&&&
Dead Girl didn't say much as the other X-Men (plus Lina) came out of their stupor, not remembering a thing. She let the Superstars fill them in as the battle of the bands ended—would you believe that Ember still won first place?—and sat very still during the good-byes and the long drive back to Bayville.
"Hey, something up?" Amira asked, trying to make conversation. She was still a little apprehensive of Dead Girl—her current deceased status threw some of Amira's religious convictions into confusion—but decided to make the effort. Besides, it took her mind off the fact that she spent most of the evening being hypnotized by a ghost.
"Nothing much," Dead Girl sighed. Lina—who was sitting on the other side of Dead Girl, turned to her.
"You do seem a little preoccupied."
"Well when you're a zombie, running into a ghost is a little weird. I mean, I'm basically a body and she's basically a spirit without a body. It's a little strange. All the more so," Dead Girl thought silently. "When it's your own." There was no doubt in Dead Girl's mind. She had wondered and wondered who she was. She had no memories of her life before her untimely death (as if any death were ever timely). When Ember passed through her, it came back to her.
The physical resemblance between Dead Girl and Ember was for all intents and purposes non-existent, Ember being pale with ghostly blue hair and Dead Girl being green-skinned with more normal looking black hair, but their personalities, their love of music…
Dead Girl looked out the window. "My name is—was—Ember McLain." She had just met her own ghost and even the X-Men's line of work—that was a little strange.
"I guess so." Lina said, answering Dead Girl's last spoken remark. "I guess I can't blame you. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to tell the Misfits about this!"
"If I had to guess," Amira said dryly. "They're already doing something that would make tonight seem normal."
&&&
WHUMPF!
That noise—in case you ever wondered—is the noise that's made when someone punches you in the stomach and forces all the air out of your lungs.
For Althea and the Misfits, it was a fact they could have gone without learning. When word leaked to them that a member of the British Royal Family was a mutant (the kind of X-Gene mutant, not the typical royal family mutant) and that an attempt to kidnap him or her was going to be made, the Misfits sprang into action. They teleported to London and took up positions around Buckingham Palace.
However, they soon became aware of a lynch mob chasing a poor mutant through the streets of London. Naturally, the Misfits went to protect the poor soul (and maybe bust a few heads if it was necessary). When they reached the would-be victim and moved to surround him he released a gas canister that caught the Misfits by surprise. It was a setup.
The entire mob—and even the 'mutant' it was chasing—were in fact members of Destro's Iron Grenadiers.
Even caught off guard, even blinded and gasping for breath, the Misfits still put up a good fight. But the outcome was never in question.
Overcome by the gas, the Misfits soon succumbed. When they awoke they noticed two things: one; they were prisoners in what looked like a castle's dungeon and two; they had one merry hell of a headache.
"Owww…" Tabitha moaned. "My head feels like Pietro's living in it." The Misfits were chained up against the wall in Destro's dungeon. Their heads pounded horribly, an aftereffect of the gas.
"Who would've guessed that our mission to guard the Royal Family was hoax?" Xi asked.
"Anybody now that I think about it." Shane muttered.
"Okay, okay. So this was a trap." Toad shrugged. "So these collars we're wearing suppress mutant powers. So they took our teleportation watches and weapons…"
"This better be building up to a big finish." Pietro groaned.
"…so we're chained up and without a bathroom, but you know what?"
"WHAT?" Everyone else snapped at him.
"At least we're together." Todd smiled.
"I knew I should've requested a separate cell." Shane moaned.
"Oh how I long for solitary!" Wanda winced.
Mocking laughter floated down as Destro, flanked by two his Iron Grenadiers, entered.
"Nice to know that the accommodations are to your liking," Destro grinned. "Here you all are: no allies to help you, no powers to help you, and no disguise—" he glanced at Tabby, "that would fool me. I told Cobra Commander that this was the way to do things: no flashy schemes, no overdramatic traps, just simply efficiency.
"Goody for you Destro, you get a gold star." Althea drawled.
"My dear, as I am not the one chained to wall I believe that I can bear your sarcasm." Destro smirked.
"Gloating is a sign of insecurity Destro, shove it." Fred grumbled. Destro glared at him.
"I would say something cutting and pithy at this point but really, there isn't a point. You see," Destro explained as he paced around the floor. "I've recently entered into the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club. That gives me more power than I have ever had before. But to further my position I intend to not simply kill you, but get some use out of you."
"Brainwashing us won't work." Althea snapped at him. "It never does."
"My dear, I never said anything about brainwashing." Destro's smile was anything but friendly. "I've recently employed a Doctor Anton Arcane into my services. He believes that he can use you in his experiments and transform you into what he calls his 'Un-Men.' Perhaps your dispositions will be improved in the process, though I doubt it. In any event, once I parade you before the Inner Circle my power and influence will be even greater! And with that, I must bid you adieu. One must get the operating tables ready."
"Yes, er, one thing, Destro, just before you go..." Tabitha said.
Destro looked at her suspiciously "What?"
"Were you ever bullied at school?" She inquired curiously, catching Destro off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, all this ranting and raving about power -- there must be some reason for it; not to mention the mask..."
"Nonsense! No, er, at my school, having dirty hair and spots was a sign of maturity!"
"I thought so!" Tabitha said triumphantly. "And I'll bet your mum made you wear shorts right up to your final year!"
"Shut up!" Destro bellowed. "Shut up! When I am King of the Inner Circle, no one will ever dare call me Shorty-Greasy-Spot-Spot again!"
"Well," Tabitha said as he stormed out. "Touched a nerve there, I think."
"Nice going Tabby!" Althea said approvingly.
"Yeah you really but a burr up his butt!" Fred agreed.
"Could we please focus on a way to escape?" Pietro groaned, trying to get the mental image out of his head.
"Never fear!" Todd smirked. "While Destro was throwing his little hissy fit I managed to do what I do best."
"Smell bad?" Pietro asked.
"Not bathe?" Wanda suggested.
"Slime the X-Geeks? Oh, sorry guys," Lance apologized to Tabby. Tabby shrugged.
"Make out?" Althea said suggestively.
"Nauseate us?" Arcade moaned. Todd shook his head.
"All good guesses but no. I managed to use my best feature—" Todd stuck out his tongue which was wrapped around a key. "—to pick Destro's pocket!"
"That's using your tongue!" Althea said approvingly. The others looked at each other and shuddered.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get us out of here!" Pietro urged. Todd stuck the key in the latch and turned it.
"Hey, what gives?" Todd demanded in annoyance when the manacles wouldn't open. "Did I steal his care key or something?"
"Terrific!" Arcade moaned. "This never happens in the movies! No one ever steals the wrong key!"
"Give me a break! It's not like anyone else is doing anything to help!" Todd snapped.
"Yes we are!" Quinn protested. "We're brainstorming on what color to paint Destro's castle when we escape."
"Or, rather, what's going to be left of his castle." Quinn smirked.
"I've always felt pink makes a bold statement." Brittany said.
"Especially on men," Pietro agreed. Everyone looked at him. "What?"
"Wait a minute." Tabby blinked as she looked around. "Where's Rahne?"
"She isn't here?" Althea asked as she looked around.
"You don't think that Destro—" Wanda started. Althea shook her head.
"If she was then he would've been bragging about it. And he said that they were just setting up for the experiments, so she can't be there either."
"Maybe he just wanted someone to keep around to whine, put on a leash, and sniff his crotch; besides the Baroness." Pietro snickered. Tabitha, frowning angrily, swung her foot at Pietro, hoping to kick him in the shin. Her aim however was a little high…as was Pietro's shrill girlish scream.
"AAAIIIEEEEE!" He squealed as he attempted to curl up into a ball, despite hanging from the wall.
"But why wouldn't Rahne be here? Do you think they didn't catch her?" Fred asked.
"Wait, what was that Destro said before about a disguise?" Wanda said as she looked at Tabby.
"I've got it!" Xi said. "Destro must have believed Tabitha to be Lina in disguise, possibly using a holowatch. He doesn't know about our exchange program with the X-Men. He wouldn't know Rahne was with us in the first place!"
"You think the red wolf that bit at least three of his men would've been a clue." Angelica said. "But he probably wrote them off as being caused by a stray dog or something."
"In any event, Rahne's still out there!" Tabitha exclaimed. "We still have a chance!"
"Get serious." Pietro said, his voice still a few octaves too high. "She's not lassie you know! She's just one kid who's her own best friend. What can one dog do against Destro?"
&&&
Rahne whimpered as she limped through the streets of London. She had taken a nasty blow or two during the fight. Given more than her share too, but that hardly mattered now. The others had been captured and Rahne was alone and hurt.
Her right forepaw was hurt and Rahne smelled blood—her own. A bullet grazed her flank during the fight. She didn't dare return to human form and risk losing the scents she'd been tracking, but she was so tired…
Rahne's eyes fluttered and her vision faded in and out. "It can't end like this." She whimpered. "I still have so much to do…" Rahne collapsed with a whine, too weak now to even change form or open her eyes. But she soon heard footsteps heading her way.
"Poor thing looks like it's been in a nasty scrape or two." A soft feminine English-accented voice said with sympathy.
"We better get her back to the Master. Maybe he can do something." A second voice suggested this one male but not English. Rahne tried sniffing, but couldn't recognize the scent.
"Don't you worry girl, the Master will take good care of you." The woman said again. Rahne, sensing nothing threatening from her, finally gave into her body's demand and slept.