Chapter 2: Too many choices

Disclaimer: I don't own XMen Evolution, just my own characters!

And as we delve further into Kim's story...

"Look, I don't know what has gotten into you, but something's wrong. I think we should get you to the nurse!"

"Brianna, please listen to me," Kim started to say but her friend cut her off.

"I am listening and I'm flipping out! First Mr. Demmel wouldn't keep his eyes off you. Then you disappear conveniently as gym class starts. Then I don't find you in the girl's locker room, but outside hiding near the front entrance. You haven't stopped shaking, I seriously think you are going to black out, and you refuse to let me help you!"

Brianna's face crumbled. Her eyes were bright and moist as two lines of tears ran down her cheeks. They were brought on by worry from witnessing Kim close herself away from her. This, combined with how old and pale she seemed. Her face was a deathly white, almost resembling a linen sheet. Brianna felt like her stomach was in a tight fist. What had happened to her friend, her fearless leader? Was this about the water fountain? Had something happened back there, something that'd slipped under her nose? What was going on?

XXXX

Kim wanted to hurl.

She couldn't see past the memory that haunted her mind. The face of her math teacher popped before her eyes again. Again and again and again. She wished she had never gotten out of bed this morning. Brianna hugged her coat closer, aching for warmth. Kim couldn't take her eyes away from her. She couldn't run like her heart commanded. She couldn't scream as her nerves cracked. She couldn't waste time delving into the horrendous mysteries and questions that bombarded her; it was so unfair. She felt like a battered ship rolling within a savage ocean storm. She was teetering on the brink of oblivion and desperately wrenching from the threat of drowning. The wind felt like a salty biting ocean breeze.

Kim's eyelids drooped.

NO! Don't do this! Brianna needs you. You can't sever this connection! There has to be another way!

What way? Another voice retorted. Do you think she'll help you once she realizes what you are? You need to stay away from her, not only for your safety, but for hers as well.

"Kim? Just tell me what's wrong. I can't help you unless you let me in...please Kim," Brianna whispered. Her voice was a frail leaf against the wind of circumstance.

Kim's teeth chattered as she swallowed. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do next. Nothing could explain her situation thoroughly enough. Nothing! Kim raked her frozen fingertips through her hair and spoke the first words that flipped off her tongue.

"Just go away, Brianna. You can't help me."

Brianna reacted immediately. She staggered on her feet as if she were hit by a sledge hammer, falling back one step. A gun shot couldn't have possessed a more cutting and penetrating silence than the one Kim's words did. She burst into a new set of tears.

"W - What?" she asked. "Kim - wait. What do you mean? You can't be serious. You can't!"

Behind them, the school doors opened. The silhouette of their principal stepped outside. She looked furious and Kim panicked.

What am I doing! She just got dumped by her boyfriend! She can't take anymore letdowns. She needs a friend, she needs me to be there for her!

But Kim's words seemed to flow without her bidding. Inside, she knew that she was doing this for Brianna. She knew that this had to happen.

Yet knowing this couldn't prevent the ripping of her heart.

"I've got to go, Brianna. I can't explain - It's just - I'm sorry. Man, I'm so sorry. "

Brianna shook her head violently. Then her entire countenance shifted. Her body stiffened and a blazing fury swept her eyes up in fire. Earlier, Kim would've jumped up to acquiesce to anything Bri commanded. Never in her life had she seen Brianna's anger flare up like this before. But it was too late.

"No - Kim. Kim!"

Instincts snatched up her quaking limbs. Suddenly, she tore herself away from Brianna, eating up ground, and running farther away from the school. The angry shout of an older woman chased after her. The Principal was out and it wouldn't take long for a few teachers to follow. Footsteps pounded on the gravel behind her, but Kim remembered that Brianna had never been the athletic type. Then Kim realized that she would outrun her best friend.

"KIMMM! NO! Stop! PLEASE!"

She would never understand, a voice told her. Don't turn back.

Kim ran against the scalding tears on her cheeks.

XXXXX

He grinned when he saw her. Two protruding, extremely sharp teeth were revealed from his thin lips. They were abnormal and were usually kept hidden from the world. Not now, however. His greed and excitement exposed their existence. He could feel the sense of challenge rage within him. He only had to convince her, and what a member she would make!

She was racing down the street as if her life depended on it. The look on her face was priceless. She must be scared out of her mind, believing that she was the only one of her kind.

That isn't true, sister. We are all around you. And now you will see…

She halted just below him and he could smell her fear. It radiated off of her like steam. Involuntarily, his claws unsheathed. The challenge was too irresistible and he didn't sense any of the X-men around. Magneto said that Cerebro wouldn't track her fast enough and that he would have just enough time to persuade her to join them. Lightning quick, he judged his distance and jumped down right behind her. The girl didn't flinch or jump. He had been too silent.

XXXXX

The run had cost her. She strode on the hard, unforgiving ground, utterly out of breath and drowning in her adversities. A sick, white pain twisted and cemented itself inside her stomach; when she walked, it refused to dissipate. Brianna's agonized expression was stamped in her brain.

I should never have left her! Aw Bri...

The familiar street corner, the one that connected the bus intersection to her boulevard, appeared too quickly, unsettling her. Kim tried valiantly to get her mind back into focus as she forced herself to remain calm through a crowd of pedestrians. They merged from all sides, walking briskly to catch a bus or hurry along to their jobs. People only glanced at her briefly, but every dart of their eyes felt like a bullet into her skull. Any second now, they would discover who she was and what she could do. No. No. What was she thinking? No they couldn't! That would be impossible. If she didn't make any sudden moves...

Sweat clouded up on her palms.

I can't be panicking like this, but my control is gone. What happened? What's happening to me? What's going to happen now?

Kim came close to crying out when a foreboding looking gentleman bumped into her on the street. She pulled her hood up to hide her face and pushed through the remaining crowd to close in her distance. People yelped and muttered angrily. Ignoring their cries of indignation, she broke back into a run. A run more unsteady than its predecessor. Kim barely noticed.

Before long, she left them all behind.

XXXXX

His unease amplified. The situation unfolded as a bad dream would; before his eyes and breaking every sense of security he had. Kismet Ried nearly fell as she stumbled on the sidewalk edge that protruded out of its boundary. Every cognitive thought, every emotion was razor edged and saturated in fear. Kismet longed for home. She repeatedly called up a mental picture of her mother. Calmly, assertively, the woman told Kim to put her fear on hold and to think about the problem. Keep moving. What are her options? What was in her power to affect at the moment, to benefit a better outcome?

Kismet's mother stuck in his own private thoughts. He suddenly experienced a sharp sense of de ja vu.

I know that face...

Without disrupting his focus on Kismet, he lifted his left hand and locked in the numerical code for the door release.

Logan. Scott. Meet me in the basement in ten minutes. One of our mutants is in an emergency.

(Scott:) Sure thing Professor. On my way.

(Logan:) Make that five minutes, Charles. I'll be ready and suited up in three.

XXXX

Scott fiddled with the power gauge on his ruby-quartz visor, depressing the intensity. They were up against a single opponent. A higher ferocity of power in his laser beam would become too dangerous. Then he buckled himself into the pilot chair and began to awaken the blackbird. He halted in the midst of booting up the engines when he discovered Logan's gaze set fixedly on him. He glanced away from his work, but the other man's face was as readable as a slab of stone. There was definitely something brewing behind his calculating eyes; his brows were slightly knit in mild concentration, as if he was considering something, but nothing else gave his thoughts away. Scott froze.

"What?" he retorted. Mentally, he shook himself for allowing a tone of apprehension to sneak into his reply. He hated showing how unsure and slightly wary he was feeling. Logan possessed a certain, unfathomable gaze that hushed anyone he talked to. It was as if they suddenly felt like they were in the presence of an army captain and they needed to act as such. Maybe that's why his adult social skills, not including those with the Professor, were atrocious to say in the least. And how his passion for kids and the new mutants they took on revealed an utterly softer side of him. Scott secretly hated feeling Logan's studying gaze on him; sometimes, it seemed like the man was trying to single out his weaknesses. He would kill himself before he admitted that, though.

Logan didn't answer and held his tongue for a few very prolonged minutes. Then, without saying anything, he settled back into the co-pilot seat. A rush of unsubdued anger coursed through Scott like a fever and he clenched his right fist. It was an anger he couldn't place at first. Yet he refused to utter another syllable and completely backed out of the potential conversation. Sourly, he ignored his partner. He took a deep breath and switched the mic on.

"Blackbird to Base, this is Scott. Engines turned on and mounting at 50%. ...60% ...80% ...100%. All systems are go."

One second elapsed before a response filtered clearly through the headset.

"Base to Blackbird. Permission to take off, over. Scott, give the waterfall doors twenty seconds to clear and open. Beast just finished tweaking them up yesterday and he's still fixing the speed."

Scott reached up above his head and turned on the fog lights. A heavy cold front was predicted to expand over the Pennsylvania area. They would need to drive in low and careful, not an easy task.

"Understood. Thanks for the heads up, Storm," he spoke quickly back into the headset. "Blackbird out."

"Good luck, you two."

Scott flipped off the mic. He sat back with a sigh and reviewed the hastily constructed plan in his head. Fly to Pennsylvania, grab the new recruit, and book it back to base without creating a scene. If, at all, possible. Xavier wanted almost no amount of attention attracted from the potential battle in the residential area. It was definitely a risk. And it would prove to be challenging. They weren't facing just one junior mutant.

They were up against Sabertooth.

Scott glanced over at the fuel cage unconsciously, reassuring himself that they were fully loaded and prepared. Then, he sighed and waited as the turntable moved the large, streamlined aircraft toward the exit. Warning lights in the hold flashed loud yellows and blacks intermittently. Before them lay a yawning, black mouth that led out into the Waterfall Tunnel. The feet between the hold and the air would be scaled within a few seconds, give or take a millisecond. The Blackbird wasn't some reprogrammed, ordinary jet.

Then, feeling the large shift and click of the turntable locks shake the jet under his feet, Scott reached down to the gears and expertly began to propel forward. Once beyond the hold, the metal walls on either side whipped past in a customary blur. Suddenly, the wall of impenetrable water loomed straight ahead loud and threatening. That was... until it was pushed aside to allow their exit. The jet shot forward into the sky and within minutes Scott and Logan were among the clouds.

Scott didn't believe that his irritation could resurface. But Logan's innocent question proved him wrong.

"How long does it take?"

Scott told himself to breathe. It's a question. Just answer the question.

"How long does what take?"

Wolverine grunted. "Before you can fly this thing. I want to know how long it took you and Storm."

Scott was completely dumbfounded. That would be the reason why he replied the way he did, before he put some thought into it.

"What? You mean, you want to become a pilot?"

From beside him Wolverine really emitted a sound of frustration and leaned back to close his eyes.

"No. I want to learn how to dance a jig up on the roof."

XXXX

Kim exhaled, smelling a foul odor that reminded her of the bear hide. A long time ago, when her uncle was alive and putting time into his favorite hobby, he had asked her to accompany him on his annual trip up to his hunting lodge. She journeyed through mountain roads in his beat-up jeep, surviving jolting pot holes and sneaky tree branches. The ride had been nauseating. Hunting had been an odd experience. She had decided if she ever wanted to go again. Now, she'd never have that chance.

But jeez, that was so long ago.

The memories seeped out of her mind slowly and the present became clearer. At least she wasn't shaking as much. Kim sighed. She had calmed down a bit during her run, and felt like she was almost reaching the end of her race. Right then, she stood on the sidewalk opposite to her house. It was empty, she knew, because mom would be at the office. Somehow, though, she couldn't bring herself to walk into it, let herself inside. It was like she would betray something; the home wasn't really hers to call home anymore. There was no way she was prepared for what happened next.

"You're scared, aren't you," a deep rumbling voice muttered.

Kim jumped and whirled around, nearly tripping over her feet. No one was on the sidewalk with her but she frantically scanned the area.

"Who's there?" she called. It was impossible to keep the tremor from her voice.

Suddenly a large shadow extracted itself from the tree closest to her. A ruthless grumble emanated from the shadow and Kim thought a dog was alerted to her intrusive presence. That sound could only belong to a dog. Then the form came gracefully up onto the sidewalk, where the light revealed what it truly was. It was a man. He was huge, over six feet tall, and his appearance was striking. The first thing she saw was his face. It was rough and rugged, long locks of blond hair hanging dejectedly from its sides. Eyes she couldn't seem to clearly stare at remained hidden within his face. A long, billowing cloak swirled restlessly around him and his clothes were dark and harsh. They clung to his body, revealing his strength. That's when she noticed the two fangs. A chilled worry latched onto her and her heart started racing again. It was like she couldn't breathe.

RUN!

She tried to bolt but his hand caught her arm and gripped it like a vice. She was pulled off her feet and flipped backwards. This was it. Kim clenched her teeth from the pain and managed to twist herself to land safely back on the ground. It wasn't safe enough. With her arm suspended in his grip, and her body plummeting down, she hit the ground on her hip. Sabertooth hauled her back to her feet recklessly and the pain flared. Kim became still. He didn't know that she had trained her body for over 15 years. She was going to keep it that way until she was given an opening. Images of his strong arms throwing her body over his shoulder and carrying her off instantly settled her resolve. She started to yell. Her neighbors! They should help!

Then his hand slapped down on her mouth.

"Listen to me," he growled. "I know what you are feeling. You just found out about your gift! And it scares the crap out of you. You think you are the only one and that no-one's going to understand you. But trust me, you're wrong."

He opened his fist, and she fell backward, falling again on the sidewalk. His words barrelled into her mind and for a moment she forgot about escaping.

He sank into a crouch and leaned over her, slapping his hand on the ground by her leg.

"We've been watching you for years, and we know what happens to you near water."

Kim stared wordlessly into the monster's obsidian black eyes that were so close to her own.

"You..you know about what I can do?"

The guy hissed, leaning away.

"Yes."

No...this couldn't be possible.

"Who are you?" she asked, to stall for time.

The guy frowned and curled his fist.

"My name's Sabertooth," he finally replied,"You are either incredibly blind for not seeing me as a mutant or you are making fun of me. I hate being made fun of." He snarled at the thought and she felt herself begin to shake. Meeting him was almost surreal.

"Mutant?" Kim said softly.

"Mutant, special powers...ringing any bells?" he growled. His eyes flashed and she had a feeling that his patience was wearing thin.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she said as firmly as she could. He blinked, as if he was studying her for the first time. Then, in a strange way, he tilted his head. He muttered a low oath.

"Look, you may think you are alone, but you aren't. I know a man who can help you and others who are just like you. Except they have...different abilities."

There was an uncomfortable look in his eye, as if he wasn't used to saying that many words at once. Kim watched him warily. He eyed her as well.

"What do you say?" he mumbled.

"What?" she balked. "Say to what?"

"Come with me and I - you can get help."

Sabertooth, with the grace of a mountain lion, backed away from her and settled into a crouch, bouncing on his toes. Every few seconds he would plainly sniff the air, as if he were searching for something, but Kim wasn't paying attention. The trouble came from making the decision. Should she trust Sabertooth? Should she go with him? But she didn't know much about him. There could be a catch, especially with the other people like her-both of them that he was talking about. Yet, what if he was her only hope?

Hoping that he wouldn't bite her head off and at the same time trying to feel brave, she started to push herself up. Sabertooth instantly came up with her until they were both standing on the sidewalk. A car passed by and the driver gave them one glance. She didn't note any surprise in his face. They both must look ordinary. Ordinary.

Then, Kim didn't really think.

"I'm going to need time," she replied. Sabertooth looked incredulous, but she pressed on.

"I - I need to think about this, okay? You can't just slam it onto me and expect me to have an answer."

He bared his teeth and seemed to have an inner battle within himself. Finally he snarled and swept his hand in the air dismissively.

"Why would you need time to think? You know those people out there won't accept you."

Sabertooth stared her in the eye and stepped closer. Kim felt the hairs on the back of her neck climb. Before she could react, Sabertooth's eyes glazed over and his face softened. He looked at her less intently than before, and the experience was startling. When he spoke, his voice had an lighter quality to it.

"Don't listen to me Kim. I'm only here to bring you harm. If you can stall for a minute more, help is coming. Please. Two men named Logan and Scott are on their way to help you. I know it's hard, but you have to trust me."

Kim's mouth dropped open and she backed up in fright.

"What? S-Sabertooth?"

"My name is Professor Xavier and I am controlling Sabertooth for now. I know you are frightened, Kim, but your powers over water are nothing to be scared of. My team and I can help you. We can teach you to control those abilities without them overwhelming you entire-"

"Wait, stop! How can I trust you?" Kim interrupted. The whole afternoon was swiftly catching up to her and she discovered a sense of fury riding in her system. She was so tired, so tired of being scared that she was becoming angry. F the freaking world.

"Sabertooth, you're either really trying to trick me and knock me out, or I'm finally insane. People I've never even met before in my life suddenly know me. And I don't even know if you are telling me the truth. This. Is. Insane."

Why am I even talking to him? I need to get out of here, now.

"Kim," Sabertooth stated. She jumped, realizing that he had spoken her name twice. How did he know that?

"Sabertooth pointed this out before, but I know it too. You're scared Kim. You want to run and run right now. And...I won't stop you. I am really another mind in this body and I know you can tell because you've relaxed slightly. Sabertooth possesses a rougher tone in his normal speech; a different one than what I am projecting. If you want more proof, I'm afraid that I would only scare you further. But trust this. I am on your side and I have no intention of kidnapping you or letting this mutant kidnap you. All I want to do is offer help. Help and guidance, because you aren't alone and there are others your age fighting your struggle as we speak."

Kim breathed in deeply, shaking in her shoes. She didn't want to accept this fantasy. She didn't want to fall for this illusion. Yet, against her scruples, his voice seemed to be having a calming effect on her. He was right. She felt more concrete and solid; not spread out in twenty different directions. Sabertooth wasn't even gazing directly at her. He'd assumed, or whomever inside him had assumed an utterly passive posture. Reluctantly, she knew she had heard Professor Xavier's name before. Everything entailed in it had been good or interesting. Yet, from the moment she'd discovered that she was a mutant as a ten year old, her interests in them had ceased. She'd felt like a freak, a monster. How could she trust anyone?

But trust in someone she had to do; and trusting in him seemed like the only option.

If anything happened, she would find a way to escape. Maybe they could distract Sabertooth long enough for her to make a getaway.

What else could she do?

A gigantic boom, followed by a smooth shing sound, barrelled from the sky and scared Kim. She fell back with a hollow shout and saw Sabertooth howl and clutch at his head. A magnificent black aircraft flew past her and toward the forest. She couldn't trace it with her eyes because it was so fast. As quick as it had appeared, it was gone.

Suddenly, hard plumps on the ground caught her attention and she glanced back at her enemy. Another teenager was crouched beside Sabertooth. His skin had a weird green tinge to it. Shrewd wide eyes stared at her contemptuously and Kim covered her mouth in shock when his tongue suddenly shot out of his mouth and grabbed a fleeing fly. He burped when he finished swallowing and grinned at her.

"Bet you'd never seen that before, eh?"

Kim repressed the urge to hurl.

"Who are you?" she shouted through clenched teeth.

The guy snorted harshly.

"I'm called the Toad, that's who! And you aren't going to forget me any time soon. Right Sabertooth? Sabertooth? Hey! Buddy! Wake up!"

Silently, so that Toad didn't see it coming, Sabertooth snatched him up and threw him twenty feet away onto the street. Toad shrieked and moaned when he landed on the hard asphalt. He rubbed his rear.

"Hey man! That hurt! Jeez, I'm going to feel that tomorrow..."

Sabertooth turned toward her.

"Kim, you have to trust us. If you don't, the likes of Toad and Sabertooth will get you in their hold and believe me. That isn't a place you want to be."

"Whoa! Sabertooth! What are you doing man? You're messing this up!"

"Please Kim."

Kim looked back and forth between the two. She needed to decide.

XXXX

Something was wrong. A curious drowsy sensation slid over him until he felt he couldn't fight its weight. It was like he was sleeping peacefully on air. There was no point in thinking. There was no point in trying to rationalize things. What was he supposed to do again? ...Whatever. It didn't matter anymore. All he wanted to do was sit and sit quietly. Why hadn't he done this before? Why did he stress out so much to do other people's bidding? His life could be relaxing and peaceful. He didn't need anger or hate or resentment. Well, he would miss the hate. The power and energy surge he felt every time he thought of the one's who wronged him did provide a neat surprise for his enemies. He loved to terrify people, especially women. He loved to hear their screams...

"Sabertooth, you fool. He's controlling you. Put up that shield we've practiced. Now!"

The mutant finally felt his strength returning. Another presence slipped out of him and his energy flooded back into his senses. He roared in fury and shook his head. She was still there. Growling, knowing that he'd had enough, he pounced and grabbed her before she could run. Magneto could be very convincing and he realized he hated doing this type of mission anyway. It annoyed him.

"Let me go! I said let me go!"

"Too late," he said flippantly. "Toad! Let's go!"

Unfortunately, he didn't move fast enough. A familiar scent, one that made his lip curl in aggression, hit him like a crashing wave. To his frustration a hoarse, biting voice pierced his senses.

"You're not going anywhere, bub."

The iron, hard body collided into his, throwing the girl from his arms. Sabertooth howled at the challenge and kicked the mutant off of him.

XXXX

Kim was thrown back onto the pavement and struck her head hard on the ground. Everything around her fuzzed into nothing and she felt like she was beginning to spin. Spin, spin, spin. Merry go round, here we go, here we go...

She heard her name shouted from a long distance. Then she heard it again and the cold bucket of wakefulness coursed over her head. Suddenly, she was back, awake, and in pain.

"Kim! Kim, are you alright?"

"Nuh uh, Summers! Not today!"

Kim bit back a cry of pain and watched as a body was propelled in the air to land ten feet behind her. Then Toad's face peered into her eyes.

"Stay here, will ya? I gotta take care of this guy."

Something slimy landed on her wrist and instantly began to harden. Kim pulled back belatedly but realized that it held her to the ground. With a cry of frustration, she fought through her pain and looked down at her trap. A dark, disgusting, green paste held her hand to the sidewalk. She wrenched and wrenched, but it wouldn't pull free.

"Nya nya! Can't catch me Cyclops!"

"You're going to wish you stayed in bed you stupid frog!"

Kim heard Toad laugh sarcastically.

"Wow Summers. What was that? And I thought you were the king of-eee!"

The beam of red light sparkled out of the corner of her eye. Kim clenched her teeth because it sent a wave of new pain through her head, but she glanced over her shoulder just in time. Toad yelped in agony as he was rocketed miles down the street. Kim couldn't see where he fell.

"I'm coming! I got you!"

Scott ran up to her and was right beside her before Kim could move. She automatically recoiled from his presence but it proved ineffective. She was held steadfast. Before she could utter a protest, the lean, dark haired youth studied her hand and reached up to fiddle with his glasses. Kim was blinded by the blast of red light as she felt a powerful force collide into her trappings. She reeled at the fire on the side of her skull and was horribly disoriented. She clutched the side of her head and cried silently as her head throbbed. She didn't feel the drip of blood. She didn't see Scott's face whiten. She wasn't aware of his hands hauling her up.

Kim heard a infuriated growl behind her. There was a loud crash as two voices pelted insults at each other. At last, everything dimmed and she was taken away from the world.

XXXX

"We should have been here earlier," Logan muttered. He had taken the girl from Scott's hands and was strapping her into the stretcher of the X-Jet, but Scott was shaking as he prepared the Blackbird for flight. Professor Xavier was still busy deflecting Sabertooth, but he reported that the mutant had somehow blocked him from his mind. It was something that Sabertooth could not and should not be able to do. At the moment, Logan had knocked the big lug out successfully and Toad was off in the neighborhood somewhere, but they didn't possess much time. Scott could hear the hurried exchange between the Professor and Logan.

(Logan:) Charles? She's safe, but I think she's done in.

Get her here as quick as you can Wolverine. We'll settle this in my office and have Jean look her over. I believe she'll want to stay with us. I found memories of her recognition of my name. She's heard of us before.

Scott spoke up.

(Scott:)Professor, that's great, but what if she doesn't want to join us? This - this was super traumatic within itself.

Trust me, Scott. I believe she will take a liking to us. Give it time. I'll help her through whatever she's struggling with.

I've really changed it a bit, but I like this better than the older version. Don't worry, I won't re-arrange the plot line too much. Just whatever suits me.

Tell me what you think. ;)

~M