Rebekah

I wake up suddenly, as if someone doused me in freezing water. The first thing I think is, 'Why on Earth did I dump my clothes?' Then I remember Isaac and start screaming abuse. I think I used words I would never use in a normal situation. Then I stop. Great. I'm stuck naked in a cage, in a form that finds it easier to walk on four legs than two, after a boy I thought I knew just betrayed me to Magneto. I'm doomed.

I look out of the bars of the cage. Isaac obviously hadn't told them about me being able to turn into a cat. The bars are far enough apart that a slim adolescent cat could slip right through.

"Don't even think of it sweetheart."

Or not, as the case may be. Which idiot left Sabretooth in charge of the prisoners?

"Actually, please do escape. My orders say, if she's in the cage, don't touch her. If she gets out… do what you want to her."

"And you listen to orders? Is it true you purr in your sleep?"

He snarls and a clawed hand swipes out of the cage.

"So scary. Not. You yourself told me you couldn't hurt me while I'm in the cage. Oh, and I'd lay off attacking Logan. It'll end really badly. Why are you working for Magneto anyway? I know you have another master. One whose name starts with Rom and ends in-"

I don't get any further as he slams right into the cage, knocking me over. I'm really glad I'm more cat than human right now. I don't have to blink as much. He's snarling at me.

"What do you know about him?"

"Oh, that's he was born some time in the Stone Age, made Logan what he is today, loves playing you off to him and has a boy named Daken as his protégée. Oh, and I really wouldn't trust him."

"How…"

"You do know Logan's going to kill you?"

I say it in a warm, conversational tone.

"He's been trying to for years."

"Yeah, but one day he'll manage it. And you really shouldn't fight him as often. Every single time you kill someone he's close to, he just gets madder. How would you like to be beheaded while begging for mercy? That's how you go. I wish I could be there. Who knows? Maybe I'll go along for the ride."

He snarls and swipes his claws through the bars again. I extend mine and grin.

"Look. Mine are bigger than yours."

I dig my elongated nails into his wrist and he snarls even more. He catches my wrist and I wince. Blood stains the reddish-fur. Then I feel it tickle as it heals. I heal. Well that'll sure make my clumsiness easier to deal with. I have a habit of stubbing my toes on stuff.

"Oi! Creed! Let her go!"

Oh dear. They capture Logan as well. I turn to see Logan struggling up. Beast is beside him, still unconscious. Oh…pig! Sabretooth just glares at him then leans close to me.

"Not a word to the Runt little girly. Or I'll have to punish you."

I nod. I'm not that stupid. I'm never going to cross Sabretooth. Not unless I have Logan standing in front of me, with Storm and Cyclops on either side. And possibly Kitty holding my hand. Sabretooth and Wolverine look like they're about to square off. Great. Logan's in a cage and is about to try and attack someone outside a cage. But before he can, the smooth metal wall on the opposite side sweeps open.

"Now now Victor. Play nice."

Magneto strides in, followed closely by Isaac. I glare at him but he seems to ignore me. Magneto reaches out a hand and my cage floats up to his eyelevel, so he can look me in the eye.

"It would have been easier just to crouch down."

"Isaac tells me you consider Xavier's dream a 'house of cards'. All you have to do is say the word and I will release you. Just agree to join the Brotherhood."

"I take it he forgot to tell you I'm a pacifist and completely think mutant supremacy is a bad idea."

The cage drops and I yelp as I'm knocked off my feet. Magneto rolls up his sleeve to reveal four angry red marks.

"Call these the marks of a pacifist!"

"I thought you were attacking Isaac. My mistake."

Isaac blushes. Magneto gives an odd smile.

"You are a lot more powerful than you think. And a lot smarter than my other feral."

"Yeah, like that'd be hard."

"You do realise you will never be able to live a normal life if you stay with Xavier."

"I'm not a terrorist. I prefer to find a peaceful solution to everything except my brother trespassing in my room, and only then because I've warned him over a hundred times."

His steely gaze meets mine. Once again, I feel very glad I have practised my stare against a cat. If you can outstare a cat, you can outstare anyone.

"I'll give you a week. If you haven't made a choice by then, or you make the wrong choice, I'm certain Sabretooth here would like to persuade you."

I gulp. Oh…FLIP!

Isaac

I followed Magneto out of the room. I took one last look back as the door shut ominously.

'Will you really kill her if she doesn't change sides?' I asked.

'Yes,' Magneto replied.

'What about Wolverine and Beast?'

'They'll be killed anyway.'

He suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at me.

'Don't tell me you're going soft. I thought you said to obtain what was necessary the X-men had to be removed?'

'In words to that effect,' I smirked. Magneto turned away and carried on walking.

I caught up with him. 'What should I do?'

He glanced at me and then turned away. 'Go and explore. Do whatever you want. I'm not going to be your baby sitter. And make sure you do it at normal speed otherwise you'll finish within a couple of minutes.'

I stopped as Magneto marched off. I wanted to do something anyway. As soon as Magneto was out of sight I slipped into slow-time and examined the whole city within a couple of minutes just so I could say I did. I whisked through a shop grabbing a coat. I sped towards the door where my X-friends were and breezed through it. Victor Creed didn't even time to look up. I whipped off my glove and darted towards him. I jumped over him and grabbed him by the neck. He stiffened up like a board and keeled over. I knew his healing factor would heal him within seconds so I hit him in the jaw a couple of times. Even Logan chuckled dryly. I ran over to Bekah's cage and ripped of the bars. I did the same to Logan's and Hank's. I turned around as Rebekah made a slash at my throat. I dodged and backed away.

'How could you?' She screamed clawing the air wildly. I tried to back away but I hit a wall. A flailing claw scratched me across the face. Just as Bekah was going to cut me in half Logan and Hank grabbed her.

'Don't do it Rebekah. He's not worth it,' Logan said. I reached up to touch my face but there was no wound. Just blood.

Logan stared at me. 'It seems you have Sabretooth's healing factor as well. That means your healing factor is probably stronger than mine!'

'You guys need to get out of here. Magneto's going to kill you all.'

'Why do you care you filthy traitor!' Rebekah spat.

'Because I still consider you my friends and I don't want to see you get killed. I just believe that what I'm doing is the best option. Can't you respect that?'

Rebekah was silent.

'You're going to have to get out by yourself. I can't help you anymore.' I picked Sabretooth up and dragged him to the door. I raised his hand and pressed it to the scanner. The door slid open smoothly. I dropped him and turned around.

'Goodbye.' I concentrated and slipped into slow-time again. I ran out as quickly as I could. I returned the coat to the shop and made my way back to Magneto. I just had to hope the smell of the brand new coat had blocked Sabretooth's heightened senses and I'd been moving too fast for any camera's to recognise me. Just as I arrived back at Magneto's mansion the alarm was raised. I was barged aside as the Brotherhood came thundering out the double doors. Magneto followed close behind.

'What's got them so worked up?' I asked.

'The prisoners have escaped,' Magneto replied. 'Someone attacked Sabretooth and helped them.'

'Well, I've always said you can't keep Logan locked up and Rebekah isn't so easy herself you know.'

Magneto looked at me suspiciously. 'Where have you been?'

'Painting the town red like you told me to,' I replied. A smile played on the corners of Magneto's lips. Then he lifted into the air and was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was up to Logan, Hank and Rebekah to get themselves home. I hoped they would make it alive.