This chapter might be a bit confusing but I'm sure you'll be able to tell who's who.

Coming to the Surface

She collapsed onto the floor and started sobbing. The loosened chain slid off of her neck and onto the ground next to her. Hot tears ran down her face as she cried into the floor. She couldn't do it. She was too afraid. Too scared to kill herself. Too scared to end it. How pathetic she was. She didn't do it, even when she had absolutely nothing to lose. Or was it really because she was afraid? No, she wasn't afraid. She would gladly end her life, gladly end the pain that she felt and caused others. But she wasn't going to give her evil half that satisfaction. She wasn't going to give up. She wasn't going to be laughed at. I have to go on. If I don't, she wins. I'll prove that I'm stronger. Somehow I'll make it, no matter what it takes.

She got up off the floor and vigorously wiped the tears from her face. She looked into the mirror and glared at her red-faced reflection. "I promise you, I won't let you win. This is my life. No one else's."

Most of the day went on pretty smooth until during training with Logan. She was running through a course with projectiles being thrown at her from all directions. She doing fairly well until her head started to throb. "Aagh! No…" She grabbed her head in pain not noticing the buzz saw headed straight towards her. Luckily Logan knocked it out of the air before it was within two feet of her.

"You okay kid? You almost got your head taken off."

"I'm fine I just need to... Ugh!" Serena shut her eyes tighter as the pain ran through her head.

"Forget it. You're obviously in no shape to train."

"No I can train. Really... guh... I don't need to rest."

"Stop arguing and go get some rest." Logan told her.

Serena walked off feeling a little dejected. The pain in her head had gone away. She knew that it had tried to possess her, but at least she was able to keep control for now. She got through all of her other classes fine. It was in the late afternoon when she passed by the Danger Room where everybody was training, that her head started to hurt again. She must have slipped away a little because by the time she opened her eyes she was back in her bedroom. Though a few minutes later she found out it was much worse. Scott, Jean, and a few of the New Recruits stormed into her bedroom looked worn-out and angry.

"What do you think you were doing?" Scott asked her.

"Huh?"

"While we were training somebody turned the danger level to high. Several people almost got hurt."

"Are you saying that I did it?" She asked him disbelievingly.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Scott fumed. "I have three people saying that they saw youmessing withthe control panels and then you ran off! What am I supposed to believe?"

"I didn't do anything alright?" Serena said hotly.

"You're a liar! I saw you do it!" Ray spoke up.

"You almost killed us!" Jubilee snapped.

"I didn't do it!" Serena shouted.

"Stop it all of you!" Jean said and focused her mind. "I sense that she's telling the truth."

"Told you so." Serena said.

"Wait a minute." Jean frowned a little. "I sense that they're telling the truth also."

Bobby scratched his head. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It makes plenty of sense." Scott said. "She's part telepath right? She could be messing up Jean's mental readings."

Serena shook her head. "No…"

"Scott calm down." Jean told him, but he wasn't listening.

"Tell the truth. Did you do it or not?"

Serena was starting to get annoyed. "You obviously can't handle the truth! I've told you, I not the one responsible."

"Rrgh! You liar!" Ray shouted charging up.

"Ray, no!" Amara screamed.

Too late. Ray sent a bolt of electricity at Serena who didn't even flinch. There was a bright flash and everyone was rendered blind for a few seconds. When the light died down, they gaped in horror. Serena was glowing. Before the bolt had hit her she had morphed into her liquid form. The electrical current could be seen coursing through her body.

"How?" Ray gasped.

"Electricity can't harm water, all it does is ride the molecules looking for the ground." She smiled at Ray. "Or for another vessel to help find it."

Serena reached out her hand. "I would never hurt anybody..." Before he could do anything she touched Ray's face sending the electricity through him. He cried out in pain and collapsed onto the floor. "…unless they try to hurt me."

"Stop it that's enough!" Scott shouted. Serena had stopped glowing and she let go. Ray was on his hands and knees enduring the pain.

"What do you think you were doing?" Scott asked furiously.

"Defending myself." She said calmly. "He attacked me first. What I did was justified."

"Nothing justifies attacking another teammate."

"Tell that to him." She pointed at Ray.

"You didn't have to electrocute him." Bobby said.

Her green eyes flashed. "Well if Sparky here hadn't shot the stupid bolt in the first place this wouldn't have happened."

Ray got up looking madder than ever. "Don't call me Sparky!"

"Sparky! Sparkplug! Sparket!" She snapped.

"Rgh..." He growled.

"You're both acting like little kids." Jean said to both of them.

"He started it!" Serena pointed.

"And I'll finish it." Ray said his hands crackiling.

"You're not finishing anything." Jean said to him.

"You know what? I'm sick of your accusations." Serena pointed to the door. "Get out of my room, all of you."

"We're not finished." Scott said.

"You may not be but I am! Leave!" She shouted.

After everyone had left she slammed the door shut behind them. She groaned and held her head. One of hers eyes shifted from green to blue. She turned around glaring. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" The spirit was standing in front of her, seen by her eyes and no one else's.

It smiled at her. "You'll never get rid of me, I'll always be here."

Serena rubbed her temples. "Why does my head always hurt?"

"It only hurts when you try to resist me. I am a part of your mind after all."

"I'll keep resisting." Serena said defiantly.

"You'd be willing to go through all that pain for them? They're not even your friends."

"Not anymore thanks to you."

"They were never your friends. See how they treated you?"

"I hate this."

"It's life. It's what you have to deal with."

"How would you know? You don't know what it's like."

"Why don't you let me find out?"

"Nice try, but you're not getting out."

The spirit shrugged. "Fine, it's only a matter of time anyway." She faded from sight.

Serena gave a deep sigh. "How long can I keep this up?"

Later as Serena was watching the sunset she heard a strange noise and looked around. It was Kurt. He looked a little worried. "Hey. Heard about… well, you know." Her head started throbbing and she quickly looked away from him. I must keep control, I can't let her…

He touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Serena, are you…" THWACK! He was cut off when Serena had back handed him hard right in the face sending him sprawled onto the floor.

"Ngh! What did I do?" Kurt cried clasping a hand over his cheek. Serena gave a slight chuckle.

"Still chasing after her I see." She turned to look at him. "That's so sad."

"Wha? I…"

"But you seem to enjoy playing with her." She gave a cruel smile. "Well I like to play too." She started towards him.

He instinctively backed away from her. "Serena what are you doing?"

"What's wrong? Afraid I might bite?" She had backed him up against the wall. She reached out her hand for his face but withdrew it grabbing her head in pain. She groaned a little and backed away from him.

"Kurt, get out of here." She said in a hushed voice. Kurt just sat there staring wide-eyed at her. "Get out now!" she screamed. That got him to leave. He teleported out right on the spot.

Serena thought she was going to cry. "Why?"

It was in the late evening and no one else had disturbed her. She didn't go down to eat supper, she was too afraid it would try to take control of her again. She didn't want to hurt anyone else. She started to wonder if every day was going to be like this, a constant struggle for control.

There was a knock on her door and then someone came in. "Serena?" It was Rogue.

Oh no. She thought.

"How come you weren't at dinner?"

"I wasn't hungry." Serena said quickly.

Her head started aching. No, not now. She could feel herself slipping. She gripped her face tightly as if trying to hold onto her very identity. Between her fingers her eye kept changing from blue to green. She shut her eyes trying to block out the pain.

"Are you okay?" Rogue asked her.

Serena put down her hand and looked angrily at Rogue. "I'm fine, but you're not going to be."

If Rogue hadn't been wearing a turtle-neck, Serena wouldn't have been able to grab- Rogue by the throat and slam her up against the wall. Rogue was taken by surprise but her shock was quickly fading as she fought against Serena's tight grip which was cutting off her oxygen supply. Rogue was trying to pry Serena's hand off of her windpipe with both of her hands but having no luck. Serena gave a small smile as she watched Rogue struggle.

"Go ahead," she whispered, "scream."

With what little strength she had Rogue kicked Serena hard in the gut and she let go instantly. She knelt down on the floor clutching her stomach. Rogue stood there breathing heavily and rubbing her neck. Serena raised her head up at Rogue looking terrified at what she had done.

"Rogue…"

Rogue backed away from her. "Stay the hell away from me!"

"Rogue, please don't tell anyone." Serena pleaded.

Rogue looked incredulous. "You almost kill me and you expect me not to tell anyone?"

"Please Rogue…"

"Maybe Scott's right, maybe you are crazy."

Serena was almost in tears. "I didn't mean to."

"I tried to help you. I tried to be your friend and this is the thanks I get?"

"I would never hurt you."

"You can't talk your way out of this one Serena. I know the truth now."

"You don't know a damn thing!" Serena yelled angrily.

"I know that you're a liar."

"I'm not a liar, and I'm not the deranged lunatic that you guys think I am!" Serena shouted.

"We were only trying to help you." Rogue shouted back.

"Don't you think I know that?"

"Then why did you try to kill me?"

"I didn't want it to happen! I tried to stop it but I just couldn't!" She collapsed on the floor again and buried her face in her hands sobbing. "I couldn't stop it."

"Serena what is going on with you?"

"I want to tell you but I can't. I just can't."

"Serena this has got to stop!" Rogue said angrily. "All these secrets, all these lies! How am I supposed to help you when I don't even know what's wrong?"

"You can't help me! How many times do I have to tell you that?" Serena yelled exasperatedly.

"No, I can't help you because you won't tell me what's going on. You won't be honest with me."

"Rogue no matter what you do it won't do any good."

"How will you know unless you try?"

Serena shook her head. "I don't."

Rogue took a deep breath. "Serena, do you trust me?"

Serena stared at the floor. "I… I don't know."

"Serena, look at me." Serena wearily raised her head to look at Rogue. "I promise Serena, that as a friend I'm here for you. But I need to know what is going on." Serena looked a little doubtful. "Please, just trust me." She seemed sincere and Serena felt she could trust her.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Remember the thing I told you about before, the thing inside me?"

"Yes…" Rogue said slowly.

"It's growing, becoming stronger. She's surfacing. Soon she might be able to take me over completely. She'll hurt people Rogue. She'll hurt you."

"So she's the one who…"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Oh Serena, I'm so sorry." Rogue said apologetically. "I had no idea…"

"I'm the one who should be sorry, it's my fault for not telling you."

"Why don't you just ask the professor to help you?"

"The professor can't do anything. She won't even let him inside my mind. I can't fight her off. She's just too strong. She could take over any minute. Nobody's safe."

"What does she want?"

"I don't know."

Rogue looked at her watch. "It's almost bedtime. I guess this'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Serena's voice suddenly became dead serious. "Rogue, whatever you do don't trust her. Don't believe anything she says."

"Alright, you just keep fighting. Don't let her win."

"I'll try. But if I cave in, you may have to kill me."

Rogue frowned. "Don't say things like that. That's not gonna happen."

Serena gave a slight smile. "We'll see." Rogue gave Serena an encouraging look and started to leave.

"Rogue, please don't tell anyone."

Rogue looked at her and nodded. "Promise." She left shutting the door behind her.

Serena squeezed her eyes shut tightly so that tears wouldn't come out. So many people were getting hurt. Rogue, Kurt, the other kids… "Do you want out that badly," she said out loud, "enough to hurt anyone who stands in your way?"

"What do you think?" A voice came. Serena turned to see her standing there smiling. "Would I? Could I? I know I could, and I think I would."

"Why?" Serena asked her.

"You don't get it do you?" she growled her face suddenly becoming angry. "For years I have been locked away and I want out. I want out now!" She dove at Serena and before she knew what was going on, Serena found herself in a void where the two wrestled around.

"You can't win Serena. Your fatigue has caught up with you." She managed to pin Serena down, her knee against her chest and keeping a tight hold of Serena's wrists so she couldn't swing at her. "Trust me, I'm doing you a favor." Serena was trying hard not to pass out though her vision was growing blurry. She was so tired she could barely move. But she couldn't give up.

"Can't stop... must keep fighting…"

"You're tired." She said soothingly. "Rest." Serena could feel herself slipping away. She could hear the replica's voice coming from far away. "Don't worry, everything will be fine." Those were the last words Serena heard before her vision faded to black.

The replica opened her eyes. She was in Serena's room. She looked down at her self, examining her hands, her hair, her clothes. She dashed to the mirror and saw herself staring back at her. She examined herself at all angles. She was the same as before only her eyes, both of them were green. She started laughing with delight and the laughter became harder and harder as she realized that she was in control, this was her body. For some strange reason her sides began to hurt and she held them. Her laughter slowly softened.

"At last." She whispered to herself. "It's my turn."

Now that she's finally out what's gonna happen? STAY TUNED!