Katie honestly was not looking forward to this. She did not want to fight the X-Men just to have a ticket to the stupid Asteroid M, but at the same time... She wanted to go outside and touch people again without thinking she'll blind them or paralyze them or worse. So she would this time, and she would mean it.

Mystique had gone into the mansion under the cover of a cat. Katie sat in the jeep with Lance and the boys, filing her nails because she had nothing else to do. And because she didn't really want to think about Lance. Her feelings for him had grown a lot stronger, and it was almost hard to be near him. If she touched him... Forget the last guy, this time might be even worse because he knew about her curse.

Her black hair was pulled out of its braid. She glared at Pietro. "Put it back." Pietro shook his head, quickly bringing a brush through it and leaving it wavy. "Pietro!"

"Quicksilver," he corrected. The Brotherhood got over their anger towards her when she was MIA for almost a whole night. "And no way! You look great with your hair down and wavy like that. I'm doing you a favor, sis."

"I'm not your sister," Katie said with a sigh. Pietro winked. "Fine, whatever. I'll leave it down. But only because I'm not chasing you around for my ponytail holder." Katie brushed her bangs from her face, which had been pulled from their pins when Pietro came around.

"Change of plans," Mystique said in a quick and low voice through the talky. "They're on the move."

Lance grinned. "Not for long." He set the Jeep in drive, and began driving from their spot out onto the road. Katie shifted, hands rubbing against each other in the hot suit. "Hot?"

"Yeah," she replied. "But if what Magento's promisin' is true... I won't have to worry about it ever again." She stared at her gloved hands, and Lance put a hand over the both of them.

"Hey, let's get there first. Then we can talk about the party." She was silent for the rest of the ride, anxiety stirring in her stomach. They caught up to the X-Men easily enough, catching them with a nice breeze from the sea.

Katie drove as Lance pulled up the road in front of the X-Men, bumping their back to get them off the road. Lance used his powers again before Spyke sent back a few that took out both of his headlights. "Dang it. I'm probably going to have to pay for that," he mumbled.

"Now, Avalanche," Quicksilver said in an excited voice. Lance threw his hand out, the ground shaking again as rocks tumbled down and Kurt swerved to avoid them. Katie pulled to a stop right next to the van, jumping out easily. She took notice of who was there. She would have to choose one of them to take out, and it might just be a huge pain.

Quicksilver rushed around them on the sand, burying them quickly. Toad said after a few moments, "That didn't take too long at all." Katie heard something land behind them and fell to the ground as a wave of something flew above and through her. Katie stood, and noticed that she couldn't hear anything when Nightcrawler attacked Lance and Rogue went after Toad.

Katie growled, and turned to see Killian before he tackled her down. She landed in the sand, and when she opened her eyes, Killian was gone. She sat up, and took off her gloves, standing still. She saw movement out the corner of her eye and blocked the hit with her arm before wrapping her hand around it. She let go when it would prove to be useless for a while.

Katie saw Killian throw a punch, and moved back with it. He used his shoulder and flung his whole arm at her, once again she moved with it, forming a pattern until he kicked out and hit Katie in the stomach. Katie rolled out of the way when he brought his foot down where she had been. Katie wrapped a hand around his ankle, and he fell to the ground. Katie brought her elbow down, effectively knocking Killian out and winning the match.

Sound returned to Katie seconds after she won, and she joined by Lance's side. "I never once thought that I would have my ears taken out." Katie moved her head around, her ears feeling weird.

"Wow, Killian is so soft on you," Rogue said with a smirk. "Do you even know what he can do?"

"Ahhh... No."

"Illusions. You only thought you were deaf," she informed Katie. Katie blushed bright red. "He is so soft on you."

"Shut up." The metal balls came down, and Katie's smile dropped. Lance squeezed her shoulder.

"You'll be alright, Katie," he whispered. Katie nodded, the metal things coming out and going for her. Katie jumped back, and lashed out. One of the tentacles wrapped around her mouth, and she screamed. "Katie, calm down!" Katie was dragged into darkness.

Katie felt herself being lifted when light finally came. She glanced at Lance. "Thanks." Lance glanced down quickly, like he was trying not to let Katie notice. So she looked down at her hands. She left her gloves! Katie moved away from Lance.

"Come on, love birds!" Pietro called. Katie tucked her hands in her arms and followed behind Pietro and Blob before noticing an important someone missing. She pulled to a stop.

"Where's Rogue?" she asked Quicksilver. He shrugged, but something seemed off. Katie grabbed him by his suit. "Where is Rogue?"

"Look, I-I don't know! She's probably ahead of us!" Katie glared at Pietro before pushing him into the wall.

"You better hope she is." Katie walked ahead, being led by Blob, who seemed to know where he was going. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail, one that she stole back from Pietro. It was bumpy, but it would work in her opinion. She glared ahead of her until she came to a room. She saw Rogue in a small circular tube and Professor Xavier. She glared at Pietro.

Lance pulled her back and into him before she could try anything. "We are around Magneto. Y'know, the mega-mutant that we should fear for now and for the rest of our lives? I don't think hitting his son is going to help you."

"Because I care," she hissed back. Lance tightened his hold around her as Magneto approached them.

"Katherine Jones. How nice to meet you," Magneto said, holding a gloved hand out. Lance dropped his arms, and she shook his hand. "You seem upset, dear. Almost as though you aren't happy to see the beginning stages for your friend."

"I don't like seeing her comatose if that's what you mean," Katie replied, glaring at the tube that held Rogue. Her grey eyes flicked up to Magneto. "After all, who wants to see their best friend in the hands of a man who gives orders to separate a woman from her child."

"Still stuck on that, I see," Magneto said in an even voice. "Understandable. You must understand that Mystique was a threat to the young Kurt Wagner."

"I don't care. That's for them to sort out," Katie said. "Not for some mutant who's so big and bad that he has to show his authority to children by forcing them to live together."

"Katie," Lance hissed. "I'm sorry, sir, she doesn't-"

"No." The man held up a hand. "I understand where she comes from. But she must understand that her mother shouldn't have separated a father from his child, whether she knew or not."

Katie smiled. "So you know the jerk who had that one night stand with my mother." It wasn't a question on purpose. He knew, and that is why he mentioned it. It was more than one night, but it certainly wasn't a relationship either.

Magneto said nothing in reply, instead sharing words with Professor Xavier. Katie felt herself being pulled into a fourth tube, with one more left to fill. She reached back for the wall, only to find Lance, who shook his head. "It'll be fine," he assured her. "I'll be here when you wake up." Katie looked at him with wild eyes, being lifted farther up than she was comfortable with.

Then she was dropped back down. "Do not underestimate my ability, girl." Katie was breathing heavily. "I know your fear of heights is quite a problem for you. Can't ride the Ferris wheel because of it, but can deal with fast rides so long as they give you a good time." She glared at the magnetic mutant.

Lance bent down next to her, and helped her up. She was shaking, and trying hard to hide it. Lance held her tight in a hug for a moment before a set of doors opened up. Katie's hand flew to her mouth as she saw Scott Summers with a blonde boy who looked similar to himself.

She saw Scott's look when he saw them, and heard the professor in her head. 'I need you to distract Magneto for a while longer. He plans to mess with Scott's mind.'

'I can do that,' she thought, wondering if he got the message. 'But how?'

'Think about it,' he said back. Katie nodded, and grabbed a piece of metal, an angry look on her face. Nothing like making people think you're crazy. Lance grabbed her hand, and metal tentacles came for her again. She screamed, holding on to the metal with a death grip.

Magneto showed no mercy as he threw her into the tube, leaving her awake long enough to see the prof join her.

"'Pretty brown eyes...' when did I say that?"

"Why isn't she waking up?"

"She should be."

"Well, she isn't."

"Don't talk to him like that, Lance!"

"Shut up, Kitty! Katie? Katie?" She opened her eyes drearily to see faces surrounding her. Lance comes into focus first. "Thank God, I thought we lost you..." Katie sat up, rubbing the back of her head. She opened her mouth to ask what happened. "Magneto threw you in too hard, and your head smacked the glass. It was an accident though." Lance pulled her into a tight hug.

Katie stiffened. She looked at the prof, wrapping her arms around Lance slowly. 'Is there any chance...'

"Say no more, Katie. You're always welcome at the Institute."

Lance glanced at Xavier. "What're you talking about?"

Katie pushed Lance away weakly. "Let me up." He stared at her in open mouthed shock. She stood on her own two feet with the help of Rogue. "I can't stay there any longer, prof."

"Why not though?" He had his hands overlapping each other, elbows on his knees.

"I'm dangerous. Especially when feelings from and for others become far too involved." Katie looked at her bare hands. "I could..." She closed her mouth, unsure of how she wanted to finish it with all of the endless possibilities. Lance turned her around.

"No."

Rogue stepped beside Katie. "It ain't your call, Alvers. She can do what she wants."

"It evens out anyway," Killian murmured. He glanced at the professor. "I'm sorry, prof." He joined next to Pietro. Katie moved closer to the professor and the X-Men. Lance turned his back on her.

"I'm sorry," she said after him. "Remember that, Lance! I'm sorry!" Lance said nothing, and turned around. He walked back to Katie, wrapping his arms around her waist before kissing her briefly. Katie was breathing hard from the touch. He cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "Remember that, Katie. I'm sorry." As he walked away, Katie felt her heart crack at the heavy weight lifted off of her shoulders. She turned into Rogue, crying on her shoulder where it was covered.

"It's all right, Katie. You're with me now. You can't hurt him anymore."