Riptide:

"Incompetence will not be tolerated," Eric almost yelled as he dropped Crystal's body to the floor into a heap. Her dead body continued to lie there not making excuses anymore but only looking pathetic. "She was responsible for Ally-cat's escape and the escape of two others."

Sabertooth remained unmoving on yellow alert waiting for Magneto to strike against him; he wanted to be prepared.

Mystique watched Eric walking slowly in a circle, some would say he was pacing even nervous but nobody would ever say that about Magneto, at least not out loud.

He continued to keep rubbing his jaw thoughtfully as Pyro and Granite sat there every so often he would give them a glance from the corner of his eye. Eric seemed to be struggling with what to say next which frightened the other mutants.

Unlike the others Mystique kept her calm she never worried about Eric because they had an understanding with each other.

"So, you couldn't secure a simple man with wings?" Eric asked slowly.

"It's not our fault," Pyro started in his cockney accent, "Those women and that guy stopped us."

Eric turned his head at them with a slightly curious glance.

"Five to two aint da best odds y'know," The fat man complained.

"I take it you are referring to the Adams siblings?" Eric crossed his arms.

Pyro shrugged. But the heavier man looked alarmed. "They were the same kids that we saw at Xavier's school. That redhead held me back somehow and the blonde froze us."

Eric looked impressed, 'Still mutating are we, children'. Magneto looked at Mystique. "I want those children."

"Which ones?"

"Wolverine's. We need to get them before Xavier can train them or turn them against the brotherhood," he smiled.

"We can't reach them in the X mansion," Mystique sighed, "Security is too great. Unless we wage a battle against the school and we are certain to loose some mutants."

Eric held his scowl and looked to Sabertooth. "They were headed north?" Sabertooth nodded and Eric knew were they were headed. "Is the Wolverine with his twins?" Magneto stared at Mystique.

"Yes, and so is Aramis," She regretted telling him as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Aramis? She was promised to me!" Eric moved his hand quickly in anger and metal sculptures flew from the floor and paperweights flew off the desk. The others ducked, where as Pyro turned up his flame letting them melt before they reached him.

Eric watched Pyro's flame and smiled as he thought of another. He wanted Fire-Cat in his cause because Aramis had said she would bring great things. The prophet could be correct and he was sure Ally-Cat wouldn't go down easily.

Mystique picked up on his mood, "What about Fire-Cat?" she asked sweetly as if she was oblivious to the fact he had just killed a member of the brotherhood.

"What of her?" he drawled but his look was guarded.

"I hear she is pregnant." She smiled at him.

"What?" he turned at her surprised, She had his attention now. They both looked at Sabertooth who almost looked happy and proud at the news but Eric kept his coy smile abroad at the sight. 'If he only knew there were other possibilities to the father.' He almost laughed to himself.

"Are you sure?" Sabertooth grunted at Mystique. He tried to sound bored at the news but they could see he was anxious to know.

"Positive, a little bird told me," She smiled knowingly, "She is pregnant."

Eric watched Creed hoping to knock the smile off his face. "You only tracked them NORTH?" he moved closer to Creed. "You couldn't find their exact destination?" he challenged.

"They were headed into Canada." Sabertooth hissed at Eric's presence so close.

Pyro and Granite were almost grinning that the heat was off them at the moment as they watched the exchange.

"Adams is a powerful telepath and could hide them and his location easily," Mystique said quickly. 'Why am I defending Creed?' She shook her head a little.

"Their father?" Eric sighed and sat down. "I want Fire-Cat monitored and followed. I want every move of hers closely charted." Eric relaxed as he sat back in his chair. "I want that baby."

"All of the Adams offspring will be easier to acquire once they have let their guard down." Mystique smiled at him. "Aramis knew the children would fall into your hands that is why she helps guard them."

"Yes, this ups the stakes doesn't it." Eric said thoughtfully. "Leave!" he told Pyro and Granite angrily.

They got up quickly as Magneto's voice cut through the air.

"Wait," he said as he looked at Crystal's unmoving form on the ground. They stopped as he gestured to the human heap. "Get rid of that." He ordered callously.

Allyson woke the next morning not quite sure where she was and the previous night's events washed over her as she sank back down into the bed and it's huge down comforter.

She was in her room. 'Had everything been just a dream? Have I ever known Logan or loved him? Did I give birth to Amber and Michael?' her heart jumped at the thought of the three of them. 'If it's only been a dream mom will be at breakfast with father.' She smiled at the thought of her mother but felt a longing for Logan and the babies and knew that was reality. How had she become so confused so quickly?

Then she felt a presence pressing hard in her mind that she knew was her father. She tried hard to shut him out. He had caught her off guard and she gasped. Had she given anything away? What had he heard?

She pushed him out of her mind and laughed at the thought of how angry he would be later because she could lock him out of her head so quickly.

She looked around her replicated room and sighed and fought the urge to fondle her lost possessions. She glanced quickly at the clock that read 6 am and stretched as she made her way to the shower.

"Ugh!" Hayley said quickly as she ran to the bathroom to throw up. She sighed as she flushed the toilet and ran the shower. She had spent most of her life bucking her father and how she had to 'conform' to help countless others and waking up in a room identical to her old room was just plain weird.

She pulled her hair on top of her head as she thought of her last shower; Logan had been there. She had to admit she was still attracted to him. She shook her head and stepped into the shower and loved the feel of the water beating down on her naked body.

Her mind wandered to Logan again as a cool draft hit her and she was a little surprised as her heart skipped a beat. She would never really go for her sister's husband. Yes she was flirtatious with him but would never go far enough to cause a problem. She was glad she had feelings like this for anyone after all she had been through with men lately. Maybe seeing Logan like that had been good for her spirit, it reminded her she was a woman as well as a mutant. She glanced down at her rounder belly and wondered if it was just new hormones making her emotional. She sighed and began to wash her hair. 'Maybe I ought to let someone get close to me physically and find out' and then she groaned at the thought.

Alex ran from the room she had slept in she had refused to let herself believe it was her old room in any way. Skipping breakfast wasn't high on her list of priorities but being late today was not and option

She glanced at the one-piece conforming cat suit she wore. It was Dark blue, so blue it almost looked black to her. 'Very retro,' she thought with a small smile as she continued to run towards where she had remembered the labs being. 'Father could be stylish. I wonder what he will have Justice in?' She noticed the fabric seemed thick though and figured it was probably meant to be waterproof and fire proof.

She felt a great deal of heat above her and she looked up in time to see Hayley flying through the halls.

'Aw, shit Hayl,' she thought. Alex tried to run t catch her but when Hayley was in flight she could move incredibly fast. 'What is she showing off for?'

Hayley was pulling a lab coat over the dark black-red cat-like suit. She eyed Ally wearing one identical in style but like Hayley's it was very dark. Hayley's was a red so dark it was almost black and Ally seemed to have the green version of the retro-looking body suit. Hayley shot Ally a curious glance as they looked to Justice who seemed to be wearing a black male version of the outfit but on Justice it looked much more like a wet suit. They each had chosen to don a lab coat over their 'uniform'.

Alex ran in out of breath and wearing a blue-black version of the same clothing. Ally and Justice looked up a little amused from next to the computer. They already had papers and files spread out across the computer desk and looked like they had been at it for a while.

Alex was glad to see the bowl of fruit and a fresh pot of coffee and she made her way to it like a moth to a flame. Alex held an apple towards Hayley and Hayley shook her head looking a little repulsed at the thought.

Alex gave Hayley a scornful glare, "Hayley, we are not home so chill on the flying for now."

Hayley opened her mouth dropped open as if to argue but only mumbled a sort of apology.

'How much more can we slip up?' Ally thought as she began to pour back into the papers in front of her.

Alex looked around the lab and took in the changes and the similarities. She noticed a giant pool that she hadn't seen before and many more doors that hadn't been part of the original lab. The lab was the only thing she could see that was different than before. She knew that they would be exploring the labs once they knew what they were sure there was no apparent dangers.

Suddenly the lab door flew open and Oliver Adams breezed in scanning the scene carefully as he found the coffeepot.

Oliver turned suddenly facing his children's stares, "Fancy that, all on time." He drawled in his English accent. He wore a simple suit and a big smile, "Now that all the masks are lifted, we can talk of reality." He began to walk around Ally and Justice looking from one to the other.

"Your red curls," He said slowly as he looked at Ally with displeasure.

Ally almost laughed at her father, she knew he didn't handle change well. "They will wash back in soon."

"What do you mean masks?" Justice asked as he took a drink from his coffee mug.

"Well we all know that your past work was NOT in theory only as you were led to believe." He said slowly as he walked over to Hayley and Alex. "Like your friends Amber and Wolverine, or even Victor." He smiled at them daringly. "So, we can talk honestly now."

"How so?" Alex crossed her arms at him.

"Once all is revealed on both behalves, I can have you running the experiments on who I choose." Oliver walked over to the large pool and he gestured to them to follow him.

"Hayley," he barked at her to get her undivided attention. "Bring the water to a boil slowly," He ordered.

Hayley stopped short of asking him if he thought she was a stove and stared at him. "Why?"

"Do it." Oliver said impatiently.

Justice elbowed her, "Ours is not to question why," he whispered.

"Do or die," finished Hayley with a little nod. She marched over to the pool and placed her hand in and wondered how sterile the water really was. Her eyes began to glow softly as she did what she was told.

"Your eyes," Oliver spoke quietly, amazed.

As the water began to boil, it bubbled with life and in the boiling became large swells of water. Hayley spied it curiously as she realized she wasn't doing all of this. She threw herself out of the way as wave of water came right at her.

As the water disappearing from the wave it was evident a man was standing in the canter of where the water hit. He looked around wildly like a cat tossed in the river. He looked over at Hayley and held his hand up as she began to move her waterlogged body slowly. She moved too late and before she knew it she was caught in Jason's strong force of water that came at her so fast she could hardly breathe.

Alex threw an ice ring at his solid stream of water and it became ice each time he tried and it didn't reach Hayley. Hayley flew up slowly as she began to dry herself off with her heat.

Ally held him still as she held her hand up for Alex and Justice to stay back. Hayley didn't heed her warning and came flying down at the man Ally held still, connecting her foot with his jaw.

Hayley's eyes became wild as she waited for the man to get up so she could fit him. Ally held the man on the ground and she held Hayley back from hurting him further. The siblings took a good look at the waterman aside from his dark green hair he had the handsome looks of an athletic surfer.

The man had his head raised slightly and his green eyes were frightened. "I can't move." He panicked as his eyes found Oliver.

"Children don't fight anymore." Oliver commanded and then he smiled. "I would like you all to meet Jason."

"I can't move," Jason repeated.

"Will you attack?" Ally asked him slowly with glowing eyes.

Adams turned to his daughter and watched as Hayley began to move slowly as she was released from Ally's mental grasp.

"Allyson is doing this?" Oliver gasped he could only guess his daughter would become telekinetic.

"She can hold his body still," Hayley confirmed in a bored tone and began to size Jason over as a possible enemy.

"You mutated him?" Alex asked accusingly.

"He is one of the many in the labs." Oliver smiled at them and they knew he knew they wouldn't buck him now.

Hayley felt sick, 'He was still at it. He was still taking lives apart.' It was painful to know.

"So, there is more?" Justice asked carefully. He had read Jason's chart and knew he was of Hispanic origins.

"Many more, and they all need to be studied, analyzed and ready," He said with another smile. Clearly he meant this to be their task.

Jason stood there watching them with a mixture of fascination and hatred. He wasn't sure who they were yet and if they were a threat. He watched idly as the they spoke of who he knew to be his friends and teammates, the other mutants.

"Jason, you may return now." Oliver said flatly.

Jason was still uncomfortable and didn't need to be told twice. He ran as quickly as he could and plunged himself back into the water in a beautiful dive with no splash.

"He lives there?" Alex asked.

"He doesn't need to but he is comfortable there." Oliver smiled at his child's curiosity.

Hayley walked next to her Oliver with a challengingly look in her eye, "So, what was this a test?"

"Yes, I want to know your full abilities and you seem reluctant to let me know them quickly." He lowered his gaze. "You seem to have grown stronger."

The quartet exchange uncomfortable looks.

"I have others to tell you about," He smiled evilly at them.

Hayley held her arms closely to her and rubbed them to make the chill go away.

Alex shook her head in wonder as she had found herself doing many times since they arrived. 'As false as water,' She thought to herself.