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Chapter 7

The next morning, I was taking a walk in the back garden maze by myself. I just wanted some time to allow myself to think. I kicked the grass in frustration. Daken and I had never gotten on well with each other since we first met and I highly doubted that we were ever going to but I was determined to end this “sibling rivalry” between us. 

I was so deep in thought that I had wondered into the middle of the maze without even realising it…and I also hadn’t realised who else was there.

‘Are you sure you’re not a telepath Kayleigh?’

I jumped back into reality with a start. Daken was sitting looking smug at me on one of the four benches that were around the middle. 

‘Why are you here Daken?’ I asked him, folding my arms.

‘Probably the same as you Kayleigh; taking some chill-out time.’

‘I meant in Howlett Mansion’ I growled.

Daken chuckled.

‘Well, let’s just say I came for a visit that’s all sis. Mind you I should come here more often.’

I glared at him. Daken was trying to dare me to cause trouble I could tell.

‘Who sent you here Daken?’

‘Haven’t I just told you Kayleigh?’

‘Not in a straight answer you haven’t.’

‘An old childhood friend of yours.’

I was taken aback. Daken chuckled again.

‘Actually, he wanted me to test my abilities. I had only finished my training when I first met you in Japan several years ago. He wanted me to test my abilities on something so he let me go’ Daken explained.

‘Who?’

‘I thought due to your reaction Kayleigh you knew. I guess you don’t know everything.’

That was it. I made a grab at Daken and had him by the scruff of his neck.

‘WHO?!’ I shouted angrily.

‘Sorry; I’m not singing.’

With that he threw me off him into the hedge.

Chapter 8

Daken was looking for me. I was trying to get around what he said. An old childhood friend? I had hardly any friends as a kid. Sean Cassidy I had known since I had been at school as well as Deadpool and Erik. Two lady-friends from my childhood were long gone. There wasn’t anyone left that I could think of. Except maybe…

Oh no I thought, troubled, but that can’t be right. He died. He had been trying to ask me out for a while but I had refused and said that we were only friends. Not only that, I had only managed to accept his date offer just before he left-

I was suddenly yanked out the hedge which broke my train of thought.

‘You shouldn’t smell as if you were afraid Kayleigh. That’s what gave you away in the first place’ said Daken, holding me by the scruff of my neck now.

‘Let me go Daken; I’m not afraid.’

‘It didn’t smell like it.’

He would’ve finished me off there but I gave Daken a magnetic zap that sent him to the floor. I shot up into the air and flew as high and fast I could back to Howlett Mansion so that I could warn father…and also so that I could make a phone call.

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To be continued

Chapter 3

I had spent an uneasy, sleepless night that night so it was little wonder to Erik the next morning that he found me in the kitchen already awake before him.

‘How long have you been up Kayleigh?’ he asked the moment he saw me sitting at the table.

‘Hours’ I grumbled.

Erik sighed heavily.

‘It’s Daken isn’t it?’ Erik asked, sitting down next to me.

I nodded in responce. Erik was silent for a moment before replying.

‘Remember what you said yesterday afternoon Kayleigh? About being an X-Man? You don’t need to worry as long as you think like that. Also, you’ve got me and Logan here to look after you and we won’t let Daken near you whilst we stand.’

I gave Erik a little smile.

‘Thank you Erik. Thank you’ I said, giving him a hug.

Chapter 4

Erik had gone down town to get some food and father was somewhere in the mansion later on that morning. I had decided to catch up on some lost sleep in the sitting-room. I was curled up on the sofa, my cat-like tail dangling and my cat-like ears twitching every now and again at the slightest noise. So far, there was nothing for my animal senses to report…or was there?

A new but familiar scent drifted in through Howlett Mansion’s front door and into the sitting-room where I lay asleep. My cat-like ears and tail twitched but I didn’t stir. A shadow drifted over me but I still slept on. Then my animal instincts kicked in and, before the intruder could make any sudden moves against me, my eyes snapped open and I whipped around, giving him a magnetic zap as I did so. I was rewarded with a shout.

It all happened in two seconds and I thanked my feline abilities for it. I looked to see who it was that had woken me up by stepping foot inside Howlett Mansion…and I wasn’t surprised when I recognised him.

‘You should know better than to sneak up on me like that Daken’ I growled.

‘I thought you were sleep?’ he said, trying to get up but he was too stunned.

I snorted.

‘I woke up the moment I recognised your scent so I just played along.’

Daken wasn’t a happy bunny with me for wrecking his plan I could tell. I gave him a little smile. At that moment, father had burst in.

‘What happened? I heard something-’

‘It’s alright father; I was just giving Daken a little welcome gift that was all’ I growled at him, keeping my eyes on Daken as I did so.

Father noticed the damage to the paintwork on the wall. He sighed heavily and shook his head, giving Daken a disapproving look as he did so.

‘You know; I just had Howlett Mansion fixed up recently due to the Mutant Registration Department nearly destroying it to pieces. You coming in and starting a fight Daken doesn’t help either. I’m going to have to ask you to come with me.’

Daken looked from father to me and from me to father. I glared at Daken. He sighed heavily and walked with father out the sitting-room door.

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To be continued

Chapter 17

We had a late dinner in the back garden since it was warm and sunny.

‘Will they come here again mother? To Howlett Mansion that is?’ Theresa asked me.

‘I doubt it Theresa; this was just a one-off to annoy me. Vulcan is too occupied at the moment concentrate on me so I doubt that he’ll be bothering me again. Especially since he’s probably learned his lesson from the last time I dealt with him.

‘How Vulcan managed to get into Howlett Mansion is beyond me but the only way he could’ve sneaked in on his way to Asgard without me noticing is by hiding his trail when I wasn’t here. I would’ve been able to detect it with my magnetic powers if I’d realised someone had broken into my home but everything looked normal so there was no need for a magnetic scan of the place.’

I sighed heavily. It looked as if I’d have to be more vigilant from now on again, even though I knew that Vulcan wasn’t in a hurry to go near me again after the last time.

‘Anyway, just to change the subject, I thought you might like to know that I was planning on staying here for a bit Kayleigh’ said father.

I looked at him, surprised.

‘Why?’ I asked, ‘not that I’m glad to have you here that is father.’

‘I’m aloud to see my daughter every now and again aren’t I?’ he replied with a little smile.

There was something that father wasn’t telling me I was sure. No, I could tell that there was something he wasn’t telling me but instead of asking further, I returned father’s smile and went back to my dinner. The moment quickly forgotten, even if I had felt uneasy for a second or two.

The End

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Next issue: Brother, My Brother- Sibling rivalry is on Daken's agenda once more but Magneta is not having any of it. Instead, she tries to make him see reason for a change. Will Daken see reason and give up his ways or will he go back to them?

Chapter 13

My next house “guest” was a few rooms away from my first. I was hoping that Siryn and I weren’t going to give him as much of a hard time like we had done with my other “guest”. It would’ve been easy, if my other “guest” hadn’t chosen the following disguise.

I had told Siryn to keep hold of the tape we had gathered from the previous room because it could come in handy. When we got to the next room, I was more prepared for an attack. My next attacker dived at me from the side and went bounding off my magnetic force field so fast that I hadn’t registered who he was disguised as.

My shocked reaction was understandable from my point of view. “Wolverine” got up, slightly stunned from my magnetic force field. Siryn came up behind me and I could feel her being equally shocked at what she saw.

‘This ain’t right Magneta’ she muttered.

I didn’t have time to respond when “Wolverine” lunged at me and we went hurtling out the door. Siryn had just managed to dodge us in time. “Wolverine” was about to finish me off when something grabbed his hand. He snarled when he saw Siryn.

‘Don’t even think about it “Wolverine” ’ she growled.

He shoved her off roughly which gave me time to give “Wolverine” a magnetic zap which pinned him to the floor.

‘That’s the weak thing about having a magnetic skeleton’ I said, walking towards him, ‘you’re prone to magnetic attacks like mine.’

He snarled but said nothing. I had been attacked by the real Wolverine once before but that was because he had been brainwashed at the time. It was an experience that I didn’t want a repeat of since it had frightened me a lot afterwards.

‘I’ll make it even worse for you’ I went on, ‘if you don’t tell me what’s going on. Now.’

He chuckled.

‘This is a test by the boss’ he explained, ‘I’m sure that, judging by the last person you defeated Magneta you’ve figured out what sort of test it is? I thought so’ “Wolverine” said, noticing the grim look on my face.

I had figured it out when I realised “Wolverine” had attacked me. The moment I did, there was no need to guess who the last Skrull had disguised himself as. Someone had picked on my weak spot and I wanted to know who and why.

‘Keep singing’ I told the Skrull, ‘no holding back.’

‘Sorry lady but I ain’t going no further. As to why the boss wants you? Well, I’m sure he’ll tell you why...that’s if he’s planning on visiting but I doubt it since he’s occupied with other matters.’

Siryn looked away next.

‘It was asking for it Siryn. Well, so much for that idea’ I sighed heavily, ‘he didn’t want to sing either.’

‘What did he mean when he said “test”?’

‘They want to know if I’d hesitate in attacking those that I love most if I had no choice’ I replied simply.

‘Magneto is next’ Siryn realised.

I nodded grimly.

‘Well, the Skrull-Magneto that is’ I corrected her, ‘I don’t know why whoever came up with this dumb idea even thought it but I’d like to find out. I’m losing my patience with them so they’d better make an appearance.’

Chapter 14

Not too far away- in the hidden ballroom to be exact- father, Erik and Sean were sitting in a triangle on the floor. Obviously none of them looked too happy to be there in the first place especially father. He always hated being caught off guard.

‘Do you think Kayleigh is back yet from X-training Erik?’ father asked him.

‘How would I know that?’ he asked back, equally annoyed at being caught off guard too.

‘Your magnetic powers-’

‘I know Logan!’ he snapped, getting up.

‘Hey, none of us want to be down here in case ye realised Erik’ said Sean, alarmed and trying to break-up a possible argument between them.

That calmed both men down a bit.

‘I’m surprised Kayleigh hasn’t found us yet’ said Erik after an uncomfortable silence, ‘then again, there’s only so much she can do at the same time whilst battling whoever it is that’s done this to us.’

‘She’ll be fine Erik. If Theresa is with her then I’m sure they can handle anything that gets in their way’ Sean reassured him.

Erik sighed heavily knowing that he had a point. He just hoped that I knew where they were.

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To be continued

Chapter 9

I was watching Siryn and Phoenix in the Danger Room from the control area with Storm.

‘You should give it a go Magneta’ Storm suggested, watching them.

‘With you Storm, yes I would but not with Siryn.’

‘Come on; please? I’ll buy you a pizza at dinner time.’

‘No thanks’ I answered regrettably.

I would’ve continued our conversation but something flashed through my mind right then. In fact, I felt it thanks to my magnetic powers. I paused. Storm, seeing the expression on my face watched me in silence.

‘Magneta?’ she asked quietly, unsure what was happening to me.

‘Quiet!’ I hissed at her.

I closed my eyes and there it was again; a magnetic pulse. I knew that pulse anywhere.

‘Siryn, Phoenix; your session has ended!’ I called into the microphone after I opened my eyes in worried realisation.

They looked up at us in confusion.

‘What’s wrong mother?’ Siryn asked me as they came through the door.

‘I got a magnetic pulse from Erik. He’s in trouble’ I replied.

I turned to Storm and Phoenix.

‘I apologise for this but we need to get back to Howlett Mansion as quickly as possible.’

‘Do you need the Blackbird?’ Phoenix asked me.

‘It’ll be quicker if Siryn and I made it ourselves but thanks for the offer Phoenix’ I answered her with a little smile.

Chapter 10

Siryn and I were back at Howlett Mansion within the space of fifteen minutes the way we flew. As we approached, I did a magnetic scan around the area which would allow me to check what threats there were. I was dumbfounded; three people in three different rooms of the mansion. They didn’t look human either...and yet they had human senses around them. That could only mean one thing to me but I didn’t understand it at all.

‘Skrulls’ I muttered so quietly that Siryn looked at me, wondering if I had said anything.

‘Did you say something Magneta?’ she asked.

‘Skrulls’ I repeated, ‘shape-shifting aliens.’

‘Are you sure you’ve not been at the TV again?’ Siryn joked but judging by the stern look on my face, I wasn’t joking at all.

‘No Siryn!’ I snapped angrily at her, ‘you know as well as Erik that I don’t watch that sort of thing on TV!’

‘Ok, ok! Chill out!’

I growled quietly and looked back at the mansion as we hovered in the air.

‘I guess we’ve no choice but to go in through the front door.’

‘Could you move the mansion if you wanted to Magneta?’

I smiled grimly.

‘I could if I wanted to but I don’t think father would be too thrilled with me if I did afterwards. As you probably know, Howlett Mansion has already been destroyed into nearly oblivion once and it was half done in quite recently. Oh and did I forget to mention Whip-Lash trashing the place a while back? Right now, all I need to worry about is how to keep Howlett Mansion standing.’

‘So, your next plan Magneta?’

I smiled. The way I did it, Siryn was glad that she wasn’t one of those Skrulls right now.

‘We go in through the door and take them on; one by one. Then I’m going to make them sing who is behind this whether they like it or not.’

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To be continued