{10. Who is the culprit?}

Mystique's POV

Alex looked at me, perplexed at my sudden rage but I ignored him and kept kicking at the metal shutter. How are we going to rescue everyone and fend off the intruders if we're locked inside?! And if Charles found out that I left Dreamer out there in danger, I'm screwed.

"Kicking it is not going to help. We need to go to the control systems." Alex suggested. I looked at him with a you-go-to-control-systems-and-find-your-precious-Dreamer look. But then the shutter started unlocking itself and opening. Had someone already gotten to the controls room?

"Well why are you still standing there, get out." Erik ordered. He was using his powers to unlock it. I sighed in relief and slid under the shutter, Alex shortly followed. I scanned the deserted area, all mutants were trapped in the nearest facilities, safe-guarded. The intruders cannot penetrate the shutters unless they can manipulate metals like Erik or walk through walls. That's if, they have not already infiltrated the Xmansion.

I shuddered.

"We should split up to cover more territory. Whoever called for the Lock Down saw an immediate threat." I observed, some Lock Downs were just drills, which happened at random but the officials, such as I, would have been notified.
This was real and abrupt.

"It was Moira. She said Emma Frost had been sighted near the museum perimeter." Erik explained. Emma Frost? That diamond chick lady? What would she be doing here? She wouldn't have come alone, she knows she's outnumbered. Shit. Are we about to be under attack? Charles isn't here! He's in freaking New York.

"Where is Moira?" I asked.

"She's under the Pavillion with a class of mutants and a few body guards. I had already sent Banshee down there. It might be best to head over there now." Erik waved us on and we trailed behind him with vigilance. I glanced over at Alex's worried face. Is he still thinking about Dreamer? "If it's really Emma Frost and she transforms into her diamond form, it's going to be difficult to capture her. The sun is at it's full peak, if it hits her diamond skin, it will impair us visually, giving her enough time to escape."
Good point Erik.

"We should really make sure Moira and her class are secured." Alex quickly added. He seemed unnerved. Then it hit me. I have no idea where Dreamer is. She was supposed to be with Hank but I found him utterly distraught. What could have happened to make him act all weird?
Wait a minute.
I halted.
Soon after I discovered Hank, she was gone and then the Lock Down alarm rang. Could she be conspiring with the enemy?

"Erik, where is Dreamer?" I whispered to him. She's our responsibility, according to Charles, and although I have my suspicions, it's better to play it safe.

"I thought she was meant to be with you." Erik seemed confused.
Great, so he is as clueless as I am. Gosh, that girl cannot follow instructions.

"Are you guys talking about Dreamer? Why all the whispering? If she's in danger we have to get there now!" Now Alex was getting suspicious. He doesn't know that his girl crush is an offspring of some crazy scientific experiment. If only he knew what she was.
Would he still be interested in her?

"It doesn't matter." I tried to brush it off.

"Do you know something I don't?" He questioned.
Ah, duh, but I kept a neutral face and picked up the pace, Erik complied, we're almost at the Pavillion. I think Erik is also concerned for Dreamer, there's a visible crease in his forehead that I don't often see. I rolled my eyes. They can't simply grown to care for the girl. She hasn't even been here long enough to earn their trust, yet their sympathy. I grunted.
Freaking hell.

That's when I saw something sparkle in the distance, followed by a screeching noise. It was worse than nails on a chalkboard. Ugh. What the hell is doing that?

"I think we got something." Alex called out as he raced ahead. I kept seeing something sparkle like a diamond, it was irritating my eyes. Hold up. Could it be our culprit? "Ah, guys, you might want to see this."

Erik and I stopped to find a whole glass window vandalised with blocked letters.
WE'RE COMING.

"That bitch." I cussed aloud. She might've used her diamond fingers to etch that into the glass. How the hell did she escape so fast though? It's like she just vanished. One moment we see that sparkling ass of hers, the next it's gone. "She wasn't alone." I confirmed. But it couldn't have been Dreamer, her accomplice. Dreamer has no powers, at least none to our knowledge.

"Azazel?" Erik had the same thought as me. Azazel is one of the bad guys. His mutant power is teleportation and it was no coincidence that he accompanied Emma Frost.
Freaking villains and their tactics.
"This is just a warning. If they were going to attack now, they wouldn't have sent this message." Erik proclaimed as he pointed to the etched letters.
Fair call.

But the didn't explain the screaming we heard.

*

Dreamer's POV

I honestly have no idea what's happening! One moment I'm telling Moira about the diamond lady I admired, the next thing I know the school is on Lock Down. The people in our class thought it was just a drill at first and laughed it off, but when Moira used this electronic device that formed a force field around the Pavillion and was barking demands into her ear piece, they realised how serious this was.
Moira kept questioning me about what I saw.

There wasn't much to tell. I simply saw a diamond statue in the museum but Moira said its actually Emma Frost. The name doesn't ring a bell. I'm thinking intensely about this because I really wanted to help Moira. I kept replaying that encounter with 'Emma Frost' in my head, trying to see if I missed anything.

Then it happened all at once. I clutched my head and fell to my knees. My head felt like it was about to explode! It was heating up rapidly and sending random spasm attacks to different sections of my body.
Seizure?

"Dreamer!" I heard Moira called out.
I felt a hand reach out to me but I shoved it away and crippled to the floor with an agonising groan.

"Get away from me!" I yelled.

Something was definitely wrong. I felt my brain expanding and contracting. It was pulsating. I became temporarily deaf, only to witness the make shift force field shatter into hazardous pieces. The mutant students shrieked and shielded themselves, the best they could.

I felt my chest slowly rising and falling and the world around me losing focus.

*

Charles' POV

I stood at the edge of Dreamer's bed, watching her tranquil face with Erik, Raven and Hank. It's been three days since she blacked out and destroyed the force field which was designed to deflect any enemy contact. I have only seen it shatter once before and that was when we tested it out with Banshee. We made him use his echo to test it's resistance. Dreamer doesn't have that sort of power, yet she brought it down just the same.

Her brainwaves did that.

There was a overload of electrical signals in her brain, it needed release and so it expanded like a force of its own. Hank had recently informed me that her powers are developing but I never expected something like this. She needs to be contained, before she hurts someone. I will help her control it.
It's hard though.
I can't enter her mind without permission. Her brain waves are forming a barrier that prevents me from discreetly slipping into her mind. It's grown quite strong and aggressive.

"So what exactly is it?" Raven broke the silence.

I sighed.

"Her brain is her power source. When it's active, it releases a spontaneous force of energy. And when she makes contact with people, she can link herself inside their minds and tap into a vulnerable or traumatic memory. Its so she can expose their weaknesss to gain the upper hand," It's her defence mechanism. "It's what they want."

I felt Erik tense, immediately. He knows that Emma Frost and Azazel are linked to Professor Shaw. An enemy he desperately wanted to kill for his own vengeance. I must keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything that can jeopardise his life or anyone else's.

But at the same time, I need him to co-operate with me. If anyone knows Professor Shaw, it's Erik. I turned to him with a knowing look but he stared hard at the floor.

The pieces are slowly coming together for me.

Those flyers in New York of Dreamer was just a diversion to separate me from the school so Emma Frost could hide in one of the cargos and disguise herself as a statue in the museum. Although I found it rather concerning that she was only here to leave a message.
They definitely know about Dreamer, probably most than what we know. But I was still debating with myself.

Do they want her? Or do they want her back?

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A/N

SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE, I WAS LOSING INSPIRATION! BUT I FOUND TIME FOR IT SO YEAH :3

I really hope this chapter gets you thinking about what's to come. In my opinion this isn't a great chapter, but I'm keen to hear from you...if you guys are still out there ahaha. Please make yourself known! Vote or comment and the next update will come soon.

Btw this will be under construction soon. I really want to start editing but I'm going to still try kick back into a regular updating pace :3 ily!