Megan was scared. She'd seen her father and sister going out the day before. Neither had told her where they were going, but that was nothing new. When they didn't come home she wasn't worried either; they often left her alone at the house for stretches at a time. In that time she had a crude idea of how to take care of herself. At least she could survive on toast and fruit. It also meant she could have all the ice cream she wanted while they were away.
The guards never left though. They never talked to her and she never talked to them. Her father had said they were supposed to stop anyone from getting in or out. Their presence had thwarted her vague dreams of running away to the circus. Megan figured that the circus was the only place that would have her.
When they started to speak in hushed whispers she got nervous. Guards never talked on duty. They were scared as well. She heard it in the way their voices went up and down. Soon after explosions started outside the house. Guards began running around. Scared she went to her room and picked up her rag doll that she'd named Magik.
With Magik she ran into her closet. Megan went in there whenever her father was in a rage or she felt scared. It was safe and enclosed, warm and dark. As the noises increased she wrapped her arms around her legs and began to rock back and forth.
"It's okay Magik," she whispered, "I'll protect you."
She felt silly. If something bad happened she wouldn't be able to protect herself, let alone her doll. Soon most of the noises stopped. Deep in her gut Megan knew that wasn't good. She began crying into Magik then. Something was wrong. Footsteps were echoing, big and loud. They came into her room and there was a crash as a nightstand was turned over. The closet door jerked open and she looked up.
Several men and women in various modes of dress stood there. Some had capes and others dressed like princesses. A glance at their faces told her they weren't from any fairytale though. One of them grabbed her arm and jerked her to her feet. Megan clunk to Magik and struggled, which earned her a backhand from the man pulling her to her feet.
"Stupid girl," he said, "I can see why Jason kept this one hidden."
"She's so small," a woman said, "Be quick about it."
Megan's eyes widened as the man pulled out a knife.
"Ah, ah, ah. I'd stop if I were you."
The crowd parted. The woman her father had called the White Queen and Emma Frost at different times stepped forward. She wore a snowy corset over matching pants and boots. Over it was a cape as well as gloves. Her lipstick glowed like diamonds. She looked like the Snow Queen from Megan's book of fairytales.
"Get back Emma," snapped the man.
"You're going to kill the pixie?" Emma asked, "Classy. As much as I applaud your knifework I'd like to keep this one."
Megan looked at her with confusion. The man rolled his eyes.
"Do you need to throw proceedings on their head every time you feel like it?" he demanded, "You know how we operate."
"She wasn't really part of his operation. I think that's allowed," said Emma thoughtfully.
"The hell would you want something like this for?" demanded the man.
"She's adorable," Emma cooed, "And it pisses you off. Of course, if you want to deny me then I'm going to get mad. And if I'm mad then you might as well prepare for war now."
Emma put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. The man snarled and threw Megan at her feet. The others left the room, muttering to themselves. The man was the last one to leave, slamming the door behind him. Megan looked up and saw that Emma was kneeling in front of her. She put a hand under Megan's chin.
"Are you hurt?" asked Emma.
"No…not really…" Megan said, confused and clinging to her doll.
"Good. You're my apprentice now, and as such you're protected from the likes of that nasty man back there," Emma said, "The Black King there hasn't been happy since your father tried to seize power. And in case there was any doubt in your mind; your father failed. If he's not dead now then he will be soon. Regan will die too if they can find her. I hear Martinique's already dead."
Her eyes filled with tears. Emma cocked her head.
"Your father hated you. So did your sisters," said Emma, "You know this. So why on earth are you crying for them?"
Megan got into a sitting position and sniffed.
"They're my family," she said, "I can't help but cry for them."
Emma sighed and reached into her pocket.
"Then you're a fool," she said, producing a handkerchief, "But if you need to cry then chose who you want to see you cry. Are you alright letting me see you cry?"
She looked into Emma's eyes. There was hardness there, but also a touch of sympathy. Megan clutched Magik and nodded.
"Then go ahead and cry," Emma said, handing her the handkerchief.
Megan took it and cried.
Moira wondered when Charles was getting back. The sooner they got back with Alex and Lorna the better. It was a relief to know that they were alright, but now that they were fine there were other things that were going to happen. For one thing Lorna was going to have to face her father if she hadn't already. When she did Moira didn't know what she was going to decide. Either way Lorna was getting her heart broken.
She sighed and shifted David in her arms. He wasn't yet asleep and getting harder to hold. David was growing up big and strong. Moira smiled when she thought of the day he'd start walking. If her guide was right then he should start speaking soon. There were so many words that had been bandied about in front of him that she had no idea what his first word would be.
"Can you say mama?" she tried.
David stared at her with her husband's eyes. Sometimes she felt like she was making a fool of herself. She hoped he never remembered it. It would be difficult for him to respect her in the future if he did.
"Can you say mama?" she said again.
He stared at her and she sighed. It was time to put him to bed. Besides, she could hear noises in the hallway. Charles would need her down there when he came back. Moira might not have super powers but sometimes an extra adult was needed to even out the situation. Hank might also need help patching Lorna and Alex up.
"Mah-mah."
Her eyes widened. She looked down at David, her eyes wide.
"Did you just say mama?" asked Moira.
"Mah-mah," David repeated.
Laughing she lifted him high and kissed him. Behind her the door opened.
"Charles," she said, "You'll never believe this-"
She stopped and held David close to her.
"Who are you?" asked Moira.
The man smiled and stroked his chin.
"Just another mutant," he said, "Like the child in your arms. Watch out, if you're not careful he'll grow up quick."
He smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes. She started edging away.
"You should have seen me when they put my first daughter in my arms. They said Jason Wyrngarde, you have a daughter," he said, "How proud I was. But she's gone now. Died in combat with others of her kind, in combat with your husband to be exact."
The smile broadened.
"Now I'm a fair man," he said, "There's no need for you to die too. Just leave your son and we'll call it even."
Moira ran into the other room. She slammed the door. Jason rammed it and it rattled against her. Using her fingertips she reached out to their dresser. With David in her arms she wasn't able to drag it very far, just far enough for it to wedge beneath the door knob. The rattling continued but the door was blocked.
Adrenaline pumping she ran to the door to the hallway. A shadowy form loomed up and Moira slammed the door shut. Luckily this door locked. However, she was woefully aware that it left her trapped in the room. The drop from the window was too far up without proper preparation. She started scanning the room for something she could use as a weapon. Her eyes lit on the bathroom.
Still clutching David she ran inside. Charles' straight-edge razor was still there from when he'd shaved that morning. She took it and unfolded the blade just as the door to from the nursery shattered inwards. The dresser tipped and spilt its contents on the floor. Moira started to slam the door to the bathroom shut but Jason's hand blocked it.
Moira slammed the door again and Jason cried out. However, he managed to get the door open. He reached for her and she slashed at him with the razor. Blood spurted from his hand and he knocked her to the ground. As she fell she turned her body, still trying to protect David. For her efforts she managed to land on her back.
All around her flames sprouted from the furniture. She edged away from it and became aware that she'd locked herself into a burning room. Demonic forms flickered in the flames, thier chilling twitters filling the room. Jason reached for her again and hauled her to her feet, ripping the razor from her hand. Moira twisted and all but David on the bed, which thankfully wasn't burning. It wasn't much but at least it was far away from Jason.
Her head was pounding. David was screaming now and it mingled with the twitters. Jason lifted her into the air by the throat.
"A dead child and wife is a little unfair, but you don't leave me a choice," he said.
She kicked wildly with her feet, hitting his flesh several times. While she considered most of what she had learned in the CIA a waste she was thankful for the self-defense classes. Jason dropped her and she grabbed the straight-edge again. Driven by some guiding force she slammed it into his throat. His hand gripped it and she drove the razor completely through.
Jason fell to the floor, twitching and bleeding. Moira stared at him, panting and seconds away from hysteria as the flames and demons slowly fizzled into nothingness. It was like they never existed. Soon the man lay still, blood pooling around his throat. She took painful gasps of air and stumbled to where David was, dropping the razor from her limp hand. Gathering him up she clutched him to her chest, crying and rocking back and forth on the bed.
That was how Charles found them five minutes later.