what exactly it was she was fighting. The past and present were almost one and the same to her now and the lingering nightmares and the inner struggle was making her weaker by the minute. However, part of her held on to the image of the light Scott in the back of her mind. It was the only thing she felt she could hold onto at this point. And as her will to resist continued to fail…She needed all she could even if it was only one thing.

Hellfire Club – Fitness Area

In one of the more darker and secluded areas of the Hellfire Club, the mysterious yet widely feared mercenary known only as Deathstrike sat meditating in the seldom-used fitness room. To observers, it was unusual that she was still at the club even though she and her men had been successful in fulfilling what the Hellfire Club had ordered them to do. A week earlier, they managed to kidnap the mutant from the Xavier Institute known as Rogue. The Inner Circle paid them handsomely for their success.

Deathstrike spent most of the time training, sparing, meditating, and contemplating what would happen next. The rest of her men may have been satisfied with the money, but she desired something much more. It was something she had thirsted for over many years. Not a moment passed when she didn't think about it. She had willingly undergone dangerous, exotic procedures for the sole purpose of gaining the strength she would need to exact her full revenge on him.

Outside the training area, two of the Reavers that had participated in retrieving Psylock passed by the area and briefly stopped outside the door.

"Is that crazy broad still here?" said one of the Reavers as they passed the room where Deathstrike was meditating silently.

"The one who bought that girl with the accent?" responded the other one, "Yeah, I think so."

"But why? I mean all she does is train and nothing else. Not only that, but when everyone got paid she was the only one that wasn't happy about it."

"Yeah I noticed that too," said the other one as they both looked back at the closed door while Deathstrike remained as still as a statue inside.

"Then why is she still here training? She's got her money. Why not celebrate like the others?"

"Who knows, you're new here so let me be the one to tell you that her reasons for being here are more then money. She's got some kind of score to settle but no one really knows who, only that when she came to us for her enhancements she was mighty pissed at someone."

"An old score? That's it?" said the man, sounding surprised at such a notion.

"That's all I know. And don't bother asking her anything. That bitch is crazy!" He warned him, the last guy that tried to get that out of her had to be reassembled.

Deathstrike was still unmoving in her deep mediated state long after the two Reavers left. Her oversized hands, laden with adamantium enhancements laid perfectly still, yet gave of a menacing and deadly appearance.

'All in due time,' she thought as slowly went through fighting motions with her hands, 'I have waited many years for a chance against you…Wolverine. You were my lover…Yet you betrayed me. You murdered my father. You left me without a word and broke your promise to me. My family…My life…Dishonored by a ravaging, soulless monster. I WILL reclaim my family's honor…I WILL reclaim my honor. Those that you hold dear shall suffer…YOU shall suffer. I made a vow upon my father's grave to avenge him…And I am honor bound to do so. And do so…I shall!'

With lightning fast reflexes and moves that seemed beyond anything a mere human could muster, Deathstrike burst into a fast and fluid motion of fighting maneuvers and attacks. Each one was designed to be quick and deadly. Years of practice, years of preparation were all being focused into every move. A sheer look of anger and determination dominated the woman's face as she stopped in mid stance and held her claws up to her stern, stoic face.

'Wolverine…You're life shall end by my hands! I swear it with every fiber of my being…You will die!'

She continued her movements in the gym and a few of the dummies she placed on the mats she then ripped to shreds and still went on moving.

'I loved you once Logan-san…and how did you repay me?' She increased her movements, each blow with more power in it than the last as if she was fighting her inner demons in real life. 'You bastard! You left me! You said you would come back to me. But you never did. And I learned YOU were the one that killed him…You killed my beloved father.'

She was pushing her body to it's limits, trying to improve as best she could. 'I can't believe I loved that…thing, that animal! How I let it touch me, how I let it inside of me, and let it fuck me!' When she remembered those times they had shared in her bed, it made her sick now. Once those were treasured memories, now they sickened her.

She remembered how men had come to her home asking for any research that her father left behind and how she refused to give them anything unless they told her what was going on. They told her everything, how not only her father, but also Wolverine and how they were part of Weapon X, a program funded by Department H and other groups. Wolverine had volunteered for the experiment and had destroyed the facility and killed many of those from the project, including her father. They told her how he had turned on them all. She refused to believe it until she saw video footage they had.

It showed her precious lover with metal claws tearing everything up and killing…And of course she saw him tear her father apart. She had given them what they asked for and the left her alone to morn. She had lost both men that had meant the world to her. One killed by the other. Her father had been murdered and his killer was free. She had left in search of a way to fight him and to kill him. She knew he wasn't normal like other men, but that was before the time that mutants were common knowledge.

She needed to be stronger…She needed to be better than she was. She had founded the Reavers and had gone through her 'upgrades'. She trained relentlessly. The young woman known as Yuriko was long dead, now she was the warrior Deathstrike. She was the instrument of the animal's demise. She will kill him and not only avenge her father, but also earn back her family's honor.

She looked around the training room with all the slash marks, her skin sweating and her breath panting. Her short dark hair had dampened from all the activity. By definition, this was a good work out and she was a step closer to being perfect in her form. She had taken this job because when she learned that Wolverine was part of the X-Men and that they were going after their students. In doing so, she saw a way to hurt him in a way that he had hurt her. And she knew that a confrontation with the X-Men was inevitable and she would face him.

She smiled to herself. 'Soon, soon after all this time we will face each other…And then it will finally end. One way or the other.'

-Later, The Hellfire Lab-

Rogue had been brought back to the lab. The girls had dressed her in new clothing soon after her ordeal, but she didn't really notice. Her mind had been assaulted lately by all the minds she had absorbed. She was clear headed a few times, enough to eat a little or go to the bathroom, but she remained quiet and sat alone on her bed with her knees drawn to her chest, haunted by her ordeal. Then the voices would come back.

She was still out of it when the guards came for her. Emma and Betsy tried to stop them, but they turned on the punishment function of the collars. Vince had been awakened by the women's screams and even though his body was racked with pain he forced himself up and got behind the two guards. He managed to get one down with an elbow to the base of the neck but the other hit him in the ribs, which were all bruised up so he fell to the ground in pain.

Jean had already been taken somewhere for another session to test her mind with Jason, or so they said. Rogue wasn't fully aware what was going on with a battle raging in her mind. Jason, however, was now in the room and grinned down at the young woman. Since this was his area of expertise, he had been given the job of mentally breaking the prisoners and since Tessa acted so cold and emotionless, Shaw thought that she wouldn't be as thorough as him.

The lab was cold and sterilized as the girl was laid on the table. After Selene's little play session with the girl, he had been called in and was able to break her mental barriers holding back all the personalities he had found. Now it was time to go even further. He placed his manicured hands on her face and entered her mind.

Rogue, looking like she did before her capture, was in a misty darkness. She was on the ground sitting and clutching her ears. Tears were falling from her face within her tightly shut eyes. All around her, she saw the ghostly shapes of everyone she ever absorbed. She saw the X-Men, Acolytes, Brotherhood, and complete strangers like at that party or the concert and other rare times. All the voices were flooding her and she couldn't hear anything other then the noise of the all the voices.

They were so painful and she couldn't think straight.

"SILENCE ALL OF YOU!" A voice rang out. Then suddenly, they were gone and Rogue was alone, at least she thought she was. She opened her eyes and saw the world shift into a ballroom with lavish styling all over the place. She heard footsteps that sounded like high heels and she turned and stared wide eyed at the image walking towards her.

It was her, only not her as well. She wore the same thing that the Hellfire Club forced her to wear only she carried it like a badge of honor and had a cape sweeping her ankles. She was in high-heeled boots and her makeup was the same, only instead of purple it was a matching green. "Well look at you." The other Rogue said in contempt.

"Who are ya?"

"Who do you think? I'm you. Or to be more accurate I am what you could be."

Rogue looked at this image of her. "Why would I want ta be like ya?" She demanded getting some courage and strength to finally stand and face this image.

The other her smiled. "Why wouldn't you? I mean I'm obviously stronger then you are."

"What?!"

"I was able to push away all the voices." The other Rogue hissed at her. "Who did you think did that? And look at you…Crying like a little baby."

"I was raped! What the hell did you expect of me!?" Rogue screamed at her and threw a punch but it was weak and was easily dodged and then countered with a kick to her stomach. Rogue fell to her knees gashing as the wind was knocked out of her.

"Look at Emma." The other 'her' said. "She has gone through much worse then you. Do you see her crying her eyes out? Face it…Your weak! Xavier has made you weak and has done nothing to help you."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Rogue said in anger towards this imposter. She watched as the other her laughed.

"He promised that he would help you…That he could get you to control your powers. But it was the Hellfire Club that did that."

"And look at what the bitch did ta me!"

"You ran! You attacked them first!" The other Rogue knelt down and looked her in the eyes. "They want to help ya, ta made ya stronger, more powerful…But they will punish ya if ya go against them. They can do more for ya then anyone."

Rogue didn't want to listen to this, for she knew this was all lies. "Ya only want ta use me!"

"So does Xavier!"

"He wants ta help me!"

"Oh really?" The other her scoffed at that. "He uses you and the others as their own private army. He uses you to his own ends and what did you get out of it? If he did want to help you and the others they why keep things from you like Mystique? Why didn't he help you though such a hard ordeal? You can control your powers now and it only took the Hellfire Club what? A few days?! Xavier was at it for years and do you honestly think in all that time he couldn't have had a few ideas?"

Rogue didn't want to listen to this, but there was a nagging feeling about that, and a good point. Xavier had been at it for years. "Did he even offer you any alternatives? Anything at all that even might have given you a chance at a normal life?" The other asked her and Rogue despite herself shook her head.

The other Rogue grinned. "Then take my hand." She said softly and extended it. "Let me take over and I can show you real power and you can live a life in luxury and pleasure of touching. You will have a life you always wanted and so much more."

Rogue weakly extended her hand but then pulled back quickly. "NO! They're my friends and family! They wouldn't hurt me or lie to me."

"Oh really?" The other Rogue said and the scene shifted. Rogue heard grunting and sobbing and looked behind her as she was back in that horrible room. She saw herself getting rapped again, only this time it was different. She saw it was now not the guards it was the everyone from the Institute. Currently it was Scott and Remy on her and Rogue watched in horror at their expressions. She saw the other girls there looking at the scene satisfied expressions on their faces and in Selene's place was Jean in that chair looking on.

"If they were your friends, then why did they do that to you?" The other her whispered into her ear.

Rogue turned away from the scene. "It's not true! That's now how it happened!"

"Isn't is?" The dark Rogue said nearly laughing at it all. "You keep pushing it away and the mind has ways of protecting itself. Why wouldn't your mind replace the figures that were your 'friends' with strangers?"

Rogue turned angrily at this other her. "You're just lying ta me! This is all just some sick way of screwing with my mind!"

"If ot makes you feel better about it all." She gestured to the scene and Rogue couldn't look hearing it was bad enough, hearing the sounds and the things that were being said to her. "I could make all this go away you know. You're not strong enough to fight me forever." The Dark Rogue grabbed her throat and glared at her. "I will take over! I will be the Green Knight of the Hellfire Club." Then she let Rogue go, the other girl coughing. "But I'll put you back where I found you, to think on things."

The scene changed again and she was back in the darkness surrounded by darkness and the voices.

Jason pulled out of her mind and grinned. She was close now, close to being one of them. In fact, he figured that he would replace the nightmares of her killing all her friends with them as the ones that had assaulted her. It might better work to turn her. He looked over at the guards. "Take her back to the holding cell."

The guards nodded and took the unconscious girl back. He grinned at his work and looked in the mirror and at first smiled, then it faltered. He knew that he was a master of illusion, but even he knew the real truth. He had been here for a year working his way up the chain, and also gathering information for his master.

He was able to keep those thoughts hidden from Tessa and from when Emma was still with them. He didn't want Shaw to know what his real intentions were in the Hellfire Club. If he found out what he really was…He would be a dead man.

But that was another matter, so far Shaw didn't suspect a thing and that was good. He would have to report to his master soon, but he had other things. Tomorrow Selene wanted his help with that Canadian boy. She wanted to try to assault his mind and his body simultaneously next time. Even though that woman scared him, he knew better then to say no to her.

Plus, he also was working on the red head too. She was starting to lose strength with the altered memories. Shaw had taken a liking to her as well and it seemed that almost after every one of his sessions he had her brought to his bedroom for a little entertainment. She didn't remember much and the others didn't know what was going on with her exactly, but he didn't' care about that. He had other concerns to deal with, like how he was going to slip out and not be noticed.

-Tessa's Room-

Tessa had finished up her paperwork and was in her room, one of the only places she knew that was safe. It was the only place she also allowed her 'mask' that was Tessa to fall and she fell to her knees weak and sick. She sometimes threw up with the stuff she had in her stomach throughout the day. The lustful looks of the males at her clothing or lack there of, the things she either saw or heard of or had to do.

She claimed that the girls' minds were too powerful or difficult for her, but in truth she could have if she pushed herself. She lied to them and she knew what they would do to her if they found out. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. The first two years she had managed, then with Emma it was a bit more difficult, but now it was different.

It was too hard to sit back and watch those four young people being broken. What made it worse was the fact of Jean and Rogue. She didn't know them personally, but she did know of Xavier. He had helped her once and she was in his debt, but when she left and joined up with the that other man she knew that she would be putting her talents to good use.

For years she had worked to rid the world of evil from within. Through her assignments, she brought down criminal organizations through the last seven years of her life, but this was the worse assignment she ever had. Many agents had never gotten this far as she had here, and all of those who had tried had been killed and she was the closest to bringing this place down.

Throughout the past few years she had been slowly gaining their confidence and also gathering as much information as she could. Soon she would have enough information to bring down this chapter of the Hellfire Club and all the members here of the Inner Circle. But the road had been hard and she had to endure a lot. She remembered how Shaw had found his interests in her and for a while she had to sleep with him in order to gain his attention and to become his personal aid.

Every time she had to please him like that she wanted to throw up, but she played her part and made it look like she enjoyed it. However, she always took long showers afterwards. She took comfort in knowing that she would be the ruin of him and would bring him down.

He hadn't touched her in over a year, but now she wished he would if only to take his attention away from Jean. The thought of that sick man and her churned her stomach. She had to work quicker, she had to get word out to her superiors and get them out. She would have done so long ago, but since the way of moving up in the Hellfire Club was mostly assassination, Shaw had taken precautions when he took over and installed many cameras and surveillance all over the place. She couldn't use the phone lines or computers and no telepathy inside and since she was deep cove,r there were no other agents around.

She had only one way of communicating and that was with e-mail at a cyber café, but she knew that Shaw watched all the members closely or had at least others watch them for him. She knew that one of the men in the security room had a thing for her and she used that. She flirted and seduced him and he 'accidentally' forgot what she did during certain hours. The only problem was that he was on leave for over a week and wouldn't be back for a few more days. Without that window of opportunity, she would be found out before she was a block away.

But she might have to risk it anyway if things went on like this.

NEXT UP CHAPTER 11: BREAKING POINT