DISCLAIMER: recognizable=Marvels, unrecognizable=mine. Kay???

Sinister glanced down at the computer's readings and sighed. Conditioning is out of the question; the last attempt was rather futile . . . something more permanent is in order. He placed the papers onto the consul and turned towards Rogue's sedated form. She lay on a table, hands and feet strapped to it by metal slabs. A mask was over her mouth that connected to the wall. He walked over to check the dosage of the gas. He glanced at Rogue and entered her mind.

The mind was the most prized possession of most people he encountered. And unfortunately, for them, it was the most easily manipulated. All that was required was a small adjustment here and there and the person belonged to him. Rogue's mutation was very promising. His whole life, since his 'mutation' by Apocalypse, had been devoted to cultivating powerful mutants; to create a mutant that was able to adapt in situations as he could. His abilities, however, had their limits. Rogue's ability didn't if her mutation was allowed to complete. But it had been stalled; blocked by psychological barriers she had developed in her childhood. Now, if he could destroy those bonds her powers would develop fully. Having her under his control would take little effort. Just one or two hidden messages that would make her his when the time was right.

Sinister walked through her mind, passing through memories, treading across the fabric of it. He stopped and looked at one image that was paler than the others. It was a little boy and a young woman. He recognized them almost immediately. Images of long ago. They were not her memories. Just lingering fragments from Gambit's mind. Sinister continued his journey deeper into her mind. He came upon a thick wall blocking his pathway. He glanced about it in both directions and saw a door. He floated towards it and went to open the door. The doorknob turned into a snake and attacked him. Sinister's eyes blazed and he lashed out at the snake, destroying it.

Sinister glanced down at Rogue. She was stirring. He gently administered more tranquilizers and then reentered her mind. Gazing at the wall, Sinister's eyes turned a dark red. The wall melted away and sinister stepped inside.

A garden? Sinister looked about it.. He spotted a small dirt pathway and began to walk down it. Flowers were blooming and the leaves on the trees were a brilliant green. He walked deeper into the garden, trying to get towards the center of it. The pathway became smaller and the trees and flowers more dense. Vines and tree stumps began to cover the pathway making it difficult to tell which way to go. Sinister narrowed his eyes and the trees and flowers melted away as the door had. When they had all vanished all that remained was the wall and a small well in the middle of the garden.

As he walked towards the well he noticed that there was no water in it. Instead there was a clear liquid. He floated above the liquid. Show me your childhood. The liquid moved upwards surrounding Sinister, twirling about him but never touching him. Sinister smiled as he began to watch Rogue's memories.

Well mystique's ally did a reasonable job of blocking you memories. No doubt she didn't know that by doing so it would hamper your powers development. Sinister rose above the liquid and watched it return to its original form. HE glanced at the wall. It kept the memories just out of Rogue's reach. He began to destroy it. Now all he had to do was help Rogue deal with the memories . . . or give her something else to focus on. . . .but what?

In the laboratory Rogue groaned gently, moving slightly in her sleep. The machine automatically doubled the dosage of the tranquilizer, quieting her down.

The eighteen-year-old walked down the tunnel towards the laboratory, Sinister wanted to see him. Everyone else was away, uptown in Seattle. He was going to meet Rashelle and Haley at the usual coffee shop. As he got closer to the laboratory his steps became slower. He'd never truly like doctor's offices or labs. Or needles for that matter. Tante Mattie had always tried to calm him with her soothing words, they were almost hypnotic, but as soon as he saw the needle he'' run as fast as he could and hide.

He pushed the intercom button in. "Y'wanted t'see me."

"Yes come in LeBeau."

The doors slid open and he stepped inside. He spotted Sinister and took a step towards him and then stopped in his tracks. Sinister was standing by the operating table. One of the boys he had introduced to Sinister last night was strapped to the table. "Dis is what y'do t'dem?"

Sinister didn't even glance at him "They help me with my work."

"Y'kill dem. Y'a monster."

"You brang them to me. What does that make you?" Sinister looked at him.

"I didn't know dis is what y'did t'dem," he stuttered.

"You should have asked."

The eighteen-year-old watched Sinister turn back towards the unconscious boy. As Sinister began to cut into the boy�s stomach the boy awoke, screaming. Sinister was saying something. The eighteen-year-old turned towards the door, leaning himself against it. He shut his eyes so he wouldn't see. Images of others he'd brought flickered in front of him. Then he saw Sarah's image. He was going to protect her but she was dead now. It was too much. His eyes snapped open and he ran out of the laboratory.

"LeBeau!"he heard Sinister yell from behind him.

He ignored him and ran down the tunnel that led towards Seattle. He had to get out of this place. His mind was whirling. His eyes stung, it was becoming hard to breathe. He looked at the tunnel walls. It was if they were closing in on him, trapping him. He ran faster. He saw the stairway that led up to the theater�s boiler room. He ran up the stairs and opened the door.

"Who's that?"

He looked up to see Jon with a young girl.

"Just Remy. My boss is just down here." Jon said.

He glanced over at the young girl. Her eyes locked onto his. They were brown and she looked scared. She was carrying a little doll. It was like the one he had given Sarah the night before she had died. Gambit looked away from her. He closed his eyes and saw the image of her strapped on the table screaming. "No."

He backed away towards the door to the stage, screaming. "NO!" He placed his hands on it. Red energy traveled from them to the door. The little girl began to cry. Jon looked at him sternly. "Remy what are you doing? You're frightening the poor child."

He only smiled and collapsed to the floor. Jon looked down at him and then up at the door. It was glowing a dark red. Gambit looked at the little girl. "I won't let him hurt y'p'tite."

She screamed louder as she saw the door. He closed his eyes. "You won't escape that easily LeBeau."

His eyes snapped open. Sinister stood before him. He teleported away with Jon and him. Leaving the girl to take the brunt of the blast.

"Wake up Cajun!" Mystique angrily elbowed the young man in the side. He'd been moaning in his sleep, saying incoherent phrases now and then. She hadn't minded until he'd hit her in the side while turning.

She watched him wake startled. His red on black eyes glazed over. He looked at her and mumbled an apology before drifting off to sleep. Mystique glared at his form before allowing herself some much-needed rest.

"How the hell did she escape!!!"

Forge cringed at the sound of Val Cooper's voice on the phone. After searching the property for Mystique and determining that she was not there he had to call to explain the situation. Unfortunately after saying that she was missing he hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise. "It was a bit hectic here after finding out that Sinister had kidnapped--"

"Can't you track her down."

"Even if I did, she'd escape from the compound again. She won't rest until Rogue is found--"

"Mystique is a dangerous, manipulative woman Forge. We have no idea that she even went with them to find Rogue. For all you know she could be in Siberia! I'm sending a task force to retrieve her."

Forge sighed as he heard the phone hang up from the other end. He hung up the phone and gently massaged his head. He turned back to the computer screen. This is going to be a long day.

Sinister rubbed his chin as he gazed at the computer screen. Liam's development had been going at a nice steady rate. During the past couple of days the results had been decreasing more and more. He was dangerously close to type of readings he had gotten from the other children. What can I do to reverse this outcome?

The sound of an incessant beeping broke Sinister's train of thought. He turned to another screen and typed in a length of code. The view screen turned from its pale black to the image of the room that Liam was in. Liam was sleeping in the bubble like apparatus that had been the home of Cyclops� son when he had been at the complex, except that this was almost five times larger than that one. Sinister checked the readings of Oxygen. Everything checked out okay. He glanced about the room to see what had set off the warning system. In the corner of the room was a small figure. He focused in on it and zoomed in. A smile crept across his face.

Ororo Monroe followed her friends down the crowded streets of New Orleans. She hadn�t been here in a long time. She smiled as she glanced about the city. Sweet jazz emanated from almost every corner, laughter and the voices of hundreds filled the air. She glanced ahead at the man that had saved her life, taught her so many things when she had last been in the city. It was easy to get lost in New Orleans. Then, it had been a good thing. Now, however, the vastness and noise of the city was making the trip to the station harder and longer.

The group rounded the corner and entered the beginning of the station. Ororo glanced at Gambit, who turned around, his red on black eyes widening. �I know dis place . . .�

The three-year-old held onto his mother as tight as he could. They were at a �bus station� his mother had said. All the little boy knew was that it was very crowded, very loud, and he didn�t like it at all. HE looked up at his mother�s face. Bags were under her eyes. She gave him a weak smile. A horrible feeling ate away at him. His mother walked onto a platform and he gently closed his eyes.

His eyes opened as he felt his mother gently shake him. He was on a bus again. He gave a weak yawn and took his mothers hand as she helped him down the bus� stairs. �Where are we?� he asked.

There was lots of laughter about him and some type of music playing. The kind his mother was fond of listening to. And there were a lot more people. �This is New Orleans Remy . . .�

Remy LeBeau looked at the locker. Sinister had put the locker number and combination onto the disk. He sighed as he opened the locker. A single piece of paper was inside of it. He unfolded it and read over the instructions. �What does he want us to do?� Mystique asked.

Gambit turned and handed her the instructions. As she read them her eyebrows raised slightly. �Well, Raven, spit it out,� Wolverine said impatiently.

Mystique handed him the paper. Ororo read it over his shoulder. �Oh my god . . .� was all she could manage.

� . . . and Amy�s mother is bringing you home, correct?� The eight-year-old nodded as she grabbed her coat from the rack. She put it on and gently kissed her mother�s cheek. �Sabine, please remember to behave yourself.�

�Ah will mama. Are ya sure that ya can�t come?�

�I wish I could dear but I have a lot of work to do . . .� her mother�s eyes had a far off look, a touch of sadness, in them. �Sabine I--�

Beep! Beep! The girl turned her head towards the door, then back to her mother. �Go on have fun.� The girl opened the door and ran towards the car in the driveway. She turned back and waved to her mother. The sadness in her mother�s eyes grew with every second. �Come on Sabey!� a young girl�s voice said from inside the car. The door opened, then closed and the car drove away.

An hour or tow passed and Sabine stood with Amy and her mother watching the parade pass through the town square. As the clowns came upon the scene she flinched. They were pretending to fight each other. Her eyes grew wide. People were laughing. She felt a strange urge to get home. She turned around pushing through the crowd, ignoring the calls for her. She began to run home. It took about ten minutes before she reached the gates to her family�s summerhouse. She stopped to catch her breath and then looked up. Her eyes widened. The house was on fire, police and fire trucks were by it. She ran towards it screaming frantically for her mother. She was almost at the door when a policeman dragged her to a police car. He kept telling her something as he helped her into the car and drove away. She stared at the house, tears streaming down her face, her voice growing horse from her screams for her mother.

Rogue moaned as she awoke, tears blurring her vision, the memory fresh in her mind. She slowly sat up clearing her eyes. Her eyes snapped open as she heard a faint whimpering. It took her a minute to find her bearings. She wasn�t where she had been when she fell asleep. She was back in �her room�. She glanced about the room and saw the little boy in the corner. He was curled in a ball and staring at her. His eyes were like those of a deer or rabbit when paralyzed with fright. Tears stained his face. Rogue took a deep breath, contemplating what to do.

The door opened and Sinister stepped in with a tray of food. He gave Rogue a smile. �The two of you have already become aquatinted. Liam its time to eat.� Rogue watched Sinister put the food onto the table, then step back.

The boy, Liam, slowly walked over to the table. He glanced at the food and then at Sinister. He then pushed the tray off the table sending the food onto the floor. Sinister�s eyes grew bright red and he lunged for the boy. Liam ducked under the table. Rogue quickly got up and went to the other side of the table. Liam looked at his options-Sinister, who was angry, or the woman who had tried to get him away. He quickly crawled towards Rogue.

Rogue picked him up and looked at Sinister, fury in her eyes. Sinister stood, arms folded, as he looked at her. �I�ll have someone clean this up.� Then he left.

Rogue looked down at the little boy who was crying and then back at the door. What could Sinister possibly want with a child? She closed her eyes. And what about Hank and the Professor? Did Sinister take them too? Her eyes opened and she sighed as the crying gently subsided.

�We can not do this!� Ororo held the instructions in her hand and stared at her three traveling companions. �We can not give Sinister these people. Do you have any idea what he would do with them?�

�Yes I do,� Remy said. Ororo looked at him. �But dese names are of prominent doctors and physicians. Dey won�t be used for experiments. He be wantin� dere idea.�

�And after he gets that?�

�Pray we have de others by den.� Remy looked down at the pavement.

�And if we do not?�

�Then one or two may die,� Mystique said casually. �You don�t have to join us Storm but I--� she grabbed the paper from Ororo--�am going to get Rogue back.�

Mystique turned and started to walk away. Gambit turned and followed. Wolverine looked at Ororo. �he needs us now more than ever �Ro.�

�I know. �Ororo closed he eyes and said a silent prayer to the goddess before joining the others.

Sorry for taking so long, the silly thing called school got in the way. I�ll try to have the next chapter out soon.