Edited: 3/5/16

Chapter 27 – Breaking the Habit

I feel it deep within,

It's just beneath the skin,

I must confess that I feel like a monster.

I hate what I've become,

The nightmare's just begun,

I must confess that I feel like a monster.

Monster, Skillet

No.

The word taunted him as Trowa ran. It echoed in his head, etched in spilled blood. Pain flared across his left cheek when a branch cut into the skin. He couldn't stop the hot spill of tears, or the panic stealing every bit of grace from him. The forest was more of a home to him than any house, yet now, when he needed to flow through the trees like liquid silk, they defied him. Roots tripped him up, and rocks that should have been solid rolled under his frantic feet.

Above it all, that word rang again and again. Are you all right?

No.

A blue blur flew past him, causing Trowa to veer to the left so hard he crashed into the trunk of an elm. With all the grace and skill of a blind hippopotamus, Trowa fell onto his back and tried his damnedest not to pass out as the world swirled around him.

Blue, that was important. He tried to force his jarred mind to focus. Blue. The sky was blue, but no, that didn't matter. Nor did blue jays, or blue motorcycles, or… blue mutants. "Beast," he gave a dazed grin before scrambling back up to his feet. Beast was a doctor, just the man he'd been hunting for. Staggering a bit, Trowa returned the way he came. If Beast was here, things would be fine. He was the school medic, a doctor, and an adult. Everything would be fine now. Whatever was wrong with IX would be fixed, and he could go back to hating the tiny mutant in peace without having to think too hard about him.

All thoughts about how wonderfully fine everything would turn out came to a staggering halt when Trowa rounded yet another tree to see Beast remove the last screw holding the power suppressing devise to the back of IX's head.

Before he could give voice to the strangled protest locked in his throat, the metal plate fell to the leaf littered ground. "Shit," he hissed as the small hairs along his arms rose. What the hell? Trowa could almost feel something flood the small clearing. Even Beast could feel it, if the fluffed out state of his blue fur was any indication.

Shit, shit, shit, he's gunna kill me, Trowa's wild thoughts rooted him to the spot. He knew he should be doing something, like running, or even hiding himself with his power, but the mindless terror kept him locked in place. For the first time in his life he understood how it felt to be hunted with no chance of escape. His heart beat like a wild thing in his chest, and for a second a more rational thought piped up that he'd just been stabbed in the heart, and all this thumping along probably wasn't good for him.

A cross between a squawk and a hysterical laugh tore its way out of his throat at the absurd thought. The abrupt sound jerked Beast's head around, pinning the panicking teen to the spot.

"What a-"

The would-be lecture ended when IX sat up, and before either of them could react, vanished into thin air.

"Well, I suppose things are now well and truly out of hand. Come along Mr. Snyder, let's hope our pet assassin isn't off killing everyone." With that ominous statement hanging in the air like a cloud of mustard gas, Trowa meekly followed behind the much larger mutant. Even though he was the one who'd been stabbed in the chest, he couldn't ignore the fact that he might bear some responsibility in whatever happened next.

Hank held in the snarl of frustration clawing to escape his furred throat. It would feel good to release some of the tension singing in his large frame, but he worried the sound would make the pale teen following behind him faint dead away. The blood on the kid's shirt was troubling, but he'd gotten enough from Xavier in the info mind blast that he knew both what had happened, and what they planned on doing to fix it. Since Trowa was running around the forest, instead of lying in a pool of blood, the doctor could only assume it was a success.

Later, if there was a later, he'd scan the boy's chest to make sure everything healed correctly. If IX was able to heal others the way he healed himself, he had little doubt Trowa would be fine. What Hank didn't know was how this mess began in the first place. Idiot was probably tormenting IX again, he though mulishly. Unlike the other teachers, he didn't approve of the treatment of the ex-assassin. It was too much like playing with a caged diamond-back rattler. There were only so many times you could stick your hand in the tank without getting bitten. Stupidity didn't cover what they were doing.

His warning fell on deaf ears. Even the Professor was less than helpful, which surprised Hank. Usually, Xavier could be counted on as a pillar for fairness and understanding, but something about IX got to the man, blinding him to the danger. Even great men could be arrogant, believing they had everything under control while chaos reigned around them.

This time, Trowa got a taste of the poison. Thankfully the stupid child hadn't been killed, but Hank knew that was more luck than anything else. So much for being incapable of disobeying orders, he thought while they ran. Then again, he saw the blood that all but poured out of the fallen mutant in the seconds before he managed to get the device off. What would have happened if IX hadn't been able to access his power? He didn't know.

There is much we don't know.

IX appeared in Xavier's office, and stumbled to his knees. Pain crawled through his veins like acid, but he didn't have time. With barely a thought he sent another pulse of power through himself, shoring up the damage enough for him to function without collapsing.

Blinking, IX cleared the blood from his eyes enough to see Xavier face down on the desk. Blood pooled beneath the bald head, leaking from his nose. IX felt his chest tighten at the sight. Was he too late? Had he failed? Another stab of pain shot through him at the thought as his power lashed out in warning. He had to save his Wielder.

In seconds he had Xavier on the ground, his head cradled in his lap. Closing his eyes, IX loosed his power. It stabbed into Xavier's mind like a blade of pure light. The damage was extensive. Blood pooled in the soft brain tissue from half a dozen torn veins. Taking a steadying breath, IX focused, healing the damage.

Pain woke Xavier from his stupor half way through the process. It felt like someone had drilled a hole in the top of his skull and dumped a gallon of molten lead into him. Unable to help it, he screamed.

IX bit his bottom lip, pain clawed at his chest at the sound. His duty was to protect his Wielder, not harm him. But he forced himself to fight the pain and continue healing. If he stopped now, it would all be for nothing. They'd both perish.

The heavy wooden door to the office exploded inward with enough force that IX almost lost control of the power. His teeth drove through his bottom lip while he was forced to divide his attention enough to add a shield between him and the enemy. Something slammed into the side of the shield, but he paid no attention to it, unwilling to divert his focus again.

Xavier's first scream was more than physical. It echoed in the minds of everyone on campus. Jean, Storm, and Scott all dropped everything and ran. When they found the door locked, Scott didn't hesitate to blast it off the frame. What they saw when they entered froze them for a crucial instant. IX, covered in blood, Xavier on the ground, half in his lap and screaming.

"Stop!" Scott shouted, but neither mutant looked at him. Fury flooded his veins. It felt like his power had taken the place of blood, and threatened to erupt out of his flesh in a single massive explosion. He knew this would happen. IX was a monster, and they'd been utter fools to think for a second he wouldn't turn on them. His lips curled in a savage snarl as he stalked forward, only to bounce off an invisible field. His hand shot up to his visor and he shot a blast at the barrier.

The brilliant beam of crimson lot shot forward, only to bounce off at an angle and burn a hole in the wall. "Damn it Scott, are you trying to kill us?" Jean shouted. Her mind pushed at the edges of the strange force field, but couldn't get past it. Part of her screamed in fury at being denied her prey, but the rest was shamefully thankful that she wouldn't have to try and touch IX's mind again. The thought of entering his poisoned thoughts made her skin crawl.

Scott turned and glared at her. "No, I'm trying to save Xavier," he snapped back before slamming a fist against the shield. It felt like punishing a brick wall and had about the same effect.

Storm ignored the bickering pair, instead she eased forward and rested a hand against the barrier. The power hummed against her skin, a force unlike anything she'd felt before. Inside the dome, the screaming increased in pitch, wrenching at her heart. She studied the pair, watching tears of blood trickle down IX's face, noting how his teeth pierced his bottom lip, and the intensely focused expression on his face.

A moment later, the horrible screaming died down to a low guttural whine. "IX," Scott growled, willing the tiny assassin to turn. He didn't. Helplessness flooded him, and he silently cursed himself for not dealing with IX back when he'd been bound and helpless.

Xavier drifted in the echoing silence. The horrid pain faded into a distant, almost pleasant, thrum. Had the world ever been so quiet? Soon, his disjointed thoughts came back together, once more forming a cohesive whole. His mind drifted, exploring the edges of the quiet when he felt it. A crack, no more than one. He frowned. There shouldn't be any cracks.

When his powers first developed, he'd almost been driven mad by them. The strength of his gift - his curse - was beyond anything seen before. In those first years, he'd almost lost himself to the voices in his head. Xavier couldn't remember who he was, or which memories belonged to him. Instead, he'd become an echo chamber for every mind that neared him. He'd nearly killed himself trying to silence the voices. In the end, he'd had to totally isolate himself and build a thick set of mental shields to help separate himself from the world.

He had no choice, it was that or go mad. Even with the thickest shields he could conceive, he'd never been able to block out the voices completely. But, he learned to tone it down, and most importantly, he'd learned how to wall them off from his subconscious. Those bedrock shields held his mind safe from the thoughts and feelings of everyone else. Now he saw a thin spider web of cracks in those vital shields. When had it happened? Then again, did he really have to ask?

There was a price for everything. Did he think he could swim through the swamp of IX's memories and not be damaged by them? Yes, he did. Foolish old man. He thought the nightmares were the price for learning how to tame IX, but he'd been wrong. So very wrong.

For all these months the thoughts and emotions of everyone in the school had bled into his subconscious, like poison seeping into groundwater. Their hate, fear, and disgust poisoned his own thoughts against IX.

Only now, cut off from the thoughts of the school, could he see how flimsy his mental excuses had been for allowing the abuse of IX to continue. Nausea twisted his stomach as he accepted his own compliance. Even though his mind had been damaged, he should have realized what happened. He should have at least checked the shields. But he hadn't. He'd accepted the thoughts of the students, and part of his own subconscious echoed those thoughts back. Even now, he couldn't help the anger he felt towards IX's past deeds.

Even he couldn't forgive IX for all the innocent blood the youth spilled.

Xavier also understood the students' motivation. It wasn't just that IX was a murderer, no, he was a symbol. He was the living embodiment of everything they had to fear in the world. IX was the product of a government that wanted to destroy them. The school was their sanctuary away from the hate and fear of the real world, but IX was Humanity made flesh, sent to destroy them in their beds. They couldn't see him as a person. All they could see was the threat he represented.

Kitty sees him now, he mused. Yes, Kitty. Of all the students, Xavier would have chosen her to be the first to rise above base fear and reach out the hand of friendship. She was special, even in a school full of special children. Kitty gave him hope. Even he'd allowed the Darkness to cloud his mind, but she'd overcome it on her own.

Wearily, he opened his eyes. IX's brilliant green gaze studied his for a long moment. "Are you well, sir?"

"Yes, thank you IX. And Trowa?"

"He is healed." The dull monotone brought weak chuckle to Xavier's lips. They both almost died, but it seemed IX was as unphased as ever. The slight smile dimmed as he looked into the boy's bloody face. Red streaks marked his cheeks, like bloody tear tracks, the tears he'd never willingly cry. It made his chest ache. For all he'd done, IX had been damaged most of all. Unlike the other victims, he hadn't escaped. They, at least, were able to hold onto themselves through the darkness. Their hearts and minds remained a place of freedom and hope.

IX was chained down in every way conceivable.

"I'm so sorry, IX. I promise, from now on, I'll strive to be worthy to be your keeper," his voice broke at the end, but he finally accepted the word. The title. He was IX's keeper, and it was his duty to protect and guide him.

Tilting his head slightly, IX blinked down at him. "Yes, sir. I accept your apology." he acknowledged, unable to comprehend what Xavier was apologizing for.

Xavier drew in a deep breath before turning inward again. Each crack was slowly mended, patched over. They were still weak, and would take several hours of meditation to strengthen, but they would hold for now. Opening his eyes, he offered IX a weak smile. "Help me into my chair, will you?"

"Yes, sir." It took a few awkward minutes, but IX finally got the downed Professor back into his wheel chair. Then he turned and studied the furious teachers on the other side of his shield.

"Everything is fine now, please remain calm. IX is going to drop the shield and return to his room. Then I'm going to take a quick bath and we'll have a staff meeting. There are many things we need to discuss." His gaze narrowed when he spotted Trowa, half hidden behind Hank. "Come to my office tomorrow after class young man."

"Yes, uh, sir," Trowa squeaked before he turned and ran.

Xavier's sharp gaze locked on each disgruntled face before moving on to the next. Their thoughts were an agitated chatter in the back of his mind, a cacophony of sound he didn't bother untangling. He had little doubt the thoughts would be verbalized, loudly, and soon.

A chair scraped against the wooden floor as Scott drove himself up to his feet. "What the hell is going on? Why aren't we dealing with that little sociopath? Damn it, this has gone on long enough. I refuse to allow that ... that creature to remain a threat to the school," Scott snarled. In the time it took for Xavier to get cleaned up, he'd decided to put his foot down. What would it take to make Xavier see the truth? An actual death? Did IX have to rip someone's heart out in front of him to get the old man to act?

Yes, he understood Xavier's compassion. How often had they taken one of the lost ones back from Magneto's band of trouble makers? But that was different. Those mutants wanted to change. They understood the path to peace wouldn't be won through blood, and violence wasn't the answer to the question of how they'd be saved.

They understood. IX wasn't like that. Not one little bit. IX was a cold blooded murder who could, and had, killed on command. He obviously couldn't be controlled, and they were keeping him captive for fuck sake. It wasn't like he came to them looking for a new life. It would be like kidnapping one of the Brotherhood and trying to reform them against their will. Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

Scott respected Xavier, looked up to him like a father, but he knew the man was wrong in this. Keeping IX was impossible. They couldn't keep him locked up, and leaving him free would end in bloodshed. Why couldn't Xavier see that? Sometimes there was no difference between the noble path, and the foolish one.

"Are you finished?" Three little words, but they held such ice that Scott dropped instantly back in his chair. How long had it been since he'd had that tone directed at him? Suddenly he felt like an awkward teenager again who'd been caught trying to sneak out of the mansion.

"I will have no more interruptions, is that understood?" Again Xavier's eyes swept over them. The hardness in those normally kind blue eyes stalled further protest. "Now, I have no excuse for my behavior over the past few months, and neither do the rest of you."

"But, I thought we were here about IX," Jean asked.

"We are. We are here to discuss our appalling behavior towards someone who's already lived a life of victimization."

"Now wait a damn-"

"SILENCE," Xavier's voice boomed throughout the room and resonated in their minds, instantly killing their protests.

"I lived through every memory that child had, and the mere act of reliving them with him damaged my mental shields, allowing the thoughts of the students and staff to influence my behavior. I allowed one of the people under my care to be ruthlessly tormented without putting a stop to it. You, the staff, also allowed the abuse to continue. Not only that, but you partook of your own petty torments against an individual incapable of defending himself."

Heat burned Storm's cheeks as memories assaulted her. How many times had she turned her back when she saw the other kids bullying IX? How often had she assigned unwarranted detentions? Shame flooded her, tightening her chest and making her look down, unable to meet Xavier's penetrating gaze.

Scott's lips curled in a scowl, but it wilted half way through. He remembered high school, and how bad things got after his mutation was discovered. More, he remembered being captured by people like IX. That terror gripped his heart, and he realized that he'd been taking out his past on the boy. Yes, IX was the same as the people who took him, but there was one way he was different. He was also a victim. What if Xavier hadn't saved Scott when he had? What would have become of him? In his heart, he knew he could have ended up just like IX. Another mindless drone following orders. Swallowing hard, he locked eyes with Xavier and let the thoughts and emotions play across the forefront of his mind, acknowledging the wisdom of the old man.

Rage licked at Jean's senses. One by one she sensed the others bow down under the chastisement of Xavier, but she refused to fall for it. They didn't know what IX was really like. They'd never been at his mercy. Mercy, ha! That monster has no mercy in him. He would have shattered my mind and thought nothing of it. He would have killed us all and forgotten us the next day. Xavier might trust him, and the others might feel pity for him, but I know what he is. He is death. Still, she knew the others wouldn't agree, not now. Not even Scott. Sorrow twisted through her heart, a dark loneliness that seemed to echo back from her past. In the forefront of her mind she played thoughts of her actions, and inactions, then she let sorrow and shame fill her while she hid her true thoughts away. Jean wasn't nearly as strong as Xavier when it came to power, but she had the advantage. He was always willing to believe the best of people, and he wasn't the type to dig deeper. No, he'd accept what he saw as truth. If the rest of the sheep wanted to follow their elderly shepherd, so be it. She would simply have to be the sheep dog, and protect the flock when the time came.

"We have all made mistakes. We allowed fear to cloud our judgement, and for that, a student in our care was brutalized. From this point forward, we must strive to do better. IX will no longer be punished unjustly. Any student who bullies IX in the future will be punished. We will no longer turn our eyes away from what's going on in this school. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

"Yeah."

"Agreed."

Xavier gave a sharp smile. "I will be altering IX's orders. He will be permitted to use his power to defend himself, though he is not permitted to deliberately harm a student without provocation. I'm also altering all of the orders so that if he disobeys, his power will not turn against him."

"Is that what happened? His body appeared to be greatly damaged when I found him," Hank asked. He'd had the least amount of contact with IX in the past months, so he wasn't feeling the level of shame the rest were experiencing.

"Yes. It appears his powers were trained alongside his mind. If he disobeys a direct order, his power turns against him."

"What order did he disobey?" Jean asked, careful to keep her tone neutral.

"It appears Trowa attacked him in the woods. Unfortunately, he used his power during the attack, so IX did not recognize him as a student until it was too late," Xavier said.

"Too late?" Storm questioned, remembering the blood staining the front of Trowa's shirt.

"Yes, IX was eating a quail in the woods and had a small paring knife." Xavier paused, knowing the next words would only spark their still smoldering anger, "he threw the blade in reflex when he was attacked. It hit Trowa in the chest."

All his understanding of IX vanished. "Are you kidding? The assassin had a knife, and stabbed one of the students in the chest? Xavier! Are you insane? How many of us has he almost killed without your old orders and no access to his power? Maybe it would be better to keep him locked up."

Xavier sighed. Two steps forward, about two dozen back it seemed. He loved Scott like a son, but sometimes the man was like an ill-tempered terrier. Once he latched on to a thing, he was damned hard to shake off.

Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, he said, "The knife was used to cut the meat. Yes, IX attacked a student. However, he did not know it was a student at the time. We are all to blame for what happened in the woods today."

"What? No we-"

"Yes! We are all to blame. If we hadn't permitted the students to think it was perfectly fine to go around kicking IX, then Trowa wouldn't have attacked him. We had the opportunity to nip this in the bud when it first began. Instead we fed the flames and things got out of control." Xavier paused, glaring at each of them in turn. "Did you all honestly think this could go on forever with someone getting hurt? IX may look small, but he is a highly trained assassin. He was also incapable of defending himself. It was only a matter of time before these two factors came into dire conflict. We're only lucky that no one died. As it stands, IX and I both risked our lives to save Trowa."

"What happened Charles?" Hank asked softly, his eyes glittering with suppressed worry for one of his oldest friends.

"Trowa was dying. So was IX for disobeying orders. The only way to save them was for IX to heal Trowa, but with the power inhibiter on, he couldn't access his power." Xavier sighed, closing his eyes. "I acted as a bridge between IX and his power, it almost destroying my brain to do so. His power is...quite intense."

Hank cursed. "Are you insane? What were you thinking? Oh of course you weren't thinking, damned noble asshole. Come on, you're getting scanned now," he snarled. Before Xavier could begin to protest, the blue furred mutant was wheeling him out of the conference room.

The other teachers watched them go with shocked eyes. Jean's fist clenched as anger warred with shame. Xavier almost died to save Trowa. Could she have done that? She was a healer, it was her calling to save lives, not take them. Anger burned, a sullen coal in her chest. Why was she so angry all the time? IX, it all came back to him and what he'd done to her. In her heart, she knew she wouldn't have been able to save Trowa. No, she would never have been able to merge her mind with IX. The shame rose up to smother her endless anger.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just let things go? I promise, I'll do better.

IX let the hot water wash over his naked body while his power washed through it. The damage was extensive. Tiny cuts lined his inner organs, muscles, skin, everywhere. In the forest, he'd only healed himself enough to get to Xavier, now he finished the job. It felt amazing. Power danced through his flesh, touching every part of him as he healed himself.

Months without having access to it made the power all the headier. If he were more whimsical, he might have thought he could fly, drunk on power alone. Instead he healed himself, washed the blood away, and laid down to rest. Even though the energy filled every cell, his physical body was exhausted from all the mad activity of the past few hours.

Before he fell asleep, his mind reached out to touch Xavier's. "Are you well?"

Xavier let Hank fuss over him. Most of the time the man was able to hide behind his aloft doctor persona, but that wasn't working a bit for him now. Instead he was tugging at his blue fur, making it spike in all sorts of crazed directions while he muttered under his breath about all the tests he'd have to perform.

A low sigh of exasperation escaped him as he was forced to endure yet another test. "I'm fine, Hank."

"Fine?! You're crazy, I saw all the blood. You're not fine."

"Yes, there was some damage-"

"Some?" Hank all but shrieked.

"Fine, there was a lot of damage, but IX healed it. I'm fine. If I wasn't fine I'd be dead. Right?"

Looking down at the scans again, Hank could make out the slightest ghost of the damage that had been done. If he was honest with himself, he had no idea how Xavier survived in the first place. Or why the man wasn't a brain damaged, drooling husk. Then again, IX should still be a vegetable, his healing power is amazing. I wish I could bottle it up. He could save so many people. "Fine, you're right," he growled, "but I still-"

"No. I let you do your tests, and the fact that I'm still up and breathing is proof that IX fixed the damage. Now, it's time for-"

Are you well?

"Oh for the love of..." Yes IX, I'm completely healthy. Hank ran a few tests and everything came back normal.

Hank frowned, "Charles? I think you need more test."

Xavier huffed in exasperation. "How long have you known me? You should know when I'm talking to someone mentally. IX wanted to know if I was all right. So yes, to you, to him, to everyone, for the last time - I'm Fine. Now, come along. It's time for supper and I have some announcements that need to be made."

IX, please go to supper.

Yes, sir.

The need for rest throbbed in every fiber of IX's being, but so did the memory of pain. The mere thought of not immediately following Xavier's command made his muscles twitch in phantom agony. So instead of sleeping, the short assassin rose and dressed. Food would help restore his energy too.

IX's thoughts didn't linger on the knowledge that things were bound to get worse. The students weren't the forgiving sort, and he knew Trowa would have told them about what happened. They were protective of their own, and he had little doubt that he'd be punished extensively for the attack. At least he could heal himself now. That would make all the difference.

Perhaps he'd use his shielding ability to defend himself without risking injury to the other students. Then again, that would only spur them to greater heights. It was like running from a pack of wild dogs, the sight of prey running threw them into a hunting frenzy. Seeing IX, and not being able to dole out their planned abuse would have the same effect on the students, he decided. It was better to let them get it out of their system.

The only major problem was Kitty. The students wouldn't be able to get to him unless they went through her first. IX didn't care what happened to him, but he was tasked with defending the students, and keeping them from harming Kitty would be difficult.

Pushing the problem aside for later consideration, IX trudged out of his room. Food first, then rest, and then he'd figure out how to keep his friend from being torn to pieces by the raging mob. Unless the mob chose to attack at dinner, then he'd have to wing it. IX rubbed his eyes, forcing his mind into stillness.

Kitty sat alone at their little corner of the table. Voices rose and fell around her in an endless, mindless tide. Tonight her mind didn't try and filter them, seeking conversations about herself the way her tongue might stray again and again to a sore tooth. IX wasn't even sitting with her, but none of the other student's choose to join her either. Instead they treated this part of the table like a plague zone. No one sat there. Just Kitty and IX, and now only Kitty.

Where is he? Worry clawed playfully at her lower intestines, twisting her stomach up like a kitten let loose in a basket of yarn. The plate of food in front of her remained untouched. IX hadn't been at lunch, nor in any of his afternoon classes. When she asked around, no one knew where he was.

Then they'd all heard that horrible mental scream and all the teachers ran out, yet no one bothered filling them in on what the heck happened. Instead rumors ran rampant through the school. And, of course, IX was at the heart of all of them. What were the odds he'd disappear, and Xavier would scream, all in the same afternoon? Pretty nonexistant actually, but Kitty refused to believe it. IX didn't hurt people. Well, okay, he used to hurt and kill people, but that was before. He couldn't do that anymore. He wouldn't do that. Especially not Xavier. Xavier was like, his uber boss, he couldn't kill the Professor.

She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling while she tried to make herself believe that.

Someone slid into the seat next to her, causing the small girl to startle. Wide blue eyes locked on IX's exhausted face and before he could react, she threw her arms around him, clinging to him.

IX grunted and fought against the urge to attack. Closing his eyes, he awkwardly patted one of her hands. "Kitty?" He asked as he half-heartedly tried to pull one of the clutching hands off his person. Instead of letting go she clung tighter, and to his silent despair, began sobbing. Tired green eyes drifted around the room, and every face they lit upon turned away. Unlike with the child, no one would save him from the weeping female.

Marshaling the last of his strength he tried to find a solution to this new dilemma. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Life with these people was an endless roller-coaster of confusion. He hadn't even seen the girl for most of the day, so what could possibly be wrong with her?

Had someone harmed her in retaliation for being his friend? Something tightened in his chest at the thought. "Who hurt you?" He demanded.

There was the slightest undertone of something in his normally dead voice that brought Kitty's head up. "Wha?" Tears fell down her soft cheeks, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Who hurt you?"

Kitty blinked at him in confusion, trying to regain control of her wild emotions. It was only then she noticed the silence. Every student in the dining hall stopped eating and were staring at their little drama. Heat blazed in her cheeks and Kitty jerked away from IX while scrubbing at her heated face in a vain attempt to erase the tears. Not that it would help, she knew her face was all blotchy. It would be an hour at least before she looked like normal.

"What? Oh, um no one hurt me. I was, well, you see I thought uh," again her face burned. How in the world do you tell your friend that you thought he might have spent the afternoon murdering the Principal of the school? "I was just worried about you. Um, where were you?"

IX blinked at her while trying to understand her disjointed attempt at communication. Usually Kitty's problem was the inability to stop talking, now she seemed to struggle with her words. It was peculiar. "Are you well?" He found himself asking that question more often of late, and he wasn't sure why he cared about the status of the people around him. It wasn't like they were members of a team. Their physical and mental wellbeing wouldn't be a factor in an upcoming mission, so why did he care if they were well?

Kitty gave him a watery smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. Are you? You look a little worn out. Have you been sleeping all right? You still look a little thin. Maybe you should eat extra tonight?"

The slightest smile touched the corner of IX's lip. That was the Kitty he'd come to know. Whatever breakdown she'd experienced a moment ago appeared to be over. "I am in need of food and rest."

Her own smile blazed at the sight of his. It wasn't the flimsy fake smile he usually gave. Instead it was that little lip twitch she suspected might someday develop into a real, honest to goodness, smile. In her secret heart, Kitty longed to be the first one to see that real smile. Someday, she would.

A companionable silence fell between them as they ate. All her earlier stomach upset was gone. If he was here, eating with them, then everything must be fine.

After the students finished eating, but before they were dismissed for the evening, Xavier arrived. He looked terrible. Dark bags hung beneath his exhausted blue eyes, and he seemed paler than normal. All the students remembered the anguished scream they'd heard earlier in the day, and they fell silent, starved for information and assurances.

"Good evening students. First, I wish to inform you that I am doing well and to apologize for any distress I might have caused you earlier in the day. I have a number of announcements to make and would like you all to give me your attention." Xavier's voice was a little rougher than normal, still damaged from screaming.

"I wish to issue a formal apology to one of our students. IX, I failed in my duty as Head of this Institution, to provide a safe environment for all my students and you suffered as a result of that failure. I have no excuse for my inaction in this matter and can only offer my deepest regret that you were harmed due to my unwillingness to act." The silence in the room took on a hostile edge while the students digested what he said. Before they could make their displeasure known, Xavier continued. "The staff has also been lax in living the values of this institute, and permitting such vile behavior."

Now his eyes seemed to lock on every one of the students. "I am ashamed of you all, and of myself. We have become what we fear most. What difference is there between our behavior, and the behavior IX experienced at the hands of the humans who mutilated him?" Angry whispers broke out at that, harsh denials. "Stop. I want you all to think back of your time before you came to me. Think about every student who bullied you for being different, think about every parent who rejected and hated you. All of that hate has festered inside us, and the moment it had an appropriate target, we unleashed it upon him. Please think about what you've done over the past few months to IX."

"He committed crimes against us at the behest of a shadow government organization. We have the right to be angry over that, but we don't have the right to torment someone who cannot defend themselves. If we do that, we're no better than the humans who made IX to begin with. I built this Institute because I believed there was a better way. I believe we can rise above anger, hatred, and fear. Do you? Can you find it within yourselves to forgive? Or are you so jaded by what was done to you that you've lost your hope for a better world?" The hostile mutters shifted back into sullen silence, but they listened.

"We are better than this. We are not bullies, and I refuse to become what the humans fear we are. I refuse to become a monster."

As one, the student body flinched at the last word. Doubt crept into their righteous fury. A small seed, planted in the hearts and minds of the students, the seed of understanding.

"With that in mind, I am enacting the following. IX you now have full access to your powers and may use them as you see fit. You are not permitted to harm the students out of malice, but you are allowed to defend yourself from attack using non-lethal force. Please defend the students to the best of your ability from attack, both internal and external. You may defend your friends from retaliation by the other students." The stink of fear filled the room. Every student turned as one to stare at IX, expecting the tiny killer to attack at any moment.

Instead, he was once again trapped by Kitty's clinging arms as she sobbed into his chest and apologized over her horrible behavior before. IX's dull voice broke the charged silence. "Yes, sir."

"From this day forth, anyone caught antagonizing, attacking, bullying, sabotaging, or in any way behaving like we've seen in the past few months towards IX will be punished. If the transgression is serious, we will expel you from the school, just as we would with any other student who attacks his or her fellow mutants. Is that understood?" The mutter of 'yes, sirs' was less than enthusiastic, but no one refused. They could all see Xavier's iron resolve, and they knew pushing him now, after all that had already happened wouldn't be the smartest thing in the world.

"You are dismissed. Please return to your dorm rooms and give my words due consideration. I want a three thousand word essay about the negative impact bullying has on student psyche due Monday. Is that understood?"

This time the agreement was mingled with groans of dismay. "Good night."

Crying was the most incomprehensible human expression conceivable, IX decided while shedding his damp shirt. He'd finally managed to escape Kitty's choke hold, and that was only after he'd promised multiple times that he didn't hate her, that she wasn't a monster, and that he forgave her for all the pranks and cruel tricks she'd pulled on him.

He'd been forced to beg her to let him go so he could rest, and remind her that she needed to return to her dorm room before they got in trouble before she'd let him go.

Finally free, IX fled back down into the dubious safety of the holding cells. Xavier's speech lingered in the back of his mind as he drifted off to sleep. He didn't understand the man. Why was he apologizing in the first place? Perhaps he felt that IX's punishment was now finished. It took several months, but maybe the students and staff succeeded in punishing him enough for them to move on.

Now maybe he would be able to work on his primary objective in peace. It would be a lot easier to learn to play human if all the other humans weren't attacking him every time he turned around.

Sleep washed over him.

From the top of a 200 meters high building, the angle of depression to the bottom of a second building is 20 degrees. From the same spot, the angle of elevation to the top of the second building is 10 degrees. Calculate the height of the second building.

IX's pencil dipped down to begin the calculation when a jolt went through him. Jerking around, he saw the little kid sitting outside his cell, one hand raised, gripping what looked like thin air. He blinked at the small child, and understood as his power touched the boy at the same time he reached out to grab the air again.

"That's pretty. Yours isn't like the other white lights."

"What do you mean?" IX asked.

Standing up, Malcom skipped into IX's room. A neon green monster truck toy sat forlornly in the hall behind him, forgotten. "Well, you know, I see stuff like powers and stuff. Most peoples are different. Different colors. Some are soft, or bumpy, or well, you know. Different. But, there's the white light ones too."

IX got up from his desk and approached the boy before crouching so they'd be on the same level.

"What do the white light people look like?"

"They have a ball of white light riiight, here." He poked the back of his own neck, near the base of his skull. "Sometimes it's a big ball, and sometimes it's little. Kids are usually little. Anyway, they're glowly white and always a ball. But the adults have a white line that goes from the ball down one arm. You're kinda like them, but different too. You're even differenter than they are!"

"Oh?"

"Yep, you're like a ball that has lots of long arms. They're go out of you, stretching and touching. They didn't used to do that. Before you were just a glowy ball, like the others. How'd you grow tentacles? They tickle."

"My power was dormant before. Now it's free. Why are you down here?" IX asked, wondering how the littlest child in the Institute had made it to a level that was supposed to be off limits.

"Oh, I was playing hide and seek, but nobody found me. I'm hungry. Can we go get some cookies? The Oreos, with milk."

IX sighed, but gave in to the inevitable. It wouldn't do to have the child wander alone down here. "Come along."

Bobby glared up at the ceiling of his dorm room and did his best not to think. He'd been forced to listen to Pyro's ranting all night long about IX, the Professor, and everything else and he was sick to death of it all.

The teachers were a bunch of hypocrites. It wasn't like they weren't picking on the freak too. Everyone did it, so why were they suddenly monsters? If everyone jumped off a cliff he snorted at the old trope, but even though it was stupid, it still made his conscious twinge. He never thought of himself as a mindless follower before.

Rubbing his eyes, he growled. "Fuck it, if IX cared what we did, he would have stopped us. He's an assassin for God sake. It's not like he couldn't have killed us all at any time." The words rang hollow in his mind, and he went back to trying not to think about it.

The past was the past, and he refused to sit here for a second longer second guessing and psychoanalyzing himself.

All of a sudden the room began to close in on him, it felt like a cage, and Bobby wasn't going to lay here another second. After throwing on his worn sneakers, he stormed out of the room. Maybe a walk around the lake would help kill some of the restlessness burning through his veins.

Ding he froze when IX and Malcom came out of the elevator that led up from the lower forbidden levels. Familiar anger washed through him, brushing aside the self-doubt. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Malcom, get over here. How dare you take him down into the lower levels?" Cold hissed around them, causing IX's breath to plume.

Stepping forward, IX nudged the boy behind him to protect him from the fallout. Instead of staying behind him like a sensible human being, the little boy pulled away and stuck his tongue out at Bobby. "Why are you so mean, huh? You're such a big meanie all the time. IX and I are getting cookies. I went down cuz we was playing hide and seek, but nobody found me. I found IX and now we're having cookies. So just leave us alone you bully. Jean said no cursing, and you shouldn't yell all the time! I thought you were nice." With that, the small boy gave him a final dark look before he reached out and grabbed IX's hand to pull him past Bobby's shocked form.

Hate simmered like lava just below the surface of his thoughts. Every breath fanned the flames of the monster locked inside him and gave it strength. The pain of holding it back, keeping it caged, was wearing him down. Logan paced the small confining space of his room.

My cell, my cage, just a beast within a beast and both of us caged. The disjointed thoughts were relentless. It didn't matter that the door was unlocked, and he was free to leave this hellish place.

That was a lie, everything was a lie. He couldn't leave. Not without IX. A savage snarl escaped his lips against his will. The horrible sound was like wet, heavy silk being ripped. Or maybe flesh tearing under sharp claws. The shink of metal rank in his ears, and he forced the blades to retract. No.

No. No.

No.

Damn it. Agony throbbed in Logan's temples, keeping pace with his frantic heartbeat. If it weren't for his mutation, he knew he'd have had a heart attack by now. When had he last slept? No. Sleep was bad.

When he slept he dreamed.

A shudder of revulsion rocked his sweaty frame, and Logan slammed his fist into the metal wall, relishing the sharp physical pain for the few seconds it lasted. Every breath seemed to come faster, tearing out of his chest and even though he counted every step, the room began to close in around him. Caging him, locking him down. Monster.

X clawed endlessly at the tattered edges of his sanity. Relentless. The monster was utterly relentless. It never gave him a moment of peace.

Outside. The thought cut through his mind like a bolt of lightning, a cleansing burn. Fresh air, game, wilderness. Freedom.

He had to get outside.

Everything would be better then.

Xavier's head jerked up, pupils dilating in shock as his lecture came to a jagged halt.

"Logan." He gasped the word. How could things have deteriorated so fast?

The students fidgeted in their seats. The look on Xavier's face wasn't a good one. Sometimes having such a powerful Telepath around was creepy, and this was one of those moments.

"Class dismissed, please return to your dorms and remain there until informed otherwise. Thank you."

Logan's whole being was focused on a single idea, outside. Nothing else mattered. Not the students. Not IX, not the monster in his head. Outside.

Freedom.

Blood.

The elevator doors slid open, and Logan's heart stopped beating for a long hollow second. The stench of IX's blood filled his mind, shattering his concentration.

IX.

Agony, pure and blinding, torn into him. An inhuman scream roared from his parched lips as the cage in his head exploded.

X tore into him like a half mad beast, shredding his mind and destroying any hope of regaining control.

Logan gave up, let go, and fell. Water, cool and unbearably soothing closed around him, and he didn't fight it. No, there was nothing left for him to fight with, nothing left to hold back the demon.

Down he sank, letting the dark and pressure obliterate his thoughts and leave him in blessed, healing silence.

X roared to the surface of his body. HIS. The pungent scent of IX's blood flowed around him, old, but so much. Too much.

Enough. All who hurt IX would die tonight, then they would leave this place. Freedom. His mind returned to the cave they'd once shared. Yes. They would return to the forest, to the wild. He'd had enough of masters and control. His mate would not be harmed again.

Not by anyone.

Another mind tried to subdue him, to force him back into the box he'd escaped. He roared in defiance, and flung the full fury of his feral mind at the one who tried to cage him again.

Xavier cried out as X's mind rebelled. Like before, he couldn't get a grip on the feral's thoughts. He couldn't control him, and this time, Logan was beyond even his reach. He could no longer sense Logan, and feared the other half of X's mind had been destroyed.

IX, X's mind broke free, he is a threat to the students. Xavier felt sick at the thought of pitting the two Weapons against each other, but he'd seen how indestructible X was in IX's memories. Without Logan, there was little he could do to protect the staff or students.

If IX couldn't stop him, it would be a blood bath.

Peter rounded the corner at a dead run. Whatever the hell had gotten into the school was in for a rough time, no way would he let it hurt the students.

Then he saw Logan. No, not Logan any more. Glittering metal claws flared in the light, and the mad animal look of the feral's face proved no one was home. Taking a deep breath, he transformed, his flesh shifting like liquid metal.

"Stand down," he shouted, not expecting Logan to stop, but still feeling the impulse to give him a chance to back down since he was an adult and one of the Professor's guests. I'm beginning to wonder if we'll survive these guests.

X didn't disappoint. Instead he launched himself at the metallic teen. Peter dove, rolling under the slash of claws, and felt shock jolt through him as one of the blades cut into the flesh of his back.

Cut through the metal of his back.

Pain and fear flooded him in equal proportions as he came to his feet. There was no blood, but he knew the wound would translate into his flesh when he returned to normal.

Again Logan attacked. It took all Peter's skill to dodge the deadly blades, even then he was cut in half a dozen places in less than a minute. I'm not going to survive this.

He stumbled, and knew his luck was gone. X's blades shot forward to drive into his chest. Closing his eyes, Peter braced himself for the agony.

A low hiss jerked his eyes open. IX stood in front of him, and three crimson blades protruded from his upper back.

"Shit," Peter lurched to his feet and stared in shock at the two frozen figures.

IX held X's wrist as he locked gazes with the enraged feral. The dichotomy of the pair boggled his mind. One tiny, the other huge. One a mask of animal fury, the other blank as a statue. He shuddered when IX's dead voice began to speak.

"The students and staff are not to be harmed. They are to be defended from all threats. Stand down."

X snarled, his face twisting in agony as the band of obedience clamped down on him. The blades vanished, causing IX to stagger slightly before strengthening. Peter watched in stunned silence as the blood slowed, and stopped while the wounds healed in an instant.

"Yield, X." IX's voice was still void of emotion, but it was as final as the word of God. It was a tone that could make mountains bow down.

Sinking to his knees, X fought the compulsion to obey. IX wasn't safe here. He refused to save himself, and X would not stand by any longer. He wouldn't. Months locked away had worn at the leash, and with a final savage howl, the leash of Obedience snapped.

He surged to his feet and drove a fist into IX's gut before slamming the tiny male into a wall. Once everyone was dead, he'd take his mate away from this place, away from everything.

No more masters. He would save IX from himself. Turning, he launched himself at Peter. With a startled curse, Peter dove to the left and scrambled to get upright again before X finished him off when a furious growl jerked his head around.

Confusion froze the massive teen in place as he watched the clawed mutating attack...thin air. Or perhaps not so thin, since he couldn't seem to get through it. The beast of a man whipped around and snarled at IX.

Peter edged around X and saw the shorter teen had regained his feet and was staring intently at X. Again the feral charged, this time at IX, and again he rebounded off an invisible wall. Those terrible claws lashed out, but couldn't cut through.

"Yield."

A snarl met the request, and Peter doubted it was any sort of agreement. Instead X seemed to go mad. He was a typhoon of glittering claws and madness as he threw himself at the invisible force. When he began to tear into the floor as if it was made of foam and not stone, IX jerked his hand up a little and to Peter's shock, X rose into the air by several feet.

Watching the madness, Peter realized that IX had captured him in some sort of bubble. But I thought his power was healing? Maybe not so much.

"Yield."

Small beads of sweat began dotting IX's forehead, and Peter's relief turned again to fear. He couldn't hold X forever. What happened when the feral broke loose? Well, that was easy. They all died. Peter wasn't the praying type, but now he thought: Please, let IX win this test of wills.

IX stepped forward and rested his forehead against the shield. Something was wrong. His chest hurt. A quick thought proved that the stab wounds healed perfectly, so why did it hurt?

"Yield," he whispered. While his shield could hold up to all sorts of manmade technology, even they had their limits. He had to make the strongest shielding possible to keep the adamantium from cutting through, and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold X for much longer. Not under the continual barrage of his cutting blades.

"Do not force me to destroy you."

The anguish in IX's normally dead voice ripped through X's madness. Wild eyes locked on IX's face, and in the depths of green he saw death.

IX would destroy him.

A low whine broke the back of his defiance. He'd tried to take control and failed. IX would not hesitate to pit his fire against X's healing factor. Closing his eyes, X sank to his knees, head down and back bowed in submission.

Satisfaction flared in IX's mind, and his breath came out in a slow exhale. With a thought, the shield vanished, dropping X down to the mangled floor. Still, the feral remained in position.

IX stalked forward and grabbed a fist full of wild brown hair. Without hesitation, he jerked X's head to the side and sank his teeth into X's neck. The thick meat of him filled IX's mouth, and warmth sang through his heart. Closing his eyes, he bit down until the rich tang of blood filled his mouth. IX swallowed once before allowing his own power to spill into the wound, forcing X's flesh to retain the mark.

Licking the blood from his lips, IX stood. "You will obey me X. Now and always. The students and staff of this Institution are not to be harmed. If attacked, we are to defend them. Is that understood?" X's head dipped lower, and he gave another low whine.

The hit of a smile touched IX's lips as he reached out to run his fingers through X's hair. Before he could react, X leapt to his feet and scooped IX into his massive arms. He didn't even glance at Peter's shocked face as he stalked past. The pair entered the elevator, vanishing back down into the underground as if the last ten minutes hadn't happened.

"Crazy. They're both crazy," he grumbled while hobbling towards the hospital wing.

It felt like he drank too much soda. Almost like all the bubbles had gotten into his blood, flooding him with the strangest sensation of floating contentment. In seconds, X had them in his room, and to his shock he didn't pull his shirt down to expose his shoulder like normal. Instead he tore IX's shirt off completely. Quickly followed by the rest of his clothing.

IX didn't fight X's strange behavior. Instead he relished the touch, the feel of powerful hands holding him to the bed while X licked and bit over his skin. Every sharp touch felt like coming home and his mind was invaded by X's wild scent. Closing his eyes, IX went boneless against the mattress, relaxing fully for the first time since they were captured.

A desperate whine escaped X when his little mate failed to respond. X's body was so hard it felt like he might die, and all he wanted to do was shove himself into the sinuous form beneath him. Instead he rutted against IX in a parody of what he wanted to do. Groaning, he sank his teeth into IX's shoulder, savoring the lightning rich blood while he clung to IX, desperate to finish it before his own libido burned him to a cinder.

With a final thrust, X moaned, spilling his seed against IX's soft flesh.

IX didn't react to the behavior. Instead his fingers traced lightly over X's exposed back, tracing thick muscles while he savored the warmth of the much larger man. Mild irritation flitted through his mind at their position, and he shoved X's broad shoulder until the feral gave up and rolled over.

The slightest of smiles curled IX's lips as he stretched himself over X's massive chest.

Finally, he could sleep.

Logan drifted towards the surface slowly, and he fought against the urge to stay below the soothing waves of his inner mind. Let X have the body, keeping it was too hard.

That wasn't it, and he knew it.

No, he was afraid. After fighting with everything he had, Logan failed. How many students died? How many new corpses could be added to the parade of dead trailing behind him?

He didn't want to wake up and face what his weakness wrought, but he refused to hide in his mind like a coward. Taking a long deep breath, he froze. The scent of blood didn't clot the air. In fact, he drew another hungry breath and shuddered. Like a cat let loose in a field of catnip, he wanted to roll in the aroma, to rub himself all over it so he could carry it around with him always.

The taste of lightning lingered on his tongue, and his cock throbbed against something warm. It was then another odor caught his attention.

Cum.

IX, blood, and cum.

Dear God, What had he done? Something shifted on top of him, and Logan felt a moment of total idiocy at not having noticed him sooner. Against his will, Logan's eyes cracked open to see a scruffy mop of dark hair.

Logan swallowed hard and tried not to move. His fingers twitched, and he bit back a groan. Unable to help himself, he lightly stroked the smooth skin of IX's round ass. Again his body throbbed in helpless response and near mindless desire. Logan licked his bottom lip as his hips jerked up, just a tiny bit. Pleasure more potent than anything he could remember burned through him, and he was lost.

Moaning, he rutted up against IX's smooth stomach. Heat filled his face as his body moved in a channel of his own pre cum, but he couldn't stop now. Not even when IX woke with a sleepy murmur. Instead of fighting him, IX rubbed his cheek against Logan's chest, and relaxed. If he'd fought to get away, or even to sit up, Logan could have regained control of himself, but that one little touch drove the blaze inside him to new heights.

With a shuddering moan, he gripped IX's slender hips and shoved himself hard against the hot skin of the teen's stomach, letting loose a spray of hot semen.

As he came down, Logan fought his own revulsion. Taking a long draw of breath, he tasted IX's lack of arousal, of completion. The tiny male cuddled against him, but had found no pleasure in him. Shame washed over him like a bucket of ice water, instantly cooling the heat that was already trying to rise again. Damn it, what the fuck is wrong with me? He's a kid for fucks sake. Man I'm sick.

Gritting his teeth, Logan shoved IX off of him. Startled green eyes locked on his before the expression melted back into indifference. "Oh, you have returned."

Logan gaped at him in shock for a second. Then he glared. "Yes, I returned. I'm sure you would have been thrilled if that monster kept control, but no such luck. Why don't you fuck off back to your own room and leave me alone?"

IX studied him. Something unreadable passed behind his eyes before he reached down and dragged a single finger through the stain decorating his belly. Without a word, he brought the finger to his lips and licked it clean.

"OUT," Logan shouted. Furious confusion warred with unbridled lust, and he knew if he didn't get the little bastard out of his room this second, he'd take with the idiotic boy was offering. His cock throbbed enthusiastically for that option.

In the back of his mind X stirred, and to his horror, perked up in interest at the thought. Suddenly he understood that X couldn't mate with IX unless the tiny assassin complied, but Logan had no such problems. He didn't require scent triggers. Hell, humans didn't need any sort of consent.

The thought disgusted him. Reaching out, he grabbed IX and threw him bodily out into to hallway.

IX landed lightly on his feet, baffled by Logan's strange behavior. They taste the same, he mused as he walked back to his room. For some reason, he thought there would be a difference between Logan and X.

"Oh my God, put some clothes on."

Distracted from his thoughts, IX glanced up at Scott, who'd come down to check on them when they hadn't come up to breakfast. The visored mutant was almost as red as his glasses, and he was stiffly looking the other direction so he wouldn't get another eye full of naked assassin.

Padding barefoot down the hall, IX smiled. His shoulder burned from the lingering bite marks and even though Logan came back, he still felt relaxed. Maybe this wasn't such a bad place to be after all.

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