Chapter 4

At the Institute…

Using the axe the group returned to Earth and informed the Professor of what they found.

"It's pointless trying to find her when she doesn't want to be found," Clark is explaining why they returned. "With her teleportation powers she could be anywhere but we don't have to find her. We have to find the ones she's hunting."

"Magneto, Sabretooth, Gambit and Haze," Charles understands.

"I do believe, last I checked, you have this big, fancy mutant finding machine," Superman jokes.

Charles smiles. "Yes I do. While, as you know, Magneto can shield himself I should be able to find the others but before I do I would like to clear a few issues up. Firstly; Patricia."

"Is still playing her games," Clark says in clearly annoyed tones.

"Do we understand her real motivations behind this?"

"No," Clark replies, him speaking because he was the one who talked to the white-skinned mutant. "I'm not sure we ever really can because we don't know how she thinks, what she does, what she has seen since Magneto transformed her."

"Very well. We'll put Patricia on the back-burner for now," the Professor accepts she isn't the priority here, "but sooner or later we are going to need to conceive of a way to get to her."

"Couldn't agree more," Clark rumbles.

"Now Illyana. Once again Clark it seems I must direct the questioning to you. Are you certain she's after the people who abducted her?"

"As I've told the story before there was a moment when mine and Illyana's minds were linked together. I've seen inside her head. I know of her darkness, her rages, her frustrations, her fears and whom she blames for the crimes committed against her. It's also how I know of her joys, passions, intelligence, wit, humour, of the good person struggling against her inner demons. There are people she holds responsible for her travails...and she's not wrong in that. Without them she would still be a little girl, living on that farm with the brother she loves. If her inner demon gets its way she'll destroy them all and anyone else who gets in her way."

"Do you actually have a plan to stop her?" Charles wonders.

"No. I have a plan to save her," Clark corrects. "Don't expect it to be easy though. Expect many bruises."

"That's how all our plans pan out!" Wolverine claims.

Charles would love to argue that notion but finds it hard to. "I'll go to Cerebro. Track down Gambit, Haze and Sabretooth."

"We're not really going to protect Creed are we?" Logan says distastefully at that notion. Protect his worst enemy. Not a chance.

"Scott make sure to assign Logan to the non-Sabretooth mission please," Charles requests.

"I think that doesn't need said," Scott quips.

"Laugh it up One-Eye. We still need to have that talk about you and Frostie yet," Logan reminds him after what they learned about what Emma had done in Selene's dimension. Logan takes joy in making Scott instantly glum.

"I'll go to Cerebro," the Professor states, cutting that argument off, though Logan is correct. That talk is coming. "Before I go, however, Clark..."

"Why am I the centre of everyone's attention today?" he jokily complains.

"I'm pretty certain you bring it on yourself Space-Boy," Logan jabs.

Clark grasps at his heart is mock pain. "Ouch, Logan, that hurt," he pouts.

"You forget kid, I can hurt ya," Logan warn, popping the claws that can indeed cut Clark open.

Charles smiles in amusement. The playful banter is nothing new. "However," he begins again. "Clark, Lana is awake if you wish to go see her before we next depart for the next mission."

Clark's face becomes a blank mask. More because he's not really sure entirely what to feel...or what he is going to say to his ex-girlfriend. "Right. I'll need to get changed...if you'll excuse me," he says before he departs the room.

His departure triggers the break-up of the group. All but one. Piotr who seems lost in his thoughts.

"You doing ok, Piotr?" the Professor asks, his innate need to help people delaying his own departure.

"I am uncertain," Piotr admits. "Previously I was told that my sister's upbringing had been in harsh place."

"But you did not expect it to be a literal hell," Charles can guess. After all who did?

"It was my job to protect her."

"Piotr...none of it was your fault," Charles tries to make the young man believe. "You did all you could. I know none of us can truly right now absorb what it is Illyana went through and is but I can say that I believe Clark when he said all that makes your sister herself is still there and she will need you to be strong if we are going to save that side of her. Can you be strong for her?"

"Of course," Piotr says without hesitation. For his little snowflake he will do anything.

"We are also going to confront those that coerced you. Are you going to cope?"

"My sister is what is important. They are not. I try not to hold on to my anger."

"A wise choice. One I wish others could learn from. Something it seems like your sister needs to learn from you because whatever you or she thinks I believe she still needs her big brother to protect her."

With that Charles leaves Piotr to think on his words.


A quick superspeed change later and Clark is heading down to the infirmary to see Lana. He's still not sure what he will say. Even before she was possessed they were not exactly in a good place with each other. Admittedly a lot of her hostility to him was his fault. Him and his secrets.

Clark runs into his mother who confirms what they all suspected. That Lana doesn't remember anything since Paris.

"I tried to break it to her as gently as possibly but she's having a difficult time accepting it," Martha says.

"I can understand that," Clark says. Obviously it would be a massive shock to wake up and be told 18months of your life has passed you by. Not to mention the whole being possessed by a witch part. He moves into the infirmary and spots Lana lost in her thoughts. "Hello Lana."

Lana blinks. "Clark?" she queries.

"Yes."

Lana's brow furrows in confusion. "Did...did you always wear glasses?" she asks as if she can't quite trust her own memory.

Clark twiddles with them slightly. He had almost forgotten that the glasses bit was a side-effect of that Wanda altered spell Madelyn was attempting that magically separated Clark Kent and Superman in people's perceptions. Lana, being possessed at the time...well he can guess her memory might not be as altered. "Uh...yeah. Mostly. They went funny shortly after I hit High School, remember."

Lana struggles with her memory but in the end has to go along with what Clark is saying.

"So I'm caught between asking how you are and worrying that's a dumb question."

Lana's lips reluctantly curl up slightly before they fall back. "I don't know how I am," she admits. "How is one suppose to feel when they are told they've lost 18months of their life?"

"Well...I could ask my dad to come down. He was in a coma for 3 months so he sorta knows how it feels...except..."

"Except?"

"I think he's out at another transition meeting."

"Transition meeting?"

"Oh...dad's Mayor of Bayville now," Clark announces with pride. "Or he will be in the New Year. He won the election a couple of weeks back. Due to the circumstances and everything else that happened around the election they're going for a gradual transition in the hope of keeping everything calm."

"I have literally no idea what you're talking about Clark."

"It's a long story. I'll tell you it if you wish."

"I'm guessing they're a lot of long stories of what I missed."

Clark shrugs. "One or two," he just has to admit.

Lana rubs her brow. "So your mom mentioned Aunt Nell is on her way, has anyone spoken to Lex?"

"Lex?" Wow. Of course Lex and Lana were dating. "The truth...the truth is Lana, Lex and I fell out. We don't really talk...and he doesn't take my phone calls. The best we could do is leave a message with his secretary."

Lana looks at him through narrowed eyes trying to gauge how truthful Clark is being. Clark's secrets and lies...well that is why they broke up.

Clark rubs the back of his neck. Awkward.

Lana folds her arms across her chest. "So...you still dating...what's her name? Rouge?" she wonders.

"Rogue," Clark corrects. "And no. We broke up nearly a year ago. I'm dating a girl called Illyana now."

"Ok, I have to ask, what kind of name is Illyana?"

"Russian." And how the hell are they on his love-life all of a sudden? That time, 2 Christmases ago, when he ran into Lana with Rogue, the jealousy and bitterness...Clark remembers it well. "Lana as much as I want to catch up with you I'm afraid I can't."

"Why not?" she asks, her tone approaching a bitchiness Clark does not care to relive. He's certain Lana never use to be this bad. After all he wouldn't have had that crush on her if she was. He's also pretty certain he blames himself for her turning this way.

"Illyana's...gone missing," he tells a truth if not the whole truth. "I did want to see that you were ok but I need to go find Illyana. We have a lead that needs to be followed up on now but if you're lonely I'll ask Chloe to come down and sit with you."

"Chloe's here?"

"Yeah. She is. I'll let her explain why but I really need to go. I'm glad you're awake Lana. For the last year and a bit, every day that passed was a broken promise I had made to rescue you."

"Is that all I am to you now, Clark? A broken promise?"

Clark is not getting into this argument with her. It just seems...childish. Churlish. "You're my friend Lana even when you don't see me as one in return. Now I'm sorry but I really must go," he excuses himself leaving his ex behind to think on his words.


Cerebro…

The easiest person to start with to find for the Professor is Haze. Her meteor mutation based powers, being she is only one of a few hundred of them, makes her shine out easily. And if she's there so is Mystique, most likely, considering they left together.

As for Mystique herself...her previous enhancements made it virtually impossible to detect her. Being reduced to powerless...mutants don't show up as mutants until their powers manifest. Now the question is did Mystique's powers return when Apocalypse activated that energy field? And if they did did they remain enhanced or return to her pre-enhanced state?

Questions, questions, few answers.

"Now where are you Ms Baker?" Charles ponders aloud as she scans the world. She's not in the United States. Nor the North American continent. Nor South America either. Trying Europe...there she is!

Paris.

Odd.

Well that's one down on the list. He tries Sabretooth next as he is quite familiar with his signature considering how many times they've clashed with the feral mutant.

Scanning...scanning...scanning…

Here we go!

Paris.

That is quite the coincidence. And Charles notes Sabretooth is not alone. He's amongst a group of mutants. Polaris. Quicksilver. The two Lady Masterminds. Neutron. What is going on?

Charles will get back to them in a moment. Let him find Gambit first.

Scanning...scanning...scanning…

Here we go!

Paris.

Charles must admit he is clueless. What are they all doing in the same city at the same time?

And why doesn't he think it's good?


"Clever, clever girl," is Superman's reaction as the X-Men assemble in the hangar before they head for Paris and the Professor informs them of what he discovered.

"Which means what?" Colossus asks, because of course he is coming.

"It means I spent a long time being hunted by your sister. I know how she hunts. She likes to shepherd her prey to where she wants them."

"You mean it is no coincidence that they are in Paris together," Cyclops understands.

"No," Superman confirms. "You must understand in Limbo time has little meaning. To Illyana it has even less. Plus we don't know when she started doing this. My guess would be is that Illyana has somehow managed to manipulate them all to be in Paris...including Magneto because she would not leave him out. Him she blames most of all since he was behind her abduction."

"Then she is playing with fire. Erik is very powerful as you well know, Clark," Charles warns.

"Arrogance is her greatest weakness, Professor. Her biggest flaw. One you have to exploit."

"Well we'll have time to discuss and plan what to do on the flight over," Charles decides. "We need to get going."

And with that the team gets on board the x-jet. That is a team of the Professor, Cyclops, Jean(instead of Betsy who is still trying to get to grips with her telekinetic powers and the Professor wanted someone who has mastered theirs for this mission), Wolverine, Dr Strange, Superman, Colossus, Tarot(it is her home country so her knowledge and grasp of the language is important), Nightcrawler and Rogue.

Why Rogue?

A question she asked when Scott came calling. His reply was that putting her with the New Mutants was never something that was going to last long. She is too powerful and too experienced to remain there. Plus on this mission she brings advantages. Her memory may be a bit patchy in places but bottom line is she was with Magneto for months. She has insight into how they train and fight which looks likely to be needed on this trip...or more accurately Scott just likes to plan for every contingency.

Strapped in the jet is fired up and off they go.


Paris, France…

Lorna Dane aka Polaris would love to just be exploring the city. She can imagine her and Wanda making it an event. Probably wouldn't include their brother Pietro though. Lorna use to dream of the 3 of them being together but this trip to reassemble the lost Acolytes for her father has proved one thing. Wanda was right. Pietro can be damn annoying.

Oh don't get Lorna wrong. She loves her brother but frankly there is such a thing as too much Pietro.

Course compared to Sabretooth her brother can almost be classified as a saint. Hack she might even put her brother above Neutron who has been a grumpy pain ever since they 're-recruited' him back into the fold.

There was also her adopted 'cousin' Valerie(aka Puzzler) who, while very loyal to Lorna's father, was actually kinda sweet really. It was odd such a nice person was involved in this struggle for mutant-kind.

Along with the 2 Lady Masterminds, Martinique and Regan, who Lorna will admit have grown on her. They're not really the worst sort of people she has met. That doesn't mean they're good people though. She will just say that they do possess at least some good qualities even if their bad traits outnumber their good ones.

They were all here in Paris after finally tracking down the 2nd last missing Acolyte; Gambit. Only Mastermind himself was after that much to his daughters' chagrin.

It had not been easy to track Gambit down. They'd been following an intermittent trail since they started in New Orleans weeks ago which was the last place they could confirm he was at. Eventually they got a tip that he was here in Paris. Why he was in Paris they didn't know exactly but since he was a thief they could guess he was here to steal something.

Anyway Sabretooth had picked up a scent trail from the hotel the Cajun had been staying in and they were on the hunt heading towards the outskirts of the city, into one of those infamous suburbs the French call Banlieue.

"This is the place," Sabretooth announces as they stand in front of a bland, modern built warehouse.

"Ladies?" Polaris queries as to what they psychics sense.

"There's more than just Gambit here but a deeper scan might give us away."

"Maybe he has a gang," Pietro suggests.

"Voice of experience, Pietro?," Polaris drawls, knowing her brother's thieving habits.

"I'm a one man gang," Pietro retorts. He never needed anyone but himself.

Lorna sighs and summons up her powers. "Lets just do what my father commands and get him. I get the feeling it won't be voluntary."

"Good," Sabretooth gives his view. The thought of having to beat down Gambit first is very appealing.

Time to be Polaris again as Lorna rips the large metal entrance doors away with her magnetic powers.

No-one is prepared for the sight that greets for within there was indeed a gathering of a gang as if preparing for a job but it's some of the members of that gang that is the shock.

Yes there's Gambit. That's who they were tracking down after all. Next to him is a voluptuous woman dressed all in black with white hair with a mask over her eyes. On the other side of the table they were stood around were two people no-one expected to see. Haze and her adopted mother; Mystique.


To say Gambit is surprised to see his former Acolyte colleagues would be the grossest understatement since saying New Orleans got a little wet after Hurricane Katrina. After his last encounter with the X-Men he didn't stay long in New Orleans. He really does not have much love for his family or the never ending feud between the Thieves and Assassins.

Shortly after that he was contacted by a mysterious employer who wanted to hire him for a job. This message came through the more than beautiful woman beside him. The Black Cat.

What can Gambit say, he likes ladies and in his fellow thief had found a kindred spirit. Someone who stole for the fun and challenge of it. The fact she was not shy about them enjoying the physical aspects of this partnership was a nice bonus.

Gambit was as surprised as anyone could be when the still unseen employer brought Mystique and Haze into the job. Why was a question Gambit had not yet been able to get an answer to. He can assume their employer promised Mystique something she desired but he knew better than to ask the shapeshifter. She would never give him a straight answer.

Plus the look in her eye is like she's simply waiting for an excuse to detach his head from his shoulders.

As for Haze...she looked at him kinda heartbroken and looked at the Black Cat with murderous intent.

Gambit can only say it was never his intention to hurt her but as far as he is concerned what Alicia and he had is over. That is the past for him...and so are the Acolytes but it seems today is the day his past has caught up with him.


Polaris gets over her shock eventually and clears her throat. "We're here for Gambit. The rest of you can leave," she commands.

"You won't get a better offer," Martinique adds.

Mystique, for one, did not get involved in this escapade to cross the Acolytes. The mysterious employer had promised her...something she prefers to keep to herself. "Haze. Take us away. Now," she commands her adopted daughter.

"But..." the blond haired teleporter is about to protest before Mystique cuts her off with a glare.

"This is not our concern. Not any more," Mystique says through grated teeth.

"Yes, Mother," Haze reluctantly accepts. She takes her mother's hand and is about to teleport the both of them away...when metal strips suddenly snap around her. The fact she can't teleport herself out tells her the metal they are composed of is lead. The one substance that inhibits her powers.

The question is where did that lead come from. The answer comes in the form of the roof distorting and bending as if under some enormous force and floating down, in his usual red armour comes…

"Father?!" Polaris splutters at the appearance of the Master of Magnetism himself, Magneto.

"Polaris," Magneto greets her as he lowers himself to the floor. "Mystique," he says with a threatening sneer. "I do believe we have unfinished business," he says.

Mystique's eyes are fixed on the powerful mutant. At the best of times Magneto is a dangerous opponent but the fact he essentially has her daughter hostage makes it even worse than usual. "We have no business, not any longer," she claims.

"Really?" Magneto questions that. "Do you honestly think I have forgotten your betrayal? You sided with Apocalypse against me. Have you forgotten so soon that I do not forgive such transgressions?"

Mystique had a feeling that that was what this was about. It would be why avoiding Magneto had been high on her priority list.

"You...didn't mention you were in town," Polaris half-queries what her father is doing here.

"When I received your message that Mystique was here I felt it expedient to simply arrive as quickly as possible," Magneto replies.

Polaris looks baffled. "Message? What message? I never sent any message."

Magneto frowns. "If you didn't then this is a..."

"I think the word you are looking for is trap," a voice echoes across the space. A feminine voice with a heavy Russian accent.

Everyone turns their heads to the direction that came from as from the shadows of the warehouse a figure steps into the light. A young woman with blond hair, a flaming sword in her right hand and metal armour over her left arm. On her face is a truly wicked grin as she swings her sword above her head and a sphere of flame expands outward in all directions until it reaches the walls, floor and roof of the warehouse, creating an impenetrable barrier, preventing escape.

"Now not to sound like a terribly cliched villain or anything," she says, "but just to explain the situation; None of you are going to leave this place alive," she declares. She then cocks her head to the side slightly. "Shall we begin?"


Author's Note: Lana and Clark together again...awkward factor a hundred I think. And Illyana's been busy hasn't she. Those poor, poor people are so done for. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; the battle for Illyana's soul begins.