Deadly Nightshade

Chapter 9 - A Prophecy Revealed

Further back in the group Kitty looked at Rogue and asked, "Like, what's up with her?"

"Ah don't know Kit. She seems lahke a prahvate kahnd of person ta meh."

"Mon chere is righ' petit. Dat Nightshade seem like de kind o' girl who holds her hand close t'her body."

"The Cajun's right Kit Cat. Nightshade doesn't seem like the kinda person who tells a someone her life story within a few minutes of meeting them."

Glaring at Wanda for the use of the hated nickname Kitty folded her arms and huffed.

"I, like, didn't say she wasn't but it might, like, help for her to talk about it."

"Kit, Ah think she's tha kahnd of gal who would rather bottle it up an' work it off bah beatin' tha crap out o' tha nearest idiot."

"Y' know, dat reminds Gambit of a certain X-Man instructor. De one who's watchin' de petit righ' now wit' a confused look in his eyes."

Snapping their eyes towards Logan the others could see that he was in fact watching Nightshade but as to his feelings toward her they couldn't tell.

Looking up at Gambit with suspicion evident in her gaze Rogue caught his eye and sent a silent promise to talk to him about his abilities later.

Turning back to face the others Rogue was about to shift the subject away from Nightshade when Tabitha did it for her, namely in the form of a prank on Jean.

What that prank was no one was sure they just knew that it involved Jean being covered with a sticky black substance and lots of leaves and dirt.

As the group watched, the teachers converged on where the two were standing in the middle of the group.

"Alright, Tabitha, what happened?"

Looking up at Logan sheepishly, Tabitha shrugged her shoulders and said as innocently as possible, "She tripped."

Now, considering that Jean was sitting on the ground that lie was a half truth. Looking at the ground and then back at Tabitha Logan raised a single questioning eyebrow at her before asking, "Over what?"

"Over her own feet?"

Shaking his head in a way that told Tabitha he didn't believe her, Logan helped Jean onto her feet, wrinkling his sensitive nose at the smell. Once Jean was standing again he took a large step back from the girl.

"Tabitha you can walk with me up front an' Jean, yer walkin' with Nightshade."

"What! Why can't I walk with you Logan!"

Stepping up to the upset girl, Nightshade explained it to her.

"It's very simple Jean, Logan has a hyper-sensitive sense of smell and you reek."

Gasping at Nightshade's rudeness the girl glared while saying, "How dare you say that to me!"

"Jean if the smell of that goop that you're covered in is making my eyes water than imagine hat it would do to someone with a sense of smell as strong as Logan's."

Chastised for the moment, Jean hung her head and offered no more argument.

Logan made his way to the front of the group with Tabitha close behind and Jean and Nightshade resumed walking from further back so as not to upset Logan's nose.

After an hour of walking Logan called for a short break in a clearing bordering the river they had been following.

As soon as she had dropped her stuff, Jean stripped down to her bathing suit and jumped into the water. Luckily for her and the local flora and fauna the goo was non-toxic and dissolved in water.

Once she was clean she walked out of the water and sat down next to Scott and as far away from Nightshade and Tabitha as she could get.

Nightshade and Tabitha had sat down together with Rogue, Kitty, Gambit and Wanda. Despite her seeming absorption in the current conversation, Nightshade watched Logan out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the other mutant's preoccupation with Logan, Rogue decided that now was the best time to ask her about her suspicions. Moving from where she had been sitting next to Gambit she sat next to Nightshade in the hopes that they could talk quietly.

Looking at the younger girl Nightshade waited for her to say what was on her mind.

"Nahghtshade, Ah've been wonderin' about somethin' ya said when ya first came ta tha Institute. When ya first told us about yaself Evan asked who tha gahy who trained ya was and ya said that he wasn' ready ta remember anything of tha past yet. Is that because tha gahy is Logan?"

Nightshade's only reaction was a slight widening of her eyes before a blank look dropped across her face.

"Why would you think that Rogue?"

"Tha way ya act with him, sometahmes it seems as though ya know him bettah than he knows himself. It isn't even whaht ya say ta him or about him, it's tha way ya voice sounds when ya talk to him or about him and tha way ya seem ta be constantly watchin' him lahke ya're worried he's gonna disappear."

"You're more observant than most people Rogue, but like I said then I can't say anything because he isn't ready to remember."

With a wink and a sly grin, Nightshade stood up and walked over to where Logan, Ororo and Hank were talking quietly. Before she left though Nightshade let the back of her bare hand brush gently across Rogue's make-up free cheek.

For a moment after Nightshade had left Rogue pondered over the other woman's non-answer when all of a sudden it made sense. Nightshade hadn't said no, meaning that perhaps Logan was her teacher. Then a single memory that had obviously transferred from Nightshade's brief touch surfaced in Rogue's mind.

/Groaning, Nightshade rolled over onto her side, throwing out an arm her hand met with an empty space where a warm body should have been. Lifting her head from her pillow she looked around blearily around the sunlit room. It was empty save for her but she could hear the sound of someone moving around in the kitchen. Figuring that was where Logan was she flopped back down into her pillows. A few minutes later her head came up again as Logan entered the room wearing his training pants and carrying a tray with a plate of warm pancakes slathered in maple syrup and a glass of orange juice. As happy as she was to see Logan she was even more happy to see the food.

Grinning she sat up and let him place the tray over her lap before digging in. With Logan's help the pancakes and juice were soon gone.

Putting the tray on the floor next to the bed Nightshade stretched her arms over her head before flopping back into the softness of her pillows.

Laughing at the small mutant Logan grabbed her hand and began tugging her out of the bed.

"No Logan. I want to stay in bed today."

"Sorry darlin', I let ya be a lazy bones for most of the mornin' but now we gotta get up and get back to yer trainin'."

"But my birthday-"

Placing a kiss on her nose Logan interrupted saying, "was yesterday darlin'. It's also the reason we ended up here and didn' train."

"But wasn't it so much more fun? Besides I hurt too much to train today."

Leaning down Logan captured her mouth in a gentle but possessive kiss before whispering, "Think of all the fun ya can have rollin' around on tha floor. I always did like aggressive women darlin'."

Eyes lighting up at the prospect of kicking Logan's ass and getting sex afterwards Nightshade sat up.

"I'll make a deal with you Logan, you beat me and I'll do whatever you want for an entire 24 hour period but if I beat you, you have to do what I want for an entire 24 hour period. Deal?"

Watching the partially naked woman in his bed Logan considered her deal. The idea of having her at his mercy for 24 hours appealed to him, but so did the idea of being at her mercy for 24 hours.

Grinning he nodded and helped her out of the bed, slapping her on her nearly bare ass.

"Hurry up and get dressed. Then meet me outside."

With that said Logan walked out of the room leaving Nightshade to get ready/

Grinning Rogue looked over at Nightshade and saw her watching with a grin on her small face.

Why don't you go for a swim Rogue?

Hearing Nightshade's suggestion and finding another little titbit from the older woman in her mind, Rogue winked at her before turning back to the conversation going on around her.

Seeing the smile Gambit moved close enough to lean down and whisper in her ear.

"What's made Remy's chere so happy?"

"Jus' some answers ta a lot o' questions is all."

Smile at the red eyed mutant Rogue continued, "Do ya wan' ta go for a swim Remy?"

Shocked that the goth would ask her supposed enemy that, the three other mutants with them gaped as they waited for Gambit's answer.

"Remy love ta chere."

Standing up Rogue stripped of her clothes to reveal the bathing suit Nightshade had loaned her. Looking down at Remy she said, "Race ya ta tha water!"

Before Remy had even removed his shirt Rogue was off and running, with Remy following close behind once he had thrown of his outer clothes.

Everyone in the clearing save for Nightshade watched in shock as the usually anti-social girl frolicked in the water with a man whom they all thought she couldn't stand.

Even more shocking was the instant when the two touched skin to skin. Everyone save for Nightshade, Rogue and Gambit were shocked. With that shock came anger, mostly from Jean and Scott but a little from Logan. Logan's anger was directed mainly at Nightshade for sharing her ability to control with Rogue and for encouraging her to go after the swamp rat. Of course he didn't know for certain if she had encouraged it but it did seem like the kind of thing Nightshade would do.

Hearing Logan's low, throaty growl, Nightshade placed a small hand on his brawny arm. Leaning in close to the man's ear she said, "Leave them Logan. This is how it has to be."

"Doesn' mean I gotta like it though."

Smiling at the man's growled words Nightshade replied, "Why don't you come with me and we can have a little fun in the water?"

Seeing him about to protest Nightshade quickly spoke up, "We're surrounded by teenagers Logan, I won't seduce you. Of course if you want me to, I'm sure we can find somewhere a little more private, mi amour."

Snapping his head around to look at the small woman. Those words seemed so familiar as if he had heard them before.

/Logan was leaning back against the trunk of a tree whilst Nightshade curled up against his chest.

"I love you, mi amour."

"I love you too, Shahla. Always and forever."/

"Always and forever, Shahla."

Nighshade recoiled in shock when she heard Logan's whispered words.

"What was that Logan, I didn't quite hear?"

Ignoring Hank's question, Logan turned to Nightshade with wonder in his eyes.

"What's wrong Logan?"

"It's nothin' darlin'. How 'bout we go for that swim?"

For a moment Nightshade sat frozen as she watched Logan strip down to his suit but she quickly shook herself and began taking her clothes off and folding them neatly until she was left wearing only her suit.

Placing the last of her clothes on the ground Nightshade dove into the river with Logan close behind.

Surfacing she looked around or Logan but couldn't find him. Knowing instantly what he was trying to do Nightshade dove beneath the surface just as Logan's hand brushed across her calf.

Seconds later the two surfaced laughing. Once again those in the clearing were shocked to see their normally reticent teacher and colleague act so carefree.

Fifteen minutes later everyone was out of the water, dried off and walking again. Nightshade and Logan walking at the front with Tabitha and Jean close behind so that they could keep an eye on the two teenage girls.

An hour later the group reached their campsite for the night. Quickly they set up their tents and Nightshade sent Jean and Tabitha to dig the toilets with Hank supervising. Once camp had been set up and the group had settled in for some free time Hank drew Nightshade and the other teachers aside to speak quietly with them.

"I believe that now is the time we should tell the students the real reason for our being here. Especially in light of the confrontation today. He is already beginning to awaken and once we reach the summit things will begin happening very quickly."

"You're right Hank, but do we just go back and drop this in their laps or do we wait until later tonight?"

"It is best that we tell the children now."

At Ororo's decisive words the four walked back to the rest of the group and called everyone to sit around the fire pit that Logan had prepared.

The atmosphere in the camp was apprehensive especially once the students saw that Nightshade was no longer as self-assured and confident as normal. Instead she looked nervous and unsure of herself, a worrying mix of emotions for the normally boisterous mutant.

"Guys, there's something that we need to tell you. It's the real reason for you going on this survival camp, especially to a place as out-of-the-way as Hades' Abyss."

A slight murmur filled the camp as the younger X-Men wondered what Nightshade was talking about.

"Firstly, you aren't here to learn survival skills. You're here because of an ancient prophecy which involves four of the people here as major players. I guess we should start from the beginning. About 2 thousand years ago a mutant known only as Hades attempted to create a land in which darkness and demons would rein supreme. However, four mages of unimaginable power managed to imprison him until such time as the four chosen could destroy him."

"So this Hades guy is, like, here and that's why the place is, like, called Hades' Abyss?"

Nodding her head in reply to Kitty's question Nightshade continued with her explanation.

"The four the prophecy talks about would be the ones to destroy Hades forever, but as with anything in the universe there is an opposite force to balance out the chosen four. In this case there are four people working to wake Hades up and stop the 'good guys' before they can destroy him."

"But who are the four Nightshade?"

"I'm sure you guys can work it out Scott, just by hearing the prophecy. 'Two of darkness, two of light; the first a demon with eyes of fire, his opposite an angel held prisoner by flesh; the third a shadow hidden within the night, her opposite a beast of metal and rage.'"

Once Nightshade had finished speaking the teachers waited for the inevitable realisation.

"Gambit! The first one's me mate Gambit!"

At Pyro's shouted words everybody turned to look towards the Cajun acolyte.

Reaching up to touch the sunglasses covering his demonic eyes he murmured a quiet, "Merde."

"But zhen who's his opposite?"

"Oh my God, it's Rogue. Her hair is, like, the halo which is the angel part and she can't touch anyone because of her, like, skin."

"That's right Kitty, but what about the third and fourth."

"The fourth is easy Jean. It's Logan, dudes. He has those metal claws and everything but I don't know who the third is."

Everyone shook their heads and murmured in puzzled tones before looking expectantly at Nightshade.

"The third person is me. My mutation took the form of vampirism as I told you x-students the day Logan and I sparred in the danger room. A vampire is one who hides in the shadows despite the night world they live in."

Varying looks of comprehension flashed across the faces of the people gathered together.

"But, like, what's this prophecy, like, got to do with us?"

"Simple Kitty. We win, the world stays the same old unfair place it's always been. We lose and chaos reins. The entire planet will slip into a darkness that will last for all eternity."

A/N: An odd place to leave it but I'm dealing with a large workload right now so my time is being used up very quickly.

Anyway ya betta review or else I'll go on the net and find the worst jokes I can and then get my little devil muse ta go afta ya and tell them ta ya.

And believe me, he is the worst joke teller ya will find anywhere.

Buh-bye