Leaning Toward Normal (March 2012)

Serena hoped that Charles would be alright. She put on a confident smile though as she helped get the kids back in their rooms. After that Gambit told her he was going to lie down because of the blasting she had given him earlier. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Gambit could be such a drama queen sometimes. She had bruises from what he had done to her earlier but he didn't see her complaining about it!

She decided she needed to talk to Hank about Cerebro. She went to Hank's room and he told her it was alright for her to come in. She pulled a chair up to sit next to him and smiled a little at what he said.

"Apparently word gets around quick here. Hank, I need to ask you about Cerebro." She explained to him what had happened with Professor Xavier. "When I examined the helmet it was tainted with something dark. Do you think I should see if I can get a sample of it for testing?"

Storm and Gambit had always been close friends. Storm could see past all of his joking to the man underneath and knew he was a good man at heart. She could see something was troubling him. "What is it Gambit?"

“In my lab I have tester that you can plug into the main system. It will tell you the alkaline matrix ratio. If there is some kind of foreign body in the suspension it will tell you what it is. Magneto poisoned the suspension once and hurt Charles. That substance is in the tester’s memory,” He said. As e looked at her though his expression appeared to change. “So, are you ‘really’ that into Gambit? I mean...he’s pretty rough around the edges and before Rogue he had been with...well, several women. I’d hate to see you get hurt. I think you’d have picked someone else. Someone who can appreciate your mind a bit more,” Hank said suggestively.

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“I don’t know Storm, I’m just not certain Serena and I are gunna work out. She’s...a little too bossy and gets on me all the time,” Gambit said then he looked at her and smiled. “I sometimes wonder why you and I never hooked up. We’ve known one another a long time. And I’ve always thought you to be a very beautiful woman,” He said as he looked at her.

Serena listened to Hank closely and nodded. She would go back to Cerebro tonight to get the sample. She didn't want anyone messing with the helmet before she could get there. She looked at him when he asked her about her relationship with Gambit. She could tell what Hank was suggesting and she knew she needed to be careful in what she said. She liked Hank and didn't want to lose him as a friend.

"I really do have feelings for Gambit. It's difficult to explain the connection I feel to him. I know he's rough around the edges, but he makes me feel...whole again."

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Storm smiled a little, but she could sense something was off with Gambit. She didn't know what it was, but he wasn't himself. "Gambit, relationships take work. They're give and take. I think you really care about Serena and you shouldn't let that go."

“But does he satisfy you intellectually? There’s more than just the physical parts of a relationship. I just dont see it I guess,’ He said. “He’s gunna dump ya you know...sooner I think than later. He’s been seeing a lot of Storm lately, or maybe you didn’t notice that? Man, it’s
Always what you don’t see that sneaks up on you I guess,” he said. Hanker looked like hank but there was something off about him. She couldn’t put her finger on it though.

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“Well actually, I was hoping you and I could explore...you know, getting closer,” he said and took her hand in his. His red eyes looked into hers and he smiled at her. “Much closer,” he said.

Serena knew that something was off with Hank and Gambit, but it still hurt her to think that Hank might be right and that Gambit might breakup with her. He might get bored with her and move on. She actually felt jealous when Hank mentioned that he had been spending a lot of time with Storm. Storm was beautiful and exotic. She sighed and stood up. “I’m going to go get that sample.” She left Hank and went and collected a sample from the helmet and brought it back to the lab where she ran some tests. She was going to figure out what was going on.

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Storm blinked at Gambit and gently pulled her hand away. “I think we’re better as friends Gambit.” Something weird was going on with him. He wasn’t acting like himself.

Gambit just smiled at Storm and then stood up. He leaned over her and he didn’t notice that she shifted back on her pillow. “We’ll talk later,” he whispered and left.

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When Gambit got back to the hall Scott was there and his face was like a thunderhead. “Hey, dumbass, where the hell have you been?” Scott asked angrily. “Screw you Scott, I can go where I want here, you might be the leader of our team in a mission but here you don’t control our lives,” he said just as angrily and pushed him. Scott pushed Gambit back. “Well I’m taking her off the team,” Scott said. “The HELL you ARE!” Gambit replied. “You have no basis for that decision!” Gambit growled. “I do and she’s upstairs confined to a bed!” Scott said. Gambit pushed Scott again. “That’s NOT her fault Scott and you know it!” Gambit snapped. “Oh? Keep talking and I’ll remove you too!” Scott said and by this time several heads had poked out of classrooms. Colossus was there just as the two men began to grapple.

“What is THIS!” Colossus barked as he moved up to the 2 men.He snatched them up by the scruffs of their necks as if they were children. “We are a team, we do not fight amongst ourselves!” Colossus said trying to talk some sense into them.

Hank’s lab was downstairs in the basement for safety reasons. Serena had run the tests and now had the results. She took the elevator up to the main floor and as she got off she heard the yelling. She looked down the hall and saw Scott and Gambit arguing. They were practically in each other’s faces and Colossus had to pull them away. She had heard what was said though.

She walked over and looked at Scott. “If you want me off the team then fine, I’m off. However, what happened to Storm wasn’t my fault and you know that. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to go talk to Hank about some lab results so I can figure out what the hell is going on here.”

She didn’t let either man respond. She simply turned around and headed up to Hank’s room. She walked in with the printout.

“Here are the results from the rest,” she told him as she handed the piece of paper to him.

Hank was still in bed and he was trying to pull a pillow that had dropped onto the floor with a back scratcher. He couldn’t seem to reach it though. Once he saw Serena come in he could tell that she was upset about something.

“Oh, well that was fast, lets have a look,” he said. As he read the composition data he rubbed at his shoulder. His shirt looked like he had been wearing it for days. When she looked at him he shrugged feeling self conscious. “Well, its not like I have a nurse or anything. Moving around right now hurts,” he said as he looked over the papers.

He yawned and then shook his head. “I don’t know, what am I supposed to see here? The mix isn’t right, but we both know that,” He said then pointed at his pillow. “Could you?” He asked. “Since your hear can you go to my dresser, the third drawer, and help me put on another shirt?” he asked. When she did he seemed to be stealing himself. His bandage covered a large portion of his back and when he lifted his arm his face went pale. When she helped him with his new shirt and began to button it for him she could see he felt helpless for not being able to do this himself. Right then Hank seemed more himself and he didn’t try to engage her in talk about Gambit.

When she left his room Gambit was there just outside in the hall and he didn’t look happy. “I stick out my neck for you and you act as if I’m the problem?” He said indignantly. “That’s not fair Serena, not fair at all,” Gambit said. “Scott’s completely gone off the deep end,” he said.

Serena was upset that Hank couldn't tell her more about the results she had brought him. She felt rather helpless in that moment. Something very wrong was going on and she didn't know how to fix it. Hank, though, was starting to seem more like himself at least. After she helped him put on a new shirt and made sure he was comfortable she left the room and found Gambit out there seemingly waiting for her.

"I'm not acting as if you're the problem Gambit. Yes, there is something wrong with Scott...and Jean...and Hank, for a time,...and you. I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Right now I can't be arguing with you and Scott about me being on the team. I'm trying to fix what's going on here."

“You ungrateful bitch,” Gambit said as if in disbelief. “Storm was right, you’re just a spoiled rich girl who is just playing at being an X-man,” he said. “I’m glad I figured it out though before I ended up like Evan,” he said and then stalked away from her. “Go home Serena, you don’t belong here,” he said as he stepped down the hall.

Serena knew that Gambit wasn't in his right mind, but his words still stung. She felt a few tears come to her eyes as she watched him walk away. She wiped them away and stood there a moment as she tried to figure out what to do. Then, a thought came to her...Jean. She knew Jean was at the hospital with Professor Xavier. She needed to find her and talk to her. She needed to convince her that something was wrong and see if she could help her figure out what was going on.

Serena went to the garage and took one of the cars that was there. She drove to the hospital and spoke to a nurse who directed her to Professor Xavier's room. She knocked lightly on the partially open door before walking in.

"How is he doing?"

Jean was reading a magazine when Serena came in. She smiled and stood up. Jean liked Serena. She was young but with a good head on her shoulders. She wasn’t too keen on her being with Gambit, but part of that was how close she was with Rogue and losing her friend was still raw inside her. The jury was still out on how she felt about them but she’d never voice that where anyone could hear.

Scott had either lost his mind or needed a good kick in the butt. She was angry with him but there was something odd about his emotions too. As if he were being fed them somehow. She couldn’t really think much on that right now though. The professor was her main concern.

“Well, he’s awake but he isn’t responding to anything or anyone. It’s like he’s fled back into his mind and is disconnected with the physical world,” she said. “How are things at the mansion?” She asked concernedly. She detected Serena’s emotions and knew things were not well. Not if she was here alone.

Serena took a seat next to Jean and looked at her. She liked Jean. Jean was nice to her and she felt like she could easily talk to her. "Things are not well back at the mansion. Something weird is going on Jean. Scott, Gambit, Hank, and even you have not been yourselves. I went back to Cerebro and examined the helmet. There was a dark taint on the inside of it. I think that there is something that is affecting the team. You were accusing Scott of cheating on you Jean...I know that you know that he wouldn't do that. Please believe me Jean. I need your help figuring out what's wrong. Otherwise the team is going to tear itself apart."

Jean looked back at Charles then gazed at Serena. “Alright, tell me everything on the way,” she said as she got her purse and coat.

Jean could not think about Scott right then. She had really hurt her.

In the car she listened to what Serena said and she agreed with her. “So, who might be the most approachable? I’d hate to tie someone up with telekinesis but if I had to, who do we capture?” She asked.

Serena sighed a little. "Well, certainly not Gambit or Scott. Scott kicked me off the team and Gambit called me an ungrateful bitch and a spoiled rich girl and then told me to go home. I think Hank would be our best option. For some reason he seems to be more himself now, but he was acting really strange earlier."

Jean furled her brow in a scowl and crossed her arms over her chest. “Men!” She scoffed. “Alright, Hank it is,” She said. When they got into the mansion however that particular decision was taken from them. Colossus in metal form saw them come in and he came toward them. Jean reached out with her psychic abilities and touched him with them.

She saw a black figure that hovered above Colossus. As if he were looking down from a height. He was bathed in shadow and just sensing him there made her shiver. He was pure evil and the malice she felt toward her, Serena, everyone was strong. “He’s going to attack us Serena,” Jean said quickly.

Serena was startled when she and Jean walked into the mansion and she saw Colossus in his metal form coming towards them. Of everyone at the mansion Colossus was the most intimidating to Serena. However, thankfully, when he wasn't being manipulated he was quite sweet and gentle. However, what was happening now was terrifying. It was difficult for her to believe that he was going to attack them but clearly he was. Serena quickly held up both of her hands and shot two energy orbs at him. He was thrown back onto the ground, giving Jean and herself time to regroup before he could attack again. Serena decided to try and talk to him.

"Peter...you are being controlled. You need to fight it...not us. We're your teammates...your friends."

Colossus stopped as he listened to what Serena said. “Well that is good Serena Stark, then you will put these collars on,” He said and presented two of them to them. Serena knew what those collars did, they removed their mutations. “I am eager to avoid more violence myself, if you are as well you will put them on,” He said as he stepped up to them. “Gambit...did not go down easily. I would not like to see you share his fate,” He said.

Serena knew what those collars did. She remembered having one on for several days after she was brought to the mansion. It disabled her abilities. She remembered not liking the feeling. It had been like a part of her had gone numb. She glanced at Colossus and then looked at Jean and lowered her voice.

"What do you think Jean? What do we do?"

“What did you do to him?” Jean asked. She wanted to know and worry sparked up in her. And she also wanted to buy time. She looked at Serena and winked at her. “Don’t you even care about Gambit? He could be hurt or worse!” Jean said though that was the honest truth. “Maybe you are an ungrateful bitch like Gambit said!” Jean said angrily. At the same time she was delving Colossus's mind. She shoved Serena.

Serena saw Jean wink at her and she gave her the slightest nod to let her know she understood what she was going to do. She was worried about Gambit, but in order to help him and the others she needed to figure out what was going on. She got into character and shoved Jean back.

"Oh yeah? Well you're a stuck up bitch! I don't need this place or any of you!"

Colossus blinked at the onslaught. “Now now, ladies, lets all be civilized, yes? There is no need for that kind of language. Gambit is down in the cells but I don’t think he’ll be permanently damaged,” he said.

“What did you call me!?” Jean said and slapped Serena, hard. Probably harder than she meant and it did hurt and left the imprint of a hand on her cheek. Colossus moved to intervene and Jean managed to use her telekinesis to get a collar. She slapped it around one of his thick wrists. In an instant his metal form shrunk and turned back to his normal form. Before either woman could react though he punched Serena in the chest before Jean could bind him with her powers.

First Gambit hit her right in the chest, just above her left breast and now Colossus hit her almost in the exact same place though his hand was a bit larger and he got more of her boob by mistake than Gambit had. Jean came down to Serena’s side. “Are you alright?” She asked worriedly.

Serena was rather surprised when Jean slapped her. She blinked as black flecks appeared before her eyes. Thankfully though in all the chaos Jean managed to use her telekinesis powers to get one of the collars from Colossus. As she got it around his wrist he began to change back to his normal form. Serena started to move towards him, but as she did he punched her in the chest. He hit her just above her left breast in almost the exact same spot Gambit had. Colossus hand was bigger than Gambit's though and hit more of her breast tissue. It was extremely painful and she went down onto her knees. Tears of pain came to her eyes. She fought them back though because she knew they had a job to do. She was worried about what damage he had caused, but she couldn't think about that now.

"Yes...I'm fine," she lied to Jean as she manged to get to her feet. She was shaking slightly from the pain. "What do we do now?"

“Its The Shadow King thats doing all of this. A planar being that had tried to set up shop here in our plane. We killed and captured his minions and from what I’ve learned, he wants to destroy the X-men. What do we do now? We fix Cerebro. Its the only way we can get everyone at once,” She said. It was then that Serena saw Cyclops turn the corner in the hallway. He paused then brought his hand up to his ocular headset. “Jean! I’ve got Serena Targeted Jean. If you try anything…” He warned. “See, there is no escape for you,” Colossus said. “Put the collar on Jean,” Colossus said. Hank growled just then from the corner then jumped back as Cyclops turned and shot at him. It gave Serena an opening to attack.

Serena listened as Jean told her about the Shadow King. She nodded when Jean told her that they needed to fix Cerebro. However, getting down there would be difficult. They would need to somehow hold everyone that was being affected. Serena saw movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over to see Scott there. He was looking directly at her and lifted his hand up to his ocular headset. She knew he was planning to attack her. Serena felt trapped but just then she heard a growl and looked over to see Hank. Scott turned and fired at him and Hank just managed to get back. Serena had an opening to attack and she took it. She fired an energy blast at Scott and he was thrown back. She then hit Colossus and sent him flying back as well. Serena grabbed the other collar and ran over and put it on Scott.

"Let's go!" she told Jean and the two of them hurried to the elevator.