HIDDEN
She couldn't draw as realistic as she wanted to be. Still, her sketches were really nice. There were simple charcoal drawings like Pietro's, her father's, Brotherhood's. But she was adding colors to sketches of her dreams. The sketch of a monkey man, a metal base covered in snow, a girl on fire. A girl on fire was easily her favorite. She drew the flames surrounding her like a phoenix.
"You are good at this," said her redhead roommate, she had charcoal drawings in her hands. Wanda had tailed Jean all day. Jean was signed with the duty of helping Wanda socialize. She had insisted Wanda should eat breakfast with the rest of them, made Wanda join small group talks, spent the day showing her around and made sure Wanda get used to routines of Institute. She had even ditched Scott for it. The girl was surprisingly more energetic when she was helping someone. Lance already knew the place so he did not need anybody. Pietro was signed to Scott (auch). Toad was signed to Kurt (poor guy). Fred was only curious about where the kitchen was.
Jean looked at Wanda who was concentrated on her painting.
"Can I look," Jean asked kindly.
Wanda thought about it. Hesitantly she gave the picture. If she had asked to look at other pictures of her dreams she wouldn't let it. They were much more depressing. Jean studied the painting like a scientist. Her fingers trailed through flames around the girl. She looked astonished.
"It is beautiful," Jean said. Then her eyes turned to black and her hair started to blow, it was like a sudden wind surrounded her. The ampule cracked, the notebook fell to the floor.
"Jean, stop" Wanda shouted. Not knowing what to do, she sent a hex blot at her. Black-eyed Jean caught the hex bolt and extinguished it like a child blowing out a candle from her birthday cake.
"You are no match for me Wanda," said the smirking stranger who looked like Jean. Noises heard from the door. But even though it wasn't locked, the door wouldn't open. Wanda decided to try something else. She let her magic surround Jean, tried to contain the energy around her as much as possible. She felt like she did that trick before. Missing pieces came into her mind again.
Wanda release my powers you don't what you are doing!
Blown up sentinel, explosion, falling, getting saved by…
"Hey, hey! It's okay. Wanda open your eyes!"
Wanda let a breath out and opened her eyes.
"Easy," Kurt said "Are you okay?"
Wanda looked around. Jean was lying on the floor; she had managed to knock her unconscious. Scott was also there. He was on Jean's side.
"What happened," he asked.
Trying to get out of her shocked state, Wanda swallowed.
"I… my sketch… it triggered her."
Kurt took the notebook from the floor but he was looking at the wrong page. "Your father's base triggered Jean?" Kurt asked. Wanda's heart skipped a beat.
Your father's base
He had said Your father's base.
Wanda rushed near him to see which page he was looking at. The snowy base. Wanda felt sick. She knew what that meant. It was her father who messed with her head. She didn't want to explode in front of everyone like Jean just did. But the voices echoed in her head.
So you are not angry at your father anymore
They really did a number on your head
After a long pause, she answered Kurt's question. "No, it was the girl with Phoenix sketch. I need some air."
With quick paces, Wanda got out of the room. Kurt tried to stop her from going, to reach her shoulder and seeing Scarlet Witch in this state made Kurt forget about teleporting after her. He watched Wanda leave while Scott's eyes never leaving her sketch.
…..
While she was making her way to ladders, she saw Magneto and Xavier. She gave Xavier a cold look and pushed her father out of her way with her shoulder.
She ran to the forest. She ran so fast that when she stopped she was out of her breath. For a moment, she feared that she was being followed. She threw a hex bolt behind her and cut the tree behind her to half.
"That is not a nice way to greet an old friend."
Blue skinned and red-haired woman appeared in front of her.
"Mystique," Wanda whispered. "What do you think you are doing here?"
"Simple truth. I am here because you owe me, Wanda."
"Owe you, for what," said Wanda. "for betraying us for Apocalypse, for making Rogue absorb our powers or for nearly dooming the world?"
"I gave you your freedom, home, and friends." She was surprisingly calm as if she was sweetly soothing a child.
"My father gave me a home and friends." Wanda corrected her uncertainly.
"You are still thinking that. You should have remembered by now. Maybe it is because you don't want to remember. Otherwise, a powerful mutant such as yourself wouldn't be affected by a mere illusionist."
Before Wanda could snap at her Kurt's voice was heard.
"Why are you here for, mother?"
Wanda was surprised the way Kurt had said, mother. He had hissed the word with almost disgust.
"I came to make an offer to Wanda. If you want to find out the truth you need to do something for me. If your answer is yes, meet me at Bayville Park at midnight." She turned to raven and flew away.
….
"Don't go. This won't end well. Trusting Mystique never ends well," Kurt said.
Wanda was considering her options. Her father had messed up with her head. And she wasn't going to hell him that she knew what he did to her. Professor wouldn't her. He had to be in knowing. Magneto and he might have been agreed to this. Jean could be able to bring her memories back but she had her problems. And after what happened earlier, she wasn't sure she wanted her in her head.
"My mother only cares about her gains, whatever she wants you to do can't be good," Kurt said.
"She is looking for someone to do her dirty work. After Magneto and you guys came here, she is left with no one to boss around," Rogue said. Wanda could feel the girl's anger, she didn't blame her.
"She is the only one who would tell me" Wanda murmured.
"Tell you what," asked Rogue.
"Or maybe she isn't" Wanda murmured again. She looked at Kurt. He was there that day. He was with Toad. Uggh. The picture of kissing Toad came to her mind. Agony. Wish she could forget that.
"What is going on?" Asked Rogue.
"You were there. That is how you know. Toad and you came to get me out. You have to tell me everything. You have to tell me everything that happened," said Wanda. Finally, she had found a loose end. She would do anything to get rid of flashbacks, nightmares, visions. And Kurt was one of the most honest X-men. Surely, he could tell her.
"I don't understand. You were there. You don't remember anything?" Kurt was trying to understand the situation.
"No. No, I don't," Wanda desperately said.
"I am not sure it is my place," Kurt directly talked to Rogue.
"There is some brainwashing stuff going on here," Rogue said hissing the word brainwashing. "Thanks to Mystique I know what that feels like."
Wanda wanted to hear details of that. Pietro had told her what Mystique has done to Rogue but only superficially. Yet, she couldn't risk changing the subject.
"Tell me."
"I was visiting one of my friend's families," Kurt started. Kurt thought Wanda didn't need to hear about Amanda.
"His ex-girlfriend, he means." Said Rogue.
"Then Toad suddenly jumped to the house and stole my inducer. After a while, he said he will give it back but he needed my help first. We have gone to ski-resort and I teleported Toad and me to your father's base. You were on a metal chair, your hands were bound and Mastermind was in front of you." As he told the story in his perspective, he was ashamed that he thought about not telling her. He silently thanked Rogue for making him tell her. It was bad enough that he let Rogue down about Mystique issue, he was relieved that he told Wanda the truth. At least, he saved Wanda from his mother's clutches.
"Who is Mastermind?" Wanda asked no one in particular.
"He is an illusionist. Short, ugly." Kurt answered.
"I think I know" detailed drawing of hers came to her mind. Pieces were slowly coming together.
Somebody knocked on the door and came in without waiting for a response. Of course, that was Pietro. "There you are sis, I have been looking everywhere for you. Our father and bald guy want to see you." Getting hit by a bullet hadn't changed his impatient behavior, his injuries healed quickly and his cockiness returned soon after. After what happened with Duncan Matthews and FOH, she couldn't get angry at Pietro even when she guessed he had a hand in this.
"I will be there in a minute," said Wanda. Pietro had expected her to come with him right away yet he closed the door.
Wanda looked at Rogue and Kurt. "Don't tell anyone you have told me about these things."
"Sugar, the Professor is a telepath" Rogue reminded.
"Yeah but he does not invade anyone's privacy. If it is really what you want we will try. Just promise us you won't meet Mystique" Kurt said.
Wanda thought about it. There was nothing she could gain from her anymore. Kurt had told her what she needed to know. She decided she can't trust Mystique after all the things happened with Apocalypse. That story almost ended with the end of the world. It was certain her father did this to her. But why? She decided to wait it out no matter how angry she felt.
"I promise," she said to Kurt.
…
"I am sorry, Erik" Xavier said. "I thought it would be good for both of them. Wanda needed to break out of her shell and I thought to help her could blow off Jean's steam."
"It happened in the wrong way," said Wolverine in his usual sarcastic tone. Erik and Xavier gave him an eerily look.
"They are like chemicals which react to each other. Look at this" Erik extended Wanda's painting to Xavier. He took it curiously and examined it.
"This is Jean and her alter ego."
"Since when your daughter is a prophet?" Wolverine asked.
"Since never" answered the Master of Magnetism. "I don't know how she could predict the other persona of Jean. Both of their powers are raw and unstable Charles. Together they might not only cause damage but might make themselves target. I suggest we should keep the girls separated."
Professor considered this putting a finger on his chin. The door knocked. Pietro opened the door without waiting for an answer again.
"Kid, you need to wait for an answer before opening the door," said Logan to Pietro.
"Right, sorry," said Pietro. For a moment, Wanda thought he was as agitated as she was.
"It is okay, Wanda, Pietro" the Professor urged them to sit pointing two chairs. Wanda gave her father a cold look. This didn't go unnoticed by the Master of Magnetism.
Suddenly Wanda felt she made a mistake. She couldn't let him know that she knew what he did. She tried to calm herself down and focused only on Canadian Man and the Professor.
"Wanda, I am sorry for what you experienced tonight, truly. We should have informed you about Jean's fragile situation. I understand if you…"
"Maybe you should inform Jean about Jean's situation" Wanda cut the Professor off. Her remark caught everyone in the room off guard. Everyone exchanged surprised looks.
"Wanda we were thinking about moving you to another room" Magneto started but his daughter didn't let him finish.
"No, I am not abandoning Jean because of what happened tonight. Like she is some kind of monster that everybody needs to stay away from."
Pietro gazed down the floor in shame. Magneto lifted one of his eyebrows. Wolverine kept his coolness. Xavier took the opportunity to try to get in Wanda's head.
"Wanda, listen to reason, you can't get enough sleep even when you sleep alone. In this situation, it would be best for both of you."
"I can decide what is best for me myself, father. I see nightmares no matter where I sleep or when I sleep. Thank you very much. Now, if you excuse me…"
The door closed with a thud. Wanda made her way to her and Jean's room. She had felt a pressure on her head. She didn't know if it was because of her anger or Professor attempted to get in her mind. She feared that if he tells Magneto that she knew what he did to her, her father might brainwasher her again. Get these thoughts out of your head, Wanda she told herself. Then she saw jean sitting on her bed. Ororo was trying to comfort her as best as she could. Jean had tears on her eyes and was still shaking because of the last event. The door was open but she awkwardly knocked it anyway. She tried to look relaxed.
"I know after I knocked you out it is a weird thing to ask but can I still stay here?"
"Of course," Jean smiled ". After everything that happened, I thought you might wanna…"
"Nonsense," said Wanda "You should see the stuff I break when these things get out of control". She showed blue sparks coming from her fingertips. She remembered how she caused the train accident. Those people in there could have died. She shivered at the thought. Ororo looked at two girls maternally. Her compassionate eyes made Wanda wonder what was having a mother like.
"If you girls have any trouble, you can wake me anytime," said Ororo. She put her hand on Wanda's shoulder before leaving the room. "Good night."
"Good night Ororo" said Jean.
…
"She knows, Charles. She was always terrible at hiding her emotions" said Master of Magnetism while playing with small metal balls with his power. His voice was still calm and collected. But his hand gestures were giving away his agitation.
"Erik you know where this is going to, her memories are slowly coming back. She can understand what you did to her by using logic. You need to tell her what you did and why you did it. If she finds out before you talk to her, you will live the same things all over again."
"Is this what you did Charles," Magneto raised his voice "It doesn't seem like it when I look at Jean's situation. You are trying everything to avoid informing Jean about her second persona. Because you are afraid that once she finds out, she will hate you for putting a mental block on her. And when Wanda finds out what I did, she will hate me too. Even more than before."
Wolverine snorted at that. "This all could have been avoided if you visited her after you dropped her to that damned Institution."
Magneto sent him a deadly glare. Logan, however, wasn't taken back by it. Sensing the tension between them, Xavier spoke up.
"What happened to Wanda was not only Erik's fault but it is also mine. I couldn't comprehend Shaw was secretly running the Institution. And Wanda…"
"…was too proud to tell she has been tortured and ask for help just her father" Wolverine concluded. "But someone who used to be Black King of the Hellfire Club could have figured it out if he had made regular visits."
Erik Lensherr sighed.
"What do you want me to say? That I abandoned her as a child, that I didn't even bother to ask her what happened to her when she got out of there, or maybe that I wouldn't have to get her out if Mystique hadn't set her free. That I have failed as a father?" Erik put his fingers to his temples. Logan was still distrustful towards Magneto. But this statement which nearly came as a sob made him feel pity towards the man.
"Logan, would you give us the room, please? Logan gave him a nod and left the room without refusal.
"Erik, we both failed as parents. The last thing we can do now is to make amends for our mistakes. Magneto thought a few seconds to understand what he meant. For a moment he thought he was referring to Jean but he wasn't.
"Oh yes, David Haller. I have heard what happened to the boy. You know it wasn't your fault that Moira lied to the boy, Charles."
"Nevertheless, I have missed out so many things in his life and I regret it, just like you regret because you weren't there for Wanda and Pietro. If you want to make amends with Wanda, you have to show her you are genuine."
Erik Lensherr sighed again. This was not going to be easy for him.
…
Blond-haired woman walked through the halls of grant mansion which was decorated with Victorian Era stuff. She entered the room gracefully.
"You asked for me," she said with her usual sweet tempting manner. The man wasn't in the mood for that, however.
"I understand you have felt something tonight," the man said.
"A powerful being. Its energy was nothing like I have ever felt before. The Phoenix is in Xavier's school for sure.
"But we still don't know who has it," said Shaw in an impatient manner. "I shouldn't have let Wanda Maximoff escape. All the powers she has, it still a possibility that she is the one who has Phoenix inside her."
Emma considered this and shook her head to two sides. "Considering violent behavior s of hers, if she had the Phoenix I would have come out by now. Still, if you want to make sure…" she looked at the door and let the young man in.
"… we can send someone to investigate."
"My Emma," Shaw said delightfully. "You are certainly full of surprises. So David, are you ready to visit your dad?"
"It is Lucas" he corrected. "I will need David only for fooling my dad to let me in his freak house."
"Do you understand what are we looking for Lucas?"
"Yes."
"And if Emma helps you bring back this other personality of yours, will you be able to hide the reason you go there from your dad?"
"With Emma's help, I will be able to switch personalities whenever I want. Only this time, I will be the dominant one. As long as I stay as David, I will be able to hide the other's mind. He won't realize a thing."
"Perfect," Shaw clapped his hands. "Keep an eye on these two." He extended two photographs. One of them belonged to Jean and the other belonged to Wanda. "And whoever has Phoenix bring her to me."