Shadowed Hearts

Chapter Four: Questions

* ~ *

"Father, you can't be serious!" Wanda Maximoff roared as she paced around her father's study. She did not like Rogue, not at all, and she wanted to make that very clear to the Master of Magnetism. "She's a liar, a murderess, and a floozy all in one! How could you let that bitch into this house?!"

Rogue and Wanda were always at each other's throats at the Boarding House, much to the other residents' surprise. They seemed so alike, but in reality they were galaxies apart. Mystique had to constantly tear them apart; her only motive for it was the ensured welfare of her beloved daughter. Mystique didn't care much for anyone in the Brotherhood, save for herself and Rogue. In truth, Wanda found Rogue to be too much like her foster mother: she was a liar, a cheat, had major mood swings, and of course, seemed to get along too well with all the boys- that is, until Mystique started sending her out for "business trips". Jealousy had gotten the best of everyone, but it only further fueled Wanda's hatred.

I suppose I'm not one to talk, she thought. After all, I was the one hexing everyone's sorry ass to next Tuesday every time they aggravated me.

"I'll ask you not to take that tone with me," Magneto replied as coldly as ever.

For the millionth time, she wondered if her father was ever happy and carefree. For as long as she could remember, he was a loving, albeit very strict and aloof man. From her memories, Wanda could not remember why she had held such hatred towards Magneto. She could see herself loathing his superior and serious stature, and it seemed to be the only plausible reason to have any hatred towards the megalomaniac. After all, he brought her up with love and spoiled her beyond any child's fantasy; he rescued her from Area 51. She didn't have any reason to hate him.

...Right?

A foreign thought tickled at her conscious mind. A place filled with white walls... a chair... a feeling of abandonment, hurt, and anger... But she did not remember any of it.

"Wanda, are you listening to me?" he asked slowly, not used to his daughter remaining silent after his reprimanding. Maybe she's learning to control her anger after all...

"Nothing you can say can change my mind," she snapped bitterly. "She's obviously over here because Mystique wants someone's head- and it's probably yours! Father, how can you be so dense?!"

"Dense?!" he bellowed. "I know perfectly well what Raven may have sent her daughter to do, and I'm going to keep a watchful eye on her. However, for now I choose to use the girl to our advantage. And I do not see how it is any of your business, child. I am the adult here- the leader. I make the decisions, and if you do not like them, then you can leave."

She blinked, surprised and taken aback. He has never acted like this, she thought, though something in the back of her mind seemed to think that he had. I must be really upsetting him. "I guess it is your decision, Father," she said, trying to keep the rage out of her voice. She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving Magneto to return to his paper work.

It's more complicated than you think, Wanda... he thought wearily. He turned his attention to the concept sketches of the Genoshian collar, the argument forgotten.

* ~ *

"An dis is de lab," Gambit finished with a grin as he pulled Rogue into the metal-encased room. He moved closer to her, which she only found even more annoying. "Wanna play doctor, chere?"

She glared at him and yanked her arm from his hand. "Ah said, ah didn't want a tour! Now let me go b'fore ah-!" She stopped, however, when she saw a man with graying hair and various machines humming around him. Could it be? she thought. Outwardly, she masked any hint of her suspicions. "Who is this?"

The man jumped at the sound of her voice. "Oh, hello." He laughed. "I guess I got too preoccupied with my work." The man gave Remy a sharp glance. "Gambit, didn't Magnus tell you not to come down here with guests?"

He shrugged. "Dis Rogue. She gon' be stayin' wit us fo' a while. An dis be Dr. Moreau. He's de resident scientist. Fo' Genosha, all dough 'm sure Maggie already mentioned dat bit o' information t' ya."

She shook her head. "Ah had no idea."

"Well, perhaps he wanted to share that information at the briefing tonight," Dr. Moreau said with a small smile. He noticed Rogue's eyes scanning the hardware before him. They were not curious eyes; they were emerald gems blazing with interest- dangerous pieces of equipment that took swift but efficient notes. He silently wondered if he could trust the girl. I shall talk with Magnus about her, he thought. With a suspicious look at the girl he added, "I have a lot of work to do before then, so why don't you two run along?"

Remy nodded, but Rogue bristled at his tone. He thinks that we're only children, she thought, annoyed. Unfortunately for him, Ah ain't a child. An he'll find that out soon.

Ooooh, everyone's scared of the big bad Rogue, Carol taunted in her mind. She snorted. Please. You could see the look he gave you. He knows you're looking for something.

Panic rose his her throat. Rogue searched the man's aged face for any suggestion that her words were true. She couldn't find one. He only seemed on guard, as though she might hurry home and duplicate the work he had spent many nights creating. He has no clue, she thought smugly.

"Chere?" Gambit asked. "You comin'?"

She threw the doctor a brilliant Southern smile and leaned against the table. "Nice meetin' ya, Mr. Moreau," she said, shaking his hand. "Ah only hope we can further acquaint ourselves."

"Likewise," he said cheerfully, but noted the sinister undertone in her honey-sweet drawl.

Certain that there was no problem, she turned around and followed Remy up the stairs. Dr. Moreau rose from his metal desk and closed the door behind the retreating figures. He went back to his work and decided to share his suspicions of their new guest with Magneto after the briefing.

* ~ *

The sky was completely gray and the earth was void of any life. The cracked and thirsty dirt left dusty footprints behind as she walked towards the shadow beckoning her. When the girl got near the shadow, it only seemed farther away. It was as though the distance between them extended every time she took a step.

"Who are you?" she asked. Her voice echoed in the desolate landscape.

"I am your fears," it hissed, and exploded into a mist that moved towards her.

She tried to run, but her legs were frozen in fear. The mist encircled her, and suddenly the scene began to shift. She was in the institute, but it was more sinister than she remembered.

"Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone here?"

There was no answer. Her own frightened voice bounced back.

"Jean? Scott? Kurt?" she tried, and again, her calls were unreturned.

"Bobby? Amara? Anyone?"

She began to take cautious steps into Xavier's study. He would be able to tell her what was happening. He would be able to help her. She depended on him.

But he's gone, she realized with a drop of her heart. And he'll never, ever come back.

Still, what little naive thread of hope she held on to urged her to open the door. Perhaps Xavier would magically be at his desk like the many times before. When she stepped inside the room, however, a different person sat at the desk. He flashed the girl a malevolent grin and addressed her with an odd chuckle. "Katherine."

She backed up, trying to retrace her steps and escape the study. But her back only hit the closed, wooden door. She was trapped with Magneto, and the beating of her heart was deafening. "Where's the Professor?" she asked. "And where are the others?"

Another figure, one she had not noticed before, turned around and sneered. Her white teeth made a frightening contrast against her dark blue lips. "They're not in right now. Can I take a message?"

Kitty suddenly realized she'd heard these words before and shuddered. "What did you, like, do to them?" she asked nervously.

Frenzied thoughts were already racing through the girl's head. Mystique and Magneto have finally teamed up, she thought. They've killed or captured all my friends, teammates, and teachers. And now they've, like, come to take me! And all I can do is, like, stand here and ask dumb questions? Well what else am I supposed to do? Phase them to death? Not on my life! I've totally got to think of some way out of here so I can rescue the others.

Slowly, Kitty began to slip through the door. Magneto's grin only grew wider. "Frightened, child?"

"No need to be," Mystique taunted. "We're only protecting you and your precious institute. Protecting them from the real 'bad guys.'"

"And who is that?" Kitty asked, huffily. She stepped back into the room.

"Humans," Magneto answered frankly.

She blinked and was suddenly aware of the militia outside of the window, of angry voices threatening to burn her, to send her to Area 51 like they had sent her friends so she could be studied on. So they could find a cure for the "mutant problem." She widened her blue eyes and realized that Mystique and Magneto were the only ones who could save her.

"Come with us," Mystique cooed. She sauntered up to the girl, who shrank back in disgust and fear. "If you join us, you'll be safe. The humans won't hurt us. We'll hurt them. We'll eliminate them because they are unworthy, and mutants will rule supremely as they have always been meant to. We won't have to run or hide from humans, because they'll be running and hiding from us."

She sounded so sure; Kitty felt so unsure.

"All your friends have sided with us," she continued. "They've all seen the truth in Xavier's dream. It's a lie. The dream is as dead as Charles himself."

Something in the shape-shifter's words didn't sit right. Something snapped inside Kitty. Raised her head to meet Raven's golden eyes and exclaimed indignantly, "You're the ones who killed him! I won't let his dream die! None of the X-Men will, because his dream will live inside all of us! And-and... I'd rather let humans torture me or kill me than, like, turn my back on what I believe!"

Mystique and Magneto looked at each other and laughed. Kitty glared at them.

"So you'd rather die than face the truth?" Mystique asked. "That humans are going to kill us if we don't kill them first? Bite them before they bite you, Kitty Cat."

"I won't bite anyone!" she cried.

Magneto laughed again. "Very well then. Let them kill you, child. Then you will die just like the others."

Suddenly the room was gone, and the humans were all around her- screaming at her- grabbing her. Kitty screamed, but nothing escaped from her mouth. And then that's when someone flicked on a lighter.

Kitty bolted up from her bed, crying and screaming in pain and fear. Jean was already at her side, her crimson red hair framing around her face like a fiery halo. She remembered the fire and screamed again.

"Shhhh... Kitty," Jean whispered soothingly. "It's all right. I'm right here."

"Carol?" she asked, still delirious from the nightmare.

Jean winced and put a comforting hand on the top of Shadowcat's head, which was wet with sweat. "Carol's... Kitty... it's me, Jean. You're all right now. It was just a dream."

"But it felt so real," she insisted.

The redhead forced a sad smile. "Just a dream."

"A dream..." Kitty repeated, and abruptly burst into tears. "Oh Jean, I was so scared! Mystique and Magneto came to try to get all of us to join their team and kill mutants and all the humans came and were screaming horrible things at me and then they were hurting me and someone tried to light me on fire and-"

Jean stopped Kitty's rambling with a trembling hand over the girl's lips. "I know," she said softly. "I saw it. You projected your dream to me."

Kitty lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault, I-"

"It's okay now," Kitty said with an odd gleam in her eyes. Jean began to object, but she cut her off. "Really, like you said it was only a dream. I'm over it now."

"Are you sure?"

"Totally," she replied with a forced smile. She tossed her hair back and giggled. "How silly of me to make you worry. A dream is just that- a dream."

Jean cut her friend a suspicious glance and reluctantly padded over to her own bed. "Good night," she said before slipping under her comforter.

"Good night."

A dream is just a dream, thought Kitty. But a nightmare is, like, different, isn't it? She chewed on her bottom lip, searching for some answer in the dark. I'm living a nightmare. When will I wake up?

* ~ *

So when will the X-Men get it together? And what's up with the collar? When will Remy and Rogue mack? All these questions, and more, will be answered in the upcoming chapters. The only thing I must say here is that I'm sorry how anti-climatic the whole Wanda hates Rogue thing was. I guess I built it up to make it seem like there was some big deal. They just don't like each other- or at least Wanda doesn't like her. But will that last? I dunno. Just stayed tuned is all I'm going to say.

Ummmm... review and I'll give you a treat? Good reader!!! Here ya go!!! *tosses treat at reader who reviews*

More updates comin' atcha!