Woot woot.

Yeah. That's all I'm saying. I'm awesome. Damn. Said more, didn't I?

Chapter Ten: When I Was a Young Girl

Rogue let that wonderfully volatile statement rumble around the room, before turning sharply and leaving them. Silence was fraught with shock and tension as X-Force thought on what she'd said. Before anyone could speak however...

"She doesn't mean it."

They looked up as Shadowcat was re-escorted into the room. "She doesn't mean it," she said again. "She's not that cruel. Not anymore."

"How can you say that? She's like...evil."

Shadowcat stared hard at Jubilee. "If you think that's evil, you're more naïve than I thought. She's the good of us. She's forgiving, and kind, and protecting. She's kept me from darker things than Phoenix. She's forgiven me for the many horrible things I've done. She's been there to let me talk, when I had no one to turn to."

"How?" Jubilee asked, still unbelieving.

Shadowcat sat down in Rogue's former seat, and started to tell a story she'd almost convinced herself was a dream. "I killed Nightcrawler."

Silence. Shock. Awe.

"It was an accident. I can't remember if I told you, but I was mated immediately. To Nightcrawler. It was during the first simulation that it happened. We were doing combat runs, and I phased through a wall. They said that it strained the mental link between us and caused his brain to hemorrhage. We didn't know it. He told me he had a headache, but we continued the simulation anyways." Her eyes were glazed over as if her mind wasn't quite there. Piotr covered her hand with his, and waited for her to continue. "When he teleported to get over a wall, he never came back. The spooks theorize that because we both had physical powers that affected our bodies and placement it made our link dangerous. When he teleported into the other dimension, they say it broke the link and he had an aneurism. Because I was in phase when it happened, I didn't feel the backlash and I didn't die to. After that, they ran tests on me, and brought in all teleporters in order to ensure it didn't happen again. They were contemplating dissecting my brain when Rogue stopped them. I'd killed her brother, but she saved me anyways. That's when we started to make this plan. To stop this. To stop them."

Shadowcat ducked her head down and drew her knees to her chest. "They won't die as she said. Some of them, the weak ones, might, but she told me that the most that will happen is that they'll fall unconscious. She doesn't want you to go down there with her. Doesn't want you to see."

"To see what?" McCoy asked.

"To see her when she kills Phoenix."

"Why does she have to kill her?"

Shadowcat looked up. "Because Phoenix is the one sustaining the mental links between mates."

"Ah! This is what I don't understand! What's with the matey thing? Why does she have to destroy it?" Jubilee asked, her finger pointing at Shadowcat in righteousness.

"The DNA sequencing is merely to enhance the abilities of the mutants and weed out imperfections. It's the mental programming perpetuated by Phoenix and aided by the rest of the spooks that's holds the mutates captive. Without it, they'd return to who they were before. They wouldn't be under the Leader's control anymore."

"Then why not just do it now? Get it over with."

Shadowcat shook her head at Sam's question. "We have to be prepared for the fallout."

"What fallout?"

"This mental link is the only thing keeping some of them sane. Without it, they'll lose any mental cohesion they have, go berserk and try to destroy everything and everyone. For some of them, like me, it's like an addiction. We've been under subjugation of the link so long that our bodies are going through withdrawal. Shakes, sweats, hot flashes," Shadowcat explained, holding up her hand so that they could see it shake. "We'll need the most help. I haven't even started the worst of it. Rogue tells me that there's a chance I'll go berserk like some of the others."

"What about the rest? What will happen to them?"

"Half of the mutates will fall into temporary comas, their minds healing themselves. The rest, the small percentage left, mind you, they'll get sick. These are the mutates who've been under it's influence longest. Some of them for years and years. They were the first. They'll get sick. They might die. They might survive. I'm told it depends on how strong their will is. How much they want to live."

Gambit nodded. "So dat's de plan?"

Shadowcat nodded and surreptitiously took Piotr's hand under the table. "It's the most non-violent one she could think of. She doesn't want any more death. Any more violence. After being an assassin for three years, I agree with her."

Jubilee nodded solemnly. "I knew she wasn't really the bitch she seemed." Sam elbowed her in the side. "What? It's true. You know you're all thinking it." Jubilee turned back to Shadowcat. "You know, I don't think I've heard you say this much since you got here. And, you didn't say 'like'."

Shadowcat allowed herself a small smile, and ignored the raging migraine behind her right eye. She knew they had questions, and knew Rogue was too prideful and secretive to bother herself with explaining to these people. It left it to Shadowcat, as tired as she was, to do it.

Storm stood, and the room silenced again. "Do you know where Evan is?"

Shadowcat ducked her head again, and used her unoccupied hand to draw invisible lines on the table. "And if I do?"

"Tell me. I want to know."

Shadowcat nodded. "He's near the Citadel. On a cliff by the sea."

"He lives? A house by the sea?" Storm's blue eyes were so hopeful, but Shadowcat felt nothing when she replied.

"In a mass grave."

Silence. Shock. Awe. A vague sniffle as the truth finally dawned to Storm and she recognized what she'd known for so long. Spike was dead. She had to accept it. So she nodded. "I must call his mother." She turned, but stopped at the door. "Thank you, Kitty. For telling me."

Storm left and Shadowcat shrugged. "There's no point in lying."

Gambit stood to leave too. "Remy t'ink he go find de Rogue."

The others watched as he left. McCoy took his now empty seat, next to Shadowcat. "What of this machine? The one that does the DNA sequencing? It must be years ahead of what's on the market."

"It was designed by a Dr. Sinister, and uses the same stones Magneto used to evolve Cyclops, Sabretooth, and Havoc."

Piotr drew in a deep breath, and the others turned to him. "Gambit has a history with Sinister. He is not a nice man."

Shadowcat smiled again. "And any man who'd do this to hundreds of people is?"

He nodded sheepishly, before taking in the quickly lightening pallor of her skin. "I think that Kate needs her sleep, yes?"

Shadowcat let her head fall back as Piotr stood. McCoy stood too. "Yes, I'm so sorry. You're going through a traumatic experience; would you like to stay in the medical lab with me? I assure you it's quite comfortable and I can keep a good close eye on-"

"No."

McCoy shut up and along with the other three left in the room (Magneto, Jubilee, and Sam) watched as Piotr picked up the small woman and slowly took her from the room.

Jubilee took the opportunity for another smart-ass remark. "So...anyone else confused but not, but still mostly confused?"

Shadowcat knew that Piotr wasn't taking her to her assigned quarters, but didn't really have the energy to care. Her migraine had expanded to behind her other eye, and she burrowed her face into his shoulder. The only man she'd ever been this close to was Wisdom, and she hadn't enjoyed that nearly as much as she did this. Maybe it was the choice. With Wisdom, it was a given that she would be with him. With Piotr, she wanted to be with and near him.

After taking the elevator to another level, Shadowcat opened her eyes to a larger than normal slate door. It opened soundlessly. Inside, it was dark, but felt homey. He set Shadowcat down on his bed, with was covered with a soft wool caftan. Piotr didn't turn on the lights, but did light a few candles, so that she could see but wasn't overwhelmed.

"Would you like to take something for your head?" He asked in his deep accented voice. His back was turned to her as he poured her a glass of water.

She shook her head before realizing he couldn't see it. "No thank you."

He nodded and brought her the water, kneeling down to watch her as she sipped.

"Why didn't you take me to my quarters?"

"I thought you might like to stay somewhere not quite as severe."

She nodded and let her head fall back onto his pillows. "Why are you taking care of me?"

He smiled. "Because something in me tells me too."

Another short-ish chapter, but at least we got some explanations out. So, now we know the real plan...or do we? And if we do, do we know everything? What is Rogue hiding from Shadowcat herself? And what will happen when Gambit finds Rogue? What will she do when he confronts her? What will they do to each other? Oh, and...we gets some ACTION next chapter. Not the kind you dirty pervs want though.

I also know that this chapter took a bit, but I was just finished my DC Huntress trilogy over in the JLU section, and it took alot out of me. If you think this story is good, you should read that one. Some of the best of me went into that trilogy, and it's drained me. sigh It's over now. I guess I'll have to devote myself to y'all now...snicker