Author Notes: Erm...worse language in this fic kiddies. Things get stressful. Thanks to Gremblin for the support :)

Chapter 5

In the bright sunlight of the morning, Imy's night power made her want to crawl into bed and go to sleep – something she hadn't really needed to do for a very long time. Everyone was chattering in chirpy, excited voices about the tests in the coming day. Each tried to figure out what sort of things they would get, and if they would finally get a go in the mythical Danger Room. "You okay, Psy?" Jubilee sat down next to her friend.

It took a while for the name to sink into Imogen's brain before she could think to respond, "Huh? Oh, nothing, I'm just tired, that's all."

Kitty snorted at the comment, "I'm not surprised. I got up around four to get a glass of water, and you still weren't in bed."

Bobby frowned as he came into the kitchen, "But I was down here most of the night – I didn't see you."

Rogue appeared at her boyfriend's elbow, "What's goin' on?"

Kitty grinned, "Imy's been sneaking out!"

"No I haven't." Imogen defended indignantly.

"Oh, come on Psy!" Jubilee grinned, "Is it to see a guy?"

Imogen almost grimaced at the idea of Toad being some sort of secret lover. She loved the guy, but not in that way, "No!"

Peter came in to grab a piece of toast off Kitty. Before he left, he casually asked, "When did you dye your hair?"

The other girls blinked, noticing for the first time, "Oh my god! I can't believe we didn't notice! It's a great look for you" They spent the next ten minutes swapping hair styling tips, until, thankfully, Imy was saved from any further awkward conversation by Scott coming in to tell them to get ready. The small group exited eagerly to the grounds outside where they would be training.

Imogen rose to follow. "Crap."

Mort sat on the window seat of his room. He had watched Imogen train a few times, but this was a practice he did not want to miss. Something was bugging him. At the back of his mind, something was niggling at his thoughts. He had spent the last hour or so sifting through the myriad of conversations that he had had with his friend over the time he had known her. There was something that he should remember, something important, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was.
"Alright guys." Scott smiled as he led them down to where Jean was waiting next to the lake. "We'll be starting with something easy to get you warmed up, and then we'll see where to go from there."

He halted them some way away from where Jean was standing next to a table covered in clay discs. She smiled, "Form a line. I want you to dodge these as best you can. If your power doesn't apply, just avoid them as well as possible." She nodded towards Rogue, who was looking sceptical. "This will be quick fire; you stop a disc, and then go to the back of the line."

Jean raised her hand and sent the first disc flying towards Kitty, who flinched in reflex, but allowed it to go right through her. Next came Peter, whose body solidified into a silver sheen, making the clay shatter on impact. Bobby shot ice at his, making it too heavy to keep going, and then came Imogen. As soon as she saw the disc shooting towards her, Imy did the only sensible thing at the time considering the circumstances – she ducked.

"Hey!" Kitty's indignant cry sounded from behind as the disc sailed through her head.

Cyclops folded his arms, "Psy, what was that? We said to use your powers!" Before Imy could protest, Jean had sent two more discs her way which, once again, she ducked.

Both teachers looked annoyed now, and she could hear a few murmurs from her friends behind. She was starting to feel really nauseous from the blinding sunlight and the heat as it fell on her body. Her eyes felt itchy and sore, and she had to squint to see the discs as four more were sent her way. Unable to stop herself, Imy yelled back, "Will you fucking quit it already? I want my head intact!"

Jean and Scott exchanged surprised looks. "We won't tolerate language like that, Psy," His use of that ridiculous name only made her blood boil further; "You are a telekinetic mutant. Use your powers."

Chaos felt tired. She felt sick and very, very pissed off. And these pricks were telling her to use a power that she did not have. She felt her skin start to burn, but not from anything induced by the sun. The heat from her anger seemed to be seeping outwards, washing over her skin as molten lead. Her vision cleared for a second, and then everything became wreathed in white flame.

Toad sat up, leaning against his locked window. He couldn't hear any voices, but he could tell that Imy was having some trouble. On one hand, he was impressed at her quick reflexes, but on the other, he was very worried. Sooner or later, Xavier's two pets would have to call a halt, and then there would be questions.

Mort frowned, squinting in the sunlight. Was it just his eyesight, or was Imy's black hair turning…blonde?

Oh shit.

"Imogen, what-" Jean stopped mid sentence. The black haired girl had screwed up her eyes, and then, right before them, her hair made a very sudden transition to a platinum blonde. Her whole body exploded with a white fire that danced over her skin and rested in her mind.

Imy's eyes snapped open, "I am sick of people telling me what to do, what to think. I won't fight in your fucking war." With every word she stressed, she took a step towards Jean and Scott, leaving a charred footprint of black earth behind her.

It took Scott a few seconds to realise that, whatever was happening, it was beyond bad. Snapping out of his shock, he screamed to the other students, "Go! Get the other teachers! Run!"

Imogen crooked a sneering smile, "Yes. Do run." She whirled around to face the other students, and sent a column of flame towards the shocked teenagers. They were only saved by Peter stepping in the way, but even he cried out at the intensity of the heat.

In that moment, it became a first priority to protect the other students. Jean picked up every clay disc, and the table, and hurled them towards Imogen. Each item melted and burned as it hit the flickering white fire, floating to the ground as scalding ash. In response, a wall of heat was blasted back at her, as hot as a pyroclastic flow. It would have hit both Jean and Scott, had Nightcrawler not cracked into being, grabbed their wrists and disappeared with them. They reappeared only a little way away, Kurt swaying slightly at the effort of transporting two people at once with him.

From the school came running Storm and Logan, both of whom skidded to a halt next to the other three, "What the hell?" Logan muttered.

Jean cradled her hand, which was burnt to the point where raw flesh was visible in a charred, almost alien way. "Her power. It's advanced too quickly, too fast. She can't control it."

Logan looked slightly pale under his tanned skin and he watched the smouldering girl regard them calmly, as if plotting what to do next, "Yeah? Then where the hell did the fire come from?"

Storm's eyes turned a milky white, "I'll deal with this."

Up at the Mansion, Toad's heart leapt into his throat. The weather witch was rising up into the air. She was going to use electricity to neutralise Imogen. No. Fucking. Way. His mind flicked unwanted to what had happened to him so long ago. In one clean leap, he smashed though the window, ignoring the glass that cut his skin and the alarm that went off inside. Ripping off the disabled bracelet, his booted feet thudded onto the grass as Storm released her power. Toad watched in horror as it sailed towards Imy, but then blinked in shock. The flames around her body had simply absorbed it. Fire collected in Imogen's palms, which she sent towards Storm as she landed. Logan pushed the white-haired mutant out of the way, to catch a full blast of heat and fire that sought his lungs and blood. He fell to the ground. Dead.

Scott was yelling at her, "Imogen! Stop, you don't want to do this! This is your home, your friends are here!"

Imogen let out a cold bark of laughter that contrasted sharply with her white-hot body, "Oh please. All you're doing here is training children to fight a war and kill their own kind."

This was getting far too out of hand. He had to do something. Toad ran forwards, stopping a few feet away from where the teachers had gathered, "Imogen! Stop!"

Storm spat up at him, "Jean, get the frog out of here, it's bad enough as it is!"

Jean made to grab his arm with her good hand but he took a few steps towards Imogen, "Imy." He kept his voice gentle and low, "Let me help. You're gonna hurt yerself if you keep up this power."

"Fuck off Mortimer! I didn't ask for your advice! You want to kill humans just as much as they want to kill other mutants. You're all as bad as each other for fuck's sake! And then humans want to kill all of you! It's a loop that I won't be part of!"

Mort took a step forwards. He heard a crack as the blue-tailed mutant appeared behind him. Another voice called from behind, "Toad! Get away from her!" It was Xavier. Mort ignored him.

"Chaos." His friend's features flickered in what might have been doubt; the flame died slightly, "I told you. I go where you go. I won't fight if you won't."

Imogen took a step back, but then her features hardened, and she screamed with all her might, "No!"

He didn't even think about it. All he knew is that she would kill herself if she kept up this power much longer. In one clean leap forwards, Toad collided with Imogen, catching her around her waist. He felt his clothes and skin burn as if lightning once more ran through his veins. Together, they plunged into the depths of the lake.

The world had suddenly gone silent. A slight bubbling, but that was it. Calming nothingness. Toad snapped out of it, tightening his grasp around Imogen, and kicking in the mud. They broke the surface gasping for air, Imogen weakly clinging to his burnt arms, her eyes half closed. Unlike him, she was not coughing up water. Instead, her irises were an aquamarine blue, and her hair swirled around then in wispy auburn patterns. "Mort?" Her voice was weak, all of the fight gone from her body, "Your arms…"

"Don't worry pet." He attempted a grin, but failed miserably – the intense worry combined with the burning pain that coursed through his body was hard to quell.

Imogen shook her head in protest, and laid a hand on his exposed, charred skin. Immediately, a cooling sensation spread through Toad's body. Imogen smiled drowsily, murmuring, "Water. Gives life."

With the renewed strength in his muscles, Toad hauled them to the bank. As he dragged Imogen's shaking body out after him, her power disappeared, to be replaced by an odd, blank, grey look that spread through her skin, eyes and hair. She clung to him like he was the only thing in existence, curling into his chest and arms as they sat hunched on the burnt lawn.

It took a while for the X-Men to assimilate what had happened. The only movement came from Logan, who cracked his neck as he stood, burns easily healing. Finally, Xavier moved forwards, "We'll take her now, Toad, thank you."

At these words, Toad felt Imogen's fingers increase their weak hold on his muddy, water-sodden hoodie. Unconsciously, he tightened his hold on her in return, "No."

"Oh, come on." Scott snorted, "You actually expect us to believe that you give damn about Psy?"

Toad glowered, "Her name's Chaos."

Xavier sent Cyclops an admonishing look before continuing, "Mortimer." He waited until Toad's gaze returned to him, "Imogen needs specialist care. Her mutation has evolved at an alarming rate, and somehow she has exhibited two brand new powers today. It is possible that what we first thought was telekinesis might have some connection to the elements instead. She needs-"

"She doesn't need any help from you! She doesn't need to be poked and prodded with needles! If one-eye over there had just left her alone, none of this would have happened!"

Jean stepped forwards to stand beside the Professor, "She first came to this Mansion for our protection and help. Not yours, Toad."

Imogen's body suddenly tensed in Mort's arms, and her grip intensified. Startled, Toad looked down, seeing her face scrunched up, an inaudible constant whispering escaping her lips. He didn't notice when he started automatically rocking her gently.

"Imogen." Xavier decided to try her instead, as he nodded to Storm to start moving forwards, "We're going to take you now, okay?"

Imogen's eyes snapped open, and she pressed herself harder against Mort's body, her whispers turning to small sobs, "No. I wanna go home. Make it stop."

Xavier smiled kindly, "We can help-"

"No!" At this one screamed word, Toad felt his lungs contract, and his vision span in colours that he could not fathom to identify. He couldn't see the Mansion or X-Men any more. And he also couldn't breath.

As suddenly as it had started, the world stood still once more, and the two entangled bodies fell in a heap onto cool, dew bright grass. Toad sat up; Imogen was limp in his arms, eyes closed and barely breathing, her night power already automatically adjusting to the darkness around them. They were sitting near the edge of a run-down park area. A few smashed beer bottles littered the ground under a graffiti covered children's slide. The area was lit by a few dull streetlamps, and they were surrounded by darkened houses and council flats that made up the estate.

Toad scanned the area; his eyes resting on a car parked a little way away; more specifically, the number plate. He frowned, and then paled in pure shock. The time of day and damp grass suddenly made sense. Imogen had done exactly what she had wanted to do. She had gone home - taking him with her.

They were in Liverpool, England.

Fuck.

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: From this chapter onwards, things should get much more interesting. Hope you stick with me, and please feel free to leave a review.